Above everything else, please remember, there is no magic wand to sell your home in a day. It is going to take time, effort and perseverance by you and your Realtor®. The real key question is, how is your house going to stand out compared to all of the others in the same price range and location? Here are 10 steps to help you find a buyer for your home and potentially sell it for the most money possible.
•1) First and foremost, make sure your home has curb appeal. That first impression, when a potential buyer pulls up to your home for the first time is huge. I kind of compare it to going on a first date. Does that person you are meeting look clean and groomed? Are they wearing old, torn cloths? Do they smell good? Can you see yourself going on a second date? You get the picture. You never get a second chance of impressing an individual. It has to be the same way with your home. Once you get that look going with the mowed lawn and the trimmed hedges, please keep it that way. All too often, after a month, the seller will get complacent and start slacking off. Remember, first impressions are forever.
•2) Next, walk into your home with the eyes of a first time home buyer. What do you see? Is there clutter? Do the rooms look inviting or cramped? Is it easy to move from one room to the next? Are the carpets or floors dirty? Will the colors on the walls accommodate some one else's furniture? How does it smell when you walk in? When it comes to smells, clean always wins over candles and aroma scented sprays. Think clean, bright and welcoming as you go.
•3) Get rid of any toys or personal things that clutter shelves, walls desks and floors. Always keep in the back of your mind as you do this, the people looking at your home want to imagine their stuff there. The more you have of yours, the less likely they will be able to see theirs. It is not a bad idea to rent a storage unit to start this process. Out of sight with these items is always best in the long run. Do this in every room.
•4) Next, strange as it sounds, replace the toilet seats. It does make a difference.
•5) Ok, the house is clean, neat and smelling great. Congrats! Now is the time to go back outside and start looking for things that are broken or missing on the house. Start in the front and move to the back, then work your way through the interior of the house. By doing this, you overcome potential objections from a potential buyer well before they come up in the negotiations.
•6) When you have uncluttered, cleaned, mowed, trimmed and made the beds in all of the rooms, leave for a celebratory dinner for all of the hard work you have accomplished.
•7) When you come back, look hard at the home you pull up to. Look at it with a new buyer's eye. Can you honestly say this is the nicest house on the block, without reservation? If you say yes, you are half way to selling your home.
•8) Now comes the hard part, finding a Realtor® that you can put your confidence in. Whether buying or selling a home, there is always some degree of trepidation. To ease some of the worry, do some homework on who you would like to help you sell your home. Ask friends what experiences they had with their Realtor®, make phone calls and take notice as to how long it takes to return your call and how they answer it in the first place.
•9) Invite three Realtors® to do a listing presentation. How much do they listen to what you have to say and what your concerns are, as opposed to how smart they tell you they are? Find out what their background is. Experience in all aspects of real estate is important, that includes finance as well as marketing. Ask how they intend to market your home and in what manner. Hopefully it will include Open Houses, print advertising and internet marketing. Ask them how many Open Houses you can expect within a certain period and what web sites will be showcasing your home? The question of commission will also come up. Remember, you get what you pay for, in all cases.
•10) Last and most difficult is to keep everything in your home exactly as it was the day you came back from your celebratory dinner. Leave the rest to your Realtor®. You are in good hands. Good luck in a challenging market. Always remember, cream ALWAYS rises to the top. God Bless.
Realtor®
Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Co.
mchesnick@blanchardandcalhoun.com
706-495-1533 Cell
706-868-1000 ext 293 Office
I spent the majority of my life in Florida. I know its politics and its people. It is a great state. I probably would never have moved, except for one day, 15 years ago, my brand new truck broke down outside of Augusta, Georgia and was forced to stay here for a week. Looking back at it now, it was probably one of the best problems I have ever had. My wife and I fell in love with this city and everything it was and could be.
It is the second biggest city in Georgia, but it still feels like a small town. It is pretty hard to go anywhere and not see someone you know. It has an extremely stable economy with colleges, medical schools, multiple hospitals, great businesses, and a military base. The people pride themselves for their courtesy and desire to make their community a great place to live. Families with many children abound. I have a 9 year old daughter and am really glad she can grow up in a family oriented environment where people still say please and thank you.
I am a Realtor with Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Co. here in Evans and love everything I do, especially sharing and welcoming others to my community. If you have any notion of moving to Georgia and want to find out more about a great place to live, give me a call.
Sincerely,
Mark Chesnick
Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Co.
706-495-1533
Looking at the market right now, I see a strong analogy between a hurricane and the market we reside in right now. Some of us are in the eye, stable communities that are being affected more by the price of gas and food than that of a huge down surge in the market. The good news here in Evans Georgia is that the house prices have been affected very little to the negative. The bad news is buyers are more cautious than ever before and there are less of them. A lot of my peers are complaining about the lack of business. I say to them, feel blessed they are not in other parts of the country where sellers are giving away new cars to sell their house. One way or the other, as with the hurricane, some will get blown away and others will rebuild stronger. I say to you, dig deep and weather the storm.
I know that there are pockets around the country that the real estate market is struggling. Where house prices are taking a beating because of huge increases in value due to HOT sales in previous years, but I truly believe that the rest of the country is not in as bad a shape as the newspapers claim to be. We as a whole should remind ourselves of the amazing times of sales not too long ago and be appreciative and stay focused on what it takes to be a professional Realtor or those who are in the family of the real estate market. In every economy there will always be major ups and downs. The key is how we make of those fluctuations in the market. Twenty years ago, houses were a bear to sell. Your customer had to have great credit and a sizable down payment and be willing to pay 15-19% interest rates. What a difference compared to now! We still can get 100% financing in rural areas and with VA, and FHA with 3% down and interest rates below 6%. It could be a better real estate environment, but it has been a lot worse. I say to all that read this blog, it is time to look at the glass half full and really appreciate all the potential out there.
I would appreciate to hear from as many others as possible to share your opinions and possibly directed thoughts on what can be done to make our world move back towards the positive.
Mark Chesnick
Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate Co
706-495-1533
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With over 20 years of experience in the Real Estate and Finance Arena, I can help make the buying or selling of your home just a little easier. Call me today at 706-495-1533.
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