Belize Real Estate  Links  
Real Estate Information

How to Make a Buyer Fall in Love with Your Home


If you are thinking of selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve the "showability" of your home. But first, let's look at your home through the eyes of the buyer.

Inside:

1) Open the window coverings and let the sun shine in. Window coverings should be cleaned so that they are not dusty. Have your windows professionally cleaned - you won't believe the difference!

2) Turn on all lights - day or night. Clean all light bulbs, light fixtures and chandeliers. Wherever practical, install higher wattage light bulbs to further brighten your home.

3) Create the illusion of spaciousness, remove all clutter from each room to visually enlarge them (imagine a builder's model home). Improve traffic flow and create a feeling of spaciousness by removing unnecessary furniture, knick-knacks, hobby items, children's items, etc. Organize your closets and cabinets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage. Rent a storage area if needed, or pack it in the garage. You're going to move anyway -- start now!

4) Light your fireplace during the winter.

5) Keep your home dusted and vacuumed.

6) Have a family "game plan" to get the home in show condition quickly - everyone should have an assigned task.

7) Remove all smoke odors, pet odors, and odors resulting from hobbies. When possible, air out your home before the showing. Lightly spray room freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse before the buyer arrives.

8) Make sure that beds are made.

9) Bathrooms should be kept clean, toilet lids down, no hair in the sink. Do not leave dirty towels out; wipe down the shower areas after each use. Repair or replace broken tiles on walls, floors or in showers/tubs. Recaulk if the caulking is chipped and/or stained. Put out fresh towels and decorative soap for showings.

10) Fix dripping faucets, remove rust stains from basins.

11) The kitchen should be kept clean. Remove all grease from range hoods, ovens, stovetops, walls, etc. Expand your counter space by removing small appliances - everything except those items used on a daily basis - remember: picture a builder's model home.

12) Shampoo all carpets and vacuum as necessary. If the carpet does not clean up well, ask your agent if you should replace it.

13) First impressions: Does the doorbell work? Invest in a new doormat. Make sure the front door, screen door, etc. open easily and are visually appealing. If necessary, paint all entrance doors.

14) Create the feeling of a spacious entry area by using decorating accents, mirrors, rugs, etc. and by removing all unnecessary clutter.

15) Remove any excess extension cords and exposed wires.

16) Clean and shine all accessories (door knobs, knockers, lamps, mail boxes, address numbers, etc.)

17) Paint inside walls with a neutral colored paint. Usually, all walls should be painted, not just washed. This will brighten the home and make it look bigger and cleaner. Depersonalize teenager's rooms and decorate in a more neutral manner. Remove posters and adhesive from walls and doors and putty any holes resulting from nails or other mishaps. An investment in painting your home can make a big difference. Where necessary, repair or replace doors, closet doors, and/or windows and screens so that they open with ease.

Outside:

Remove dying plants or keep them out of sight. Keep the yard mowed, raked, weeded, fertilized and watered. Trees and shrubs should be pruned and trimmed. Use plants and flowers on porches and front walk way - create curb appeal! Hoses and garden equipment should be kept neatly out of sight. Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unattractive patio furniture, trash, etc., from the yard. Outdoor furniture should be kept clean.

Porches, steps, verandas, balconies, patios and other extensions of the house should be kept uncluttered, swept and in good condition. Keep trashcans deodorized, covered and out of sight. Highlight your pool area, water garden, etc. with lighting, benches, planters, flowering plants, etc. Create an outside living/dining area with furniture and plants.

Don'ts:

Don't volunteer information
Don't answer nosey questions
Don't let strangers in "off the street"

Do:

Enlist the service of a professional Realtor to market your home in trade magazines, newspapers, call capture 24 hour hotline, Internet sites, Virtual Tour, etc. Make your home look like a model even if isn't - contact a Realtor that provides complimentary home staging as part of their bundle of services.

Phyllis Harb, a California native is a Realtor/Marketing Specialist at RE/Max Tri City in La Canada, California. RE/MAX Tri-City offers additionally offices in Glendale, La Crescenta, Los Feliz and Pasadena. Harb has been assisting local home sellers and buyers since 1989 and offers over 10 years experience in real estate lending. Phyllis may be contacted at 818 790-7325.


