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Seattle, WA

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Friday's Fotos: Seattle Skyline

07-30-10
Patricia Kennedy
Patricia Kennedy: Real Estate Agent in Washington, DC
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  • Office: (202) 364-1700
  • Mobile: (202) 549-5167

I took this on the ferry from Bainbridge Island to Downtown Seattle. There are people who actually get to go to work every morning on The Wenatchee. What a commute!

There is only one little complaint that I had about my day as a commuter on this route. Seattle is thought of by us east coast people as Coffee City. But there was no Starbuck's on the ferry. Riders have to drink inferior swill if they don't have time to grab a really good latte on the run to catch the boat!

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Seattle Sellers, Prepare the Exterior of Your Home for Market

07-29-10
Glenn Roberts - Seattle Residential
Glenn Roberts - Seattle Residential: Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA
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  • Office: (206) 524-3665
  • Mobile: (206) 478-3665
  • Secondary: (260) 524-3665

Seattle Sellers, Prepare the Exterior of Your Home for Market

In This Post

How a seller should go about preparing the exterior of the property soon to be for sale.

You've lived in your home now for one year or maybe thirty years. You know quite a bit about it, but probably not everything. If you are planning to sell this home you can hardly start soon enough to have it market ready when the time comes.

One good option, and it is required in some states, is to hire a licensed home inspector and let him go over the property to let you know what is wrong that might be called out in an inspection that the buyer will do later. This will probably cost you $400-500 and, if you are careful enough in what I've outlined below, you might be better off spending the money on repairs that are obviously needed.Prepare the Exterior

Keep in mind that most home buyers become emotionally involved with the property because of how it is presented, not because the structure and mechanics are in top condition.

Taking an orderly approach to the task at hand will make your work proceed much faster than if you wait until the last minute, and then try to do everything at once.

Make your home look its best for that first day on the market. Get yourself a clipboard and some paper and let's get started.

  1. Go across the street and look at the front of your property. Note the landscaping in general. Some yards are simply lawn and some have been extensively landscaped.
    • Check to see that trees and shrubs are not overgrown. If you don't know how to prune them, hire a professional.
    • Note where the sidewalk meets the dirt. Is there a crisp, clean edge there? If not, write it down.
    • Would the sidewalk look better if it were pressure washed? (Pressure wash cement. Never pressure wash wood surfaces.)
    • Check the planting beds. They should be weed free, and composted or barked (with the smallest bark chips you can find).
    • Does the front door need paint or need to be replaced? How about the hardware? Does the lock work smoothly?
    • Check the door and window trim, and the siding. If you can improve it, note it.
  2. Check the sides of the house next. Besides the windows, siding, and trim, make sure that gutters and down spouts are attached and functioning. Water should be diverted away from the house if the downspouts are not attached to a drainage system.
  3. The backyard will require some imagination. Decks and patios should be neat and clean. The yard should look like a fun place to be. You want it to be clutter free. Anything that might be "stored" there, behind or beside the garage, or under the deck needs to be removed. If you are not taking it to you next location, sell it, recycle it, or trash it.
  4. Check the planting beds as in front.
  5. Check the doors, windows, trim and siding.
  6. If you know how old the roof is, and it's less than 15 years old, you are probably in good shape. If you can see moss growing on it, if you see plants growing in the gutters, if you can't remember when the roof was last replaced, call a roofing contractor and get an estimate for any work that may need to be done. The roofer's opinion will be good to have should the buyer's inspector call it out.

Take a look at what you've written. Write "To Do" at the top of the page. We'll take a look inside on another day.

5 Comments
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High Anxiety

07-29-10
René Fabre
René Fabre : Title Company in Seattle, WA
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  • Office: (206) 320-1400
  • Mobile: (425) 890-9633

As a seasoned commuter in the Puget Sound Megalopolis, I try to lessen the High Anxiety by breaking the trip down into a point to point scenario. I don’t think too far ahead. Just make it to the next marker. Hopefully the little successes will add up and out number any failures and by days end (now home),

I'll feel like a winner.

