by Tina Fountain,
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on the net: http://www.tinafountain.com/
UNITED STATES, Aug 18 — Today’s buyers market has left a lot of homeowners shaking their heads. In the good old days, selling a home used to be pretty basic. Generally all you had to do was:
a. If you don’t have a deck, create an outdoor sitting area
T
oday’s buyers market has left a lot of homeowners shaking their heads. In the good old days, selling a home used to be pretty basic. Generally all you had to do was:
a. Price it for the market - so what if it’s a little high, they can make an offer.
b. Tidy up - you don’t want to get too extravagant, people like to fix up a house according to their individual tastes.
c. Mow the lawn.
If you did those three things, generally your house sold within a month or two. These days, it’s a totally different market where homeowners are left holding onto their homes after lingering with sale signs on their front yards for close to a year or longer. Some are forced to rent after purchasing another home and being saddled with two mortgages. Prices have dropped so low, they’ve been forced to make multiple adjustments to their selling price.
Our market is hindered by undecided buyers, hesitant to commit even though interest rates are better than they’ve been for years. This attitude, combined with a glut in the housing market is making selling a home tougher than ever, but not impossible. If a seller can take heed of some basic principles when marketing their home, they will find themselves ahead of the game.
1. Price it for today’s (not yesterday’s) market. This can be a bitter pill for many homeowners to swallow, especially if their home was worth more money only a year ago.
2. Get back to the basics and clean up your house. Don’t just tidy, get rid of anything you haven’t used in a year, and find homes for the rest. When you enter a room, it should appear clutter free and evoke a clean and orderly appearance. This gives potential buyers a sense that the home is well maintained and that all they will have to do is move their stuff in.
3. Now that your home is clean, you can begin to add those touches that will cinch the deal. A two hour consultation with a home stager or decorator will be worth it’s weight in gold. A good real estate agent will help you in this area as well.
4. Don’t let your home look like a furniture store. Thinning out the junk, also means removing extra pieces of furniture that only make a room look smaller. Select a few choices pieces that connect in theme and color and store away the rest. Think of it as getting a jump start on your packing.
5. Freshen up your house with a new paint job. Most of the time, washing the walls just doesn’t cut it. Paint colors and wall paper don’t just fade over time, they fall out of style. Tour through some model homes to see what painting styles and colors are being used. Repaint using neutral colors, with an accent color on one wall in each room to give your house some flair. The color scheme should flow from room to room without looking drab.
6. If your kitchen and bathroom cupboards are dated, paint them and add new handles to make them look like new again.
7. If you can’t afford to replace old flooring, clean them until they sparkle. If they don’t, find a way to cover them up.
8. You’ve heard it before and I’ll say it again; "the front yard can make or break the sale of a house." This is where potential buyers form their first impression – make it a good one! Take this same practice outdoors and get rid of the clutter in your yard. Mow the lawn, trim the hedges and borders.
9. Touch up the paint or stain on your decks and handrails. Take some time to make your front entrance shine with a bright accent color on your front door and new hardware.
10. If you don’t have a deck, create an outdoor sitting area. Even if it means putting down some patio stones and adding a small bistro table and chairs.
Communicate directly with Tina Fountain, the author of this article. Ask questions, send suggestions, comments, engage in conversation, or perhaps you would like to submit a project.
Click Here to ask a question, send a comment, or proposal.
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Today’s buyers market has left a lot of homeowners shaking their heads. In the good old days, selling a home used to be pretty basic. Generally all you had to do was:
a. Price it for the market - so what if it’s a little hi
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