MORE RESOURCES:

New York Times

Tough '09 Is Seen for Commercial Real Estate
Washington Post, United States - 13 hours ago
By Dana Hedgpeth This year will be among the worst for the US commercial real estate industry, as unemployment leads to a drop of as much as 30 percent in ...
China Urges Real-Estate Developers to Cut Prices Wall Street Journal Blogs
Commercial real-estate market faces worsening slump San Bernardino Sun
Commercial real estate may be next economic headache NASDAQ
Wall Street Journal - Xinhua
all 84 news articles


New York Magazine

Striking Declines Seen in Manhattan Real Estate Market
New York Times, United States - 16 hours ago
By JOSH BARBANEL For those New Yorkers who wondered what the Manhattan real estate market might be like without the ever-rising bonuses of Wall Street’s ...
Manhattan's Sterling Real-Estate Market Begins to Tarnish Wall Street Journal
NYC real estate defies gravity - so far CNNMoney.com
More Confirmation Real Estate Market is Tanking Gothamist
AHN - Sun-Sentinel.com
all 133 news articles


Shaquille O'Neal boxed in by drop in real estate values
Los Angeles Times, CA - 1 hour ago
As everybody knows, the real estate market has tanked since then and Shaq just relisted his Miami home with a dramatically reduced price of $25 million. ...
Shaq' home back on market Bizjournals.com
all 9 news articles


BusinessWeek

Confessions of a former real estate bull
CNNMoney.com - Jan 5, 2009
I never thought the whole national real estate market would burst. Q. The NAR's latest forecast calls for a slight increase in home prices next year. ...
Birmingham Economic Forecast: Commercial Real Estate Birmingham Business Journal
Former housing industry economist who famously said there was no ... BusinessWeek
Admissions of Spin at the NAR Examiner.com
all 8 news articles


Investors Real Estate Trust Announces 2008 Distribution Allocation
CNNMoney.com - Jan 5, 2009
Investors Real Estate Trust (NASDAQ: IRET) (NASDAQ: IRETP) today announced the final tax treatment (Form 1099) for calendar year 2008 distributions on its ...
Investors Real Estate Trust Announces 2008 Distribution Allocation International Business Times
all 11 news articles


Crain's Chicago Business

Chicago real estate executive kills himself, police say
Chicago Tribune, United States - 13 hours ago
By James Kimberly and Mary Ellen Podmolik | Tribune reporters A Chicago commercial real estate broker committed suicide in a Kane County wildlife preserve, ...
Real estate mogul found fatally shot in suburban wildlife preserve Chicago Sun-Times
Prominent Real Estate Exec Found Dead In Apparent Suicide WBBM780
Real estate exec found dead in his car The Courier News
Northwest Herald - Chicago Daily Herald
all 20 news articles


Report: Tough commercial real estate market will linger
Bizjournals.com, NC - Jan 5, 2009
Grubb & Ellis Co. on Monday released its 2009 global forecast that predicts a troublesome year for commercial real estate in the US, including Greater ...
Region's real estate markets will struggle this year: Grubb & Ellis Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (subscription)
DC Best Place for 2009 Commercial Real Estate Investment NBC Washington
Grubb & Ellis Predicts a Challenging 2009 for Commercial Real ... PR Newswire (press release)
GlobeSt. com - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
all 35 news articles


Real Estate Council of Dallas names chairwoman 3:16 PM CT
Dallas Morning News, TX - 23 hours ago
By SHERYL JEAN / The Dallas Morning News Both Michele Wheeler and The Real Estate Council of Dallas reached a milestone this year: She is the group’s first ...


Globe and Mail

Resale real estate sales, prices to decrease slightly in '09 ...
Calgary Herald,  Canada - 2 hours ago
Canada's resale real estate market should see only modest price and unit sales corrections across the country throughout 2009, says Royal LePage. ...
Forecast: Canadian real estate prices fall MarketWatch (press release)
Real estate prices to cool down in 2009 680 News
Canada 2009 house sales seen falling, rebounding Reuters
The Gazette (Montreal) - CBC.ca
all 70 news articles


Virtual Premise Launches New IMPACT Cost Savings Program to Help ...
MSNBC - 1 hour ago
ATLANTA, GA - In response to today's challenging economic climate, Virtual Premise, a leading provider of web-based real estate information management ...
Virtual Premise Launches New IMPACT Cost Savings Program to Help ... International Business Times
all 9 news articles

Real-Estate - Google News

home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro
© 2006