Making Your Dallas Home More Appealing To Buyers
Does your Dallas home have a façade only a homeowner could love? Selling a home can be an emotional experience, and people can lack objectivity when it comes to their own abode. Presenting a home in its best light is always important, but it's imperative in our current competitive real estate market.
Professional advice and assistance can make the difference between "Wow!" and "Whaaa?" - a recent industry study found that staged homes sold for 6.9 percent more than homes that were not staged. Another study compared listing times before and after staging. Homes that had first been offered for sale without staging were on the market an average of 4.5 months; the same homes sold within a week, on average, after being staged.
Below are 7 tips to ‘setting the stage' and making your home more appealing to buyers:
1. Thoroughly clean from top to bottom, especially kitchens and baths.
A dirty house an immediate buyer turn-off. The two most important areas are the kitchen and the bathrooms. If you have not deep cleaned all counter and tile surfaces to a spotless condition, you stand the chance of having the buyers walk right back out the door.
2. De-clutter the entire house.
Clutter makes it extremely hard for the buyers to visualize moving into your home. The disorganization affects the buyer's ability to focus on your home and they will most likely overlook your key selling features. In addition, clutter has the affect of making your home appear smaller than it is as the "open" feeling is gone.
3. Remove the personal memorabilia.
People are generally curious and when you want them to notice the beautiful entryway they may be focused on all the family pictures on the piano or all the "stuff" stuck to the front of your refrigerator. Your objective is to change the view of your home from "lived in" to "ready to move in."
4. Neutralize inside and out.
best way to present a home is for the wall colors to be painted a neutral color. This goes for the outside as well - a loud or non-neutral color may just keep the buyers from even stopping to see the inside.
5. Let the sun shine in with spotless windows.
Nothing is more distracting to a buyer than to be looking at a view through a dirty window. What you don't see is often more important that what you do see.
6. Make your pets go away.
While your pets are a loving member of your family, for the buyers their presence, food and boxes are generally a turn-off. Every trace of their presence should be removed so, once again, the buyers are not distracted from the prime objective - viewing your home in the best possible light.
7. Add curb appeal.
A healthy, neat, trimmed and well maintained yard and flower beds are the keys to getting the buyers up to the front door. A well-maintained exterior translates to a well maintained home in the mind of the buyer.
Need help setting the stage and showing off your Dallas home in its best light? Give us a call, we are glad to help.
Decorating on a budget doesn't have to be a drag, in fact, it can be a delight. Pick a theme for the room, perhaps a sports theme for a den/TV room, shabby chic for a great room, or a jungle animal theme for a child's bedroom. Identify what statement you want to make and what will please you, not an audience. After all, it's YOUR home!
One of the best places you can shop at is a consignment store. They generally carry "gently used" furniture, appliances, televisions, artwork, rugs, you name it! Professional designers know these are great places to find one of a kind, unique items and often times the prices can be negotiated.
If you truly enjoy the thrill of the hunt, garage and estate sales may be just the thing for you. You never know what you'll find at a garage sale, which is why they are so fun! Since it is apparent the homeowner is anxious to get rid of as much as possible (most garage sales are only a day or two in duration) there is great opportunity to negotiate. Remember, one person's trash is another person's treasure!
Estate sales are run differently, usually by a professional company that is representing the seller. Estate sales are generally the liquidation of a household and may include the entire contents of a kitchen down to dishes and cutlery and entire rooms of furniture, as well as valuable and expensive antiques and artwork.
Happy Hunting! Keep your eyes open for those perfect treasures that will make your house a home on a budget!
Learn more about Dallas real estate by visiting TexasHomeCentral.com or giving us a call, 972-562-0896.
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Obligations to disclose information about a property vary from state to state. Under the strictest laws, the seller and the seller's broker, if there is one, are required to disclose all facts materially affecting the value or desirability of the property which are known or accessible only to him.
Items sellers often disclose include: homeowners association dues; whether or not work done on the house meets local building codes and permit requirements; the presence of any neighborhood nuisances or noises which a prospective buyer might not notice, such as a dog that barks every night or poor TV reception; any death within three years on the property; and any restrictions on the use of the property, such as zoning ordinances or association rules. It is wise to check your state's disclosure rules prior to a home purchase.
