Making the decision to move is the easy part, the preparation, stress and worry which goes with the whole selling and buying process is the hard bit. All of which starts now!

When most people come to sell their home, they always consider the real \ estate agent to be the quickest and easiest route to selling their home. Before you even think about appointing an agent it is essential you present your home in its best light to prepare for all those viewings. Today’s buyers want their new home to be in perfect condition. They don’t want to spend time decorating or refurbishing a property. So here’s what to do before inviting the agents round:

1.It’s time to get all those cleaning products out from under the kitchen sink and give your home a thorough clean from top to bottom. Don’t forget to clean the windows (inside and out), the floors, walls, paint work, light switches etc, etc.

2.Your home must be de-cluttered to create as much space as possible. It takes a lot of effort, but you must put away the kids toys, tidy up shoes and put away all laundry. Your home must stay clutter free ready for all those viewings.

3.Put away as many personal belongings as possible, such as family pictures or trophies as it helps the potential buyer to imagine themselves living there.

4.Ensure all the decor is in good condition and if necessary paint all your rooms a neutral colour. Neutral colours have been proven to statistically increase the chances of a sale as these appeal to the majority of home buyers.

5.The flooring is also very important in a home as buyers like wood, laminate or a lighter colour carpet like beige. These will also increase the chances of a sale, although they may not be practical for everyone, especially if there are children or pets in the house.

6.A lot of buyers will be put off by the smell of any pet odours. It is best if all your pets are kept out of the house while viewings are taking place. If you have a dog, give it a regular shampoo and make sure there are no pet hairs on the carpets and sofa. This alone can be very off putting to potential buyers.

7.The garden is a space where buyers love to entertain during summer with barbecues and parties. Make sure your garden is presentable and practical at all times, even if the weather is bad. Keep the lawns mown and free from leaves and weeds. Jet wash the patio, clip back overgrown plants and bushes. Setting up some garden furniture will help your potential buyers imagine themselves sitting in the garden on a hot summer’s day with a glass of wine.

8.Finish off any of those DIY projects you have started but not completed as buyers are put off when they see unfinished jobs. They start to worry that there may be many other unfinished jobs around your home which they cannot see. Those uncompleted DIY jobs all give the potential buyer cause for concern and can cost you money.


9.Your kitchen and bathroom are two rooms which can make or break the deal. It is important to repair or replace any broken floor or wall tiles. If your bathroom suite is any other colour than white, it’s time to call a plumber! Coloured suites are now considered out dated and buyers will knock the cost of replacing them of the purchase price of your home.

10.Keep your bathroom looking clean and fresh at all times, which can be difficult with a family. Remove lime scale around taps and the shower head. To give your bathroom the luxury hotel feel, buy some fluffy towels

Once you’ve completed these tasks, you will have a home to be proud of and one which stands a far greater chance of selling, especially at a great price!!!

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You probably have lots of emotion "built in" to your house. Maybe you fixed it up, or you raised your children there. Your home is your "special" place. However, when it's time to sell, don't let emotion play a roll in your pricing decision!

Many sellers don't understand that overpricing can actually result in your getting LESS for your house than if you had priced it correctly in the first place. Knowledgeable agents and buyers often won't bid on an overpriced home. By the time you "wise up" and reduce the price to where it should have been priced in the first place, many of your best prospects will have bought other houses. This decreases demand for your now properly priced home! The problem is exacerbated if you placed your home on the market in the spring, it sat on the market "overpriced" throughout the summer, and now that you've reduced your price, the market has slowed.

Also, consider that agents tend to steer buyers away from homes that have been in the Multiple Listing Service for long periods of time. Agents and buyers become suspicious that something is wrong with your property if it didn't sell relatively soon after it went on the market. It's important to price it right the day you put it on the market!

Also, consider what you could have done with the profits from the sale of your home if you had priced it right. Suppose you priced it right and sold relatively quickly, and invested that money in a rising stock or bond market. On the other hand, suppose you overpriced your home, and after several months, had to reduce it to where it should have been priced in the first place. Even worse, the house still isn't sold! You get the picture.

The Dangers of a Lack of Exposure

It's a fact that most real estate transactions occur between buyer's and seller's agents. Buyer's agents typically find properties for their clients through the Multiple Listing Service. Not being in the MLS makes it extremely difficult to get buyers through your door. If your home is not in the MLS, you're off the radar! Hire a good real estate agent, and get into the MLS!

Also, make sure your real estate agent uses aggressive marketing strategies to make sure your home sells. In a red-hot market, the MLS is probably the only exposure your home will need. However, if the market is anything less than red-hot, your agent will need to print flyers and introduce your home to other agents in his or her office, as well as other local sales offices. Also, exposure in home magazine ads, classified ads, and the Internet will help generate demand for your home. Make sure your agent uses a powerful marketing program!

The Dangers of not "packaging your home" for sale!

Curb appeal is everything! You can take two identical homes next door to each other, both for sale. The first home has a cluttered yard with tall grass and weeds. The shutters on the house are chipping. There are toys in the yard. When you open the screen door, it's half way off the hinges. The inside is fairly cluttered as well, and the wall could use a coat of paint. On the other hand, the owners of the home next door paid $300 for a landscaper to mow the lawn, trim the shrubs and clear the gutters. Inside, they added a fresh coat of paint and cleared up all the clutter. Again, the two homes are identical. Both owners paid the same amount for the same model. Guess which home is going to fetch more money?

Don't be lazy. A few days of labor and minimal investment can make the difference between your house sitting on the market and selling the day you put it on the market. Cosmetic appeal is essential!

Finally, don't negotiate foolishly!

Don't appear overly eager when you negotiate with buyers. If you appear too eager or too anxious to make a deal, buyers may become suspicious. Worse, they may lower the offer because they think you're desperate to sell your home. Stay cool! Also, don't appear too tough. A good deal can fall apart if buyers find you too rigid to work with.

You probably have a lot of emotion invested in the house, which can certainly get in the way of effective negotiations. The best thing you can do is let your real estate agent handle your negotiations. She or he is emotionally detached from the home and has strong negotiation skills.

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