Keep it simple, (A) the points you dread, you know the one’s that are a ‘role of the dice’ everyday where anything is possible and likely to happen. When you successfully get by these with little or no incident, you win. Then you have (B) the High Anxiety points, when you pass these babies it’s a major mental catharsis and you spontaneously burst out loud,

“I’m free, I’m free, I’m finally free!”

One nagging question I’ve had for many years driving through Seattle is who in the heck decided that at the very point where you pass through the center apex of the states largest lovely city via its number one thorough fare, that spot should be marked with a Convention Center over the top of said freeway creating an eternal unalterable tunnel and choke point?

I was contemplating all that this morning.

Everyone merging from the left wants to be on the right, everyone on the right needs to be immediately on the left to make the Mercer St exit to our totally revitalized and chic (or is that sheik?) South Lake Union> neighborhood.

In the tunnel everyone instantly becomes anxious to jam it to the floor and bust loose from the pack.

And oh!, let’s keep this thing interesting, throw in a few Semi’s that want the middle lane, a bus from the left that needs to exit right onto Olive St, then another that’s merging left from Olive St and cuts across all four to get to the commuter lane. This makes for a pretty exciting half mile most mornings.

Attempting decompression through laughter, the movie High Anxiety comes to mind...
Remember Dr. Richard H. Thorndyke (Mel Brooks), head administrator for
The Psycho-Neurotic Institiute for the Very, Very Nervous?

It's working, I'm having my own private crackup when...
this bus passes me...

High Anxiety

ANXIETY
WILL INCREASE YOUR PERCEPTION OF WAIT TIME
Education comes from all angles BECITYWISE...

Nice ad by City University of Seattle

How totally appropriate...

The Blackberry Chronicles
ARFCO Media ©2010

6 Comments
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Contractual Obligations Of Seller When Vacating The Home - Just Use The Golden Rule!

07-29-10
Courtney Cooper
Courtney Cooper: Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA
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  • Office: (206) 251-5948
  • Mobile: (206) 850-8841

seattle real estateThis one is always interesting, but listing agents including myself need to prepare sellers for vacating their homes upon close. My very first transaction involved me representing a first time home buyer where the seller literally picked up their check at escrow and boarded a plane to California for good - food in fridge, clothes in closet, the tv was still one, etc. - you get the idea. It was not my job as a buyers agent to stand over her and make sure she left. The listing agent who happened to be pretty experienced should have seen the signs. Even a walk through on our part did not reveal her intentions.

Recently we had a seller completely disregard our buyer's feelings - we have a gorgeous couple buying a home and we had to force the transaction along on their behalf every step of the way. The wife is pregnant and we really wanted to make the transaction as painless as possible. The seller, though, just only considered himself. He left the house filthy and even left mattresses behind all over the house with no intention what so ever of picking them up. He just got out what he wanted and left town. Luckily his long suffering listing agent did help out and step up to the plate to get the rubbish out and we paid for a housekeeper for the couple.

You really should use the golden rule when moving out of a home - would you want your home to be left this way? For the most part, people are good thank goodness, but every once in a while you do get a rotten egg and it is nice to have a team behind you when that happens so that you still get a great home and experience. We shielded our pregnant client form much of the true stress and took care of it on her behalf along the way. This is how things get done:)

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Wordless Wednesday - my garden and a strange cat

07-28-10
Ally Wangsness
Ally Wangsness: Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA
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  • Office: (206) 322-5700
  • Mobile: (206) 403-8346

Today I saw a robin who was eating berries, but by the time I got my camera it was gone. So I took pictures of my garden and a strange cat.

Cucumbers

At some point this will grow into a pickling cucumber. I noticed though that some of them are turning yellow. :-(

green tomatoes

Tomatoes are still green. I planted my garden late this year: it was too cold.

Akane apples

These are Akane apples. Local and seasonal. Should be ready some time in August.

Cat in my back yard

And here is the cat. Don't know who she belongs to. Seems to be too friendly for a wild cat. It was hard to take a picture since she was following me around all the time. She showed up in our back yard some time ago and visits us quite often.

Photos posted by Ally Wangsness, copyright © 2010. Photos and info may not be copied, reproduced and republished without the written permission of Ally Wangsness, Broker, RE/MAX Metro Realty, Inc.

8 Comments