Home inspections, seller disclosure requirements and the agent's experience will also be useful. Disclosure laws vary by state, but in some states, the law requires the seller to complete a real estate transfer disclosure statement. Here is a summary of the things you could expect to see in a disclosure form:
Sellers are required to indicate any significant defects or malfunctions existing in the home's major systems. A checklist specifies interior and exterior walls, ceilings, roof, insulation, windows, fences, driveway, sidewalks, floors, doors, foundation, as well as the electrical and plumbing systems.
The form also asks sellers to note the presence of environmental hazards, walls or fences shared with adjoining landowners, any encroachments or easements, room additions or repairs made without the necessary permits or not in compliance with building codes, zoning violations, citations against the property and lawsuits against the seller affecting the property. Also look for, or ask about, settling, sliding or soil problems, flooding or drainage problems and any major damage resulting from earthquakes, floods or landslides. People buying a condominium must be told about covenants, codes and restrictions or other deed restrictions.
It's important to note that the simple idea of disclosing defects has broadened significantly in recent years. Many jurisdictions have their own mandated disclosure forms as do many brokers and agents. Also, the home inspection and home warranty industries have grown significantly to accommodate increased demand from cautious buyers. Be sure to ask questions about anything that remains unclear or does not seem to be properly addressed by the forms provided to you.
While some agents may put an ad of your home in the local paper and list it in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), there are many additional steps that should be taken to effectively market your home enabling a quick sale at the best price. A devoted REALTOR® (me) will actively market your house using at least a few of the following methods:
1. Advertising in the MLS
Advertising your listing in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is imperative in any marketing plan! It is typically the first place your agent will begin marketing your house and most often directly responsible for the sale of your house. Years ago, it was used as a medium for agents to market homes to buyers agents, however, with the internet evolving it is now available for buyers to search themselves on many real estate websites.
2. For Sale Sign in Yard with Brochure Box
For sale signs with professionally designed brochures displayed in a brochure box in your front yard is also essential. This is an inexpensive way to ensure all passersby's get a chance to notice your house.
3. Prominent Advertising on Your Agent's Website
While the MLS is available for buyers to search it is of utmost importance your house also be prominently featured within your agent's website. While your house is not likely the only listing your agent features you may want to kindly suggest they rotate each listing from the "featured properties" page to the homepage. The added exposure just may help you sell more quickly and your agent will likely appreciate your interest to help.
4. Advertising in Local and/or National Newspapers
Advertising in newspapers is considered traditional advertising and continues to provide REALTORS® an opportunity to market listings. The downside is the potential cost, especially on Sundays, and rarely results in a sale. It is advisable to request your agent put more effort into other marketing avenues instead.
5. Advertising in Real Estate Magazines
Many specialty real estate magazines exist for the purpose of marketing listings as well. Most often, these publications feature high end homes. However, just as with newspaper ads they rarely produce qualified leads or end in a sale. While you may like seeing your house marketed in this manner a better option would be to opt for additional website marketing.
6. Holding Open Houses
There are two types of open houses. One if for the public and generally are held on Sunday afternoons. The other is for agents.
Ordinarily, public open houses don't result in the sale of a house either. Part of the reason public open houses have failed to lead to sales in the past is the lack of visitors. There are two things that can and should be done to promote the open house and persuade buyers to actually visit.
The first of these is website and search engine marketing. Your agent could easily display an invitation to the open house on the homepage of their website a week prior to the event. Additionally, using online ad programs such as Yahoo! Search Marketing and Google AdWords to further advertise the open house will help draw people at a fraction of the cost of most newspaper ads.
An ad by itself is not likely to draw in a large crowd but the promise of something special to eat will always win over a discerning buyer. This is the second way to increase visitors at your open house. Help your agent prepare a menu of items to attract larger crowds of people.
However, having a public open house is not as likely to bring in many serious buyers as a Broker open house. Broker open houses are held for agents instead of the general public. Since agents viewing your home during a Broker open house already have pre-qualified buyers your chances of selling are heightened.
