If You Plan on Selling Your Home in Today's Market, Be Prepared to Win the Beauty Contest and the Price War!
Your home is competing with all of the homes in your price range including privately owned homes and new construction. What do you need to do to compete? We've created a brief list of recommendations below. If you have specific questions about preparing your home to sell that are not answered on this page or any real estate questions, fill out the form on the bottom of this page. We promise to respond ASAP!
Start with Cleaning
In order to compete with these properties, it's critical to clean your home well. Be prepared to scrub the baseboards, dust the ceiling fans and clean out the gutters etc! Once all the cleaning is done you may find that some repairs are needed.
Making Repairs
If the baseboards aren't shiny and white or the kids decided to write on the walls with markers, it may be time for a new coat of paint. Make sure you use a neutral color for walls that will appear to a broad range of buyers.
If you have a home with carpet, a general rule of thumb is that most buyers will expect new carpet or the current carpet to be cleaned at a minimum. If there are stains that won't come out, expect to replace the carpet or take a large deduction in your bottom line for it.
How Much Is Too Much?
Carpet and paint are almost always a good idea and a solid investment. However, it's easy to go overboard with improvements so before you install that $400 Tiffany lamp or granite countertops, call us for expert advice.
What About Staging?
Staging is yet another tool homeowners can leverage when attempting to sell. Professional staging can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a consultation only, to a several thousand dollars to completely furnish a home. Since you only have one shot at a first impression, it's important to do everything within your power to make sure your home looks as close to perfect as possible. If you are interested in home staging, we have some affiliations with local companies who can get the job done!
I'm Ready!
Once your ready, check out the Home Selling Process Page for what to do/expect next...
First Time Buyers >Getting Organized
Looking at homes can become overwhelming for many prospective buyers. The properties start to run together, and you have trouble remembering which homes you liked a lot and which ones you didn't. Real estate agents use a few tricks that can help you remember what you have seen.
Usually the real estate agent will give you a copy of the listing with all the pertinent information. Write down one distinctive feature on the listing sheet that will help you remember the house. Maybe the house had unusual moldings in the dining room, a red door, or unusual wallpaper. If the house was particularly interesting to you, put a big star on the top of the page to remind yourself that you would like to see it again or even perhaps make an offer. If there are features for which you have a strong preference, or if you eliminate a house from consideration for any reason, be sure to tell the agent why.
Communication between you and the real estate agent is key. This will save you a lot of time and effort in your search because the agent will show you only the homes that meet your particular needs.
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| Q |
What kind of home construction is considered to be the safest in seismic areas?
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| A |
Straw-bale homes in seismic zones have proven resilient enough to withstand the shock of earthquakes. |
 See More Real Estate Trivia > |
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- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