7. Providing Buyer Feedback
While this is not technically marketing it is a valuable tool to use to help make your home more marketable. Most agents will leave their business card on a kitchen counter or table after a showing to offer buyer feedback to your agent. Your agent will then gather all cards from you at least once each week. After calling each buyers agent, I will provide suggestions to help improve your homes appearance. Discerning buyers will likely disclose their likes and dislikes about your home. These details are infinitely important to the sale of your house.
Learn more about Dallas real estate by visiting TexasHomeCentral.com or giving us a call, 972-562-0896.
Good credit is not just important for getting approved for your new home but also ensuring a lower interest rate which can mean thousands in savings and a lower monthly mortgage payments. Here are eight steps to good credit:
Step 1: Pay Your Bills on Time
Make it your personal goal to pay your credit and other obligations on time and for the required amount each month.
Debt obligations will include:
Take advantage of automatic payments and other online bill payment strategies offered by lenders and credit card issuers. This will ensure timely payments.
If you forget to make a payment, act promptly on any notices of non- or late payments. Call the bill servicer to notify them that your payment will be sent immediately.
Do not ignore any creditor notices of non-payment. Contact the creditor to fix the problem.
Step 2: Build a Strong Payment Pattern
Adverse conditions such as late or non-payments are two of the most common items that are reported to the credit agencies. You can avoid adverse conditions by making on-time payments.
Your credit report will also list all open credit cards and loans, listing the amount borrowed and the amount owed on the account.
Your objective is to build a pattern where you pay off large credit card balances in full each month. This pattern conveys a sense of responsibility for your debt obligations.
You can build a strong payment pattern by charging everyday living expenses on your credit card, deducting the charge from your money account, and then paying off the monthly credit card charge in full each month with your money deductions.
Note that you need to follow these rules before you can undertake this credit payment pattern:
Step 3: Maintain only a Few Credit Cards
As your credit rating improves, you will soon receive pre-approved offers from credit card companies and lenders with attractive rates and programs. You should limit your credit to three to four cards only. Maintaining a large collection of cards can hurt your credit rating.
Step 4: Close All Retail and Gas Cards
Since you maintain three to four major credit cards (e.g., VISA, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express), it isn't necessary to hold gasoline cards, retail store cards, and other specialized credit cards.
Simply use your major credit cards. Again, holding multiple cards can drag down your credit score.
Step 5: Don't Have Too Many Outstanding Loans
Excessive loan balances (especially loans that exceed your Debt-to-Income ratios) can effect your credit rating:
Maintaining a good credit rating requires that you reduce your debt holdings by consolidating balances, closing unused credit card accounts, and paying off outstanding loans.
Step 6: Avoid Charging Close to Your Credit Line Limit
Don't use your credit card up to your maximum credit line balance because this can negatively impact your credit rating.
Maximized credit lines (including home equity lines, credit cards and unsecured credit lines) indicate that you are a consumer who borrows willingly. Many lenders consider this a great risk and may not approve you for additional credit.
A good rule to follow is to keep your balances at or below 60 percent of the available credit line.
Step 7: Review Your Credit Report Annually
About one in four credit reports have errors. Either a payment on a loan amount has not been recorded correctly or another billing company has posted incorrect non-payment information to your account.
Your credit report also maintains records on your employment, salary, bank accounts, etc., especially the information that you supplied when making a previous credit application.
You should review your report annually for errors and make the necessary corrections as instructed by the credit agency.
Step 8: Limit Inquiries on Your Credit Report
Multiple credit report inquiries over a period of time may negatively impact your credit score.
Every time you apply for credit, seek some kind on contractual service, or in some cases employment, a credit inquiry will be made on your report.
Models show that multiple inquiries over a period of time indicate an applicant who is anticipating credit problems. So limit credit inquiries when only necessary.
What about having multiple lenders compete for your loan?
Many Internet services and brokers allow you to submit one form and have up to four lenders review your credit information.
Credit agencies understand that these services may require an inquiry by "multiple lenders" at the same time.
These kinds of inquiries, coming from multiple lenders within 20-30 days of each other, indicate that you are shopping for the best deal. Credit agencies will count these inquiries as being only one inquiry. This allows you to shop and negotiate the best deal without being penalized on your credit report.
Courtesy of SayLending
For more information on Dallas real estate, visit TexasHomeCentral.com.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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