Tag Archives: Sell Quickly

Prepare Your House to Sell Quickly!

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Prepare Your House to Sell Quickly!

your house goes on the market

When your house goes on the market, you want to make sure you can sell it as quickly as possible. By fully preparing before you list, you can help move your house expediently and prevent buyers from asking for additional improvements or repairs when they purchase. Check out this checklist of things to do to get your house fully prepared for the market. Then ask yourself, “How prepared am I?”

Outside

· Tidy up your lawn and garden. Cut grass, trim shrubs and trees, replace dead plants and remove weeds.

· Clean up your yard, patio or deck. Remove any trash, debris and toys from your yard.

· Make sure your driveway and entryway are clutter-free.

· Check your outdoor faucets for leaks and repair any you find.

· Make sure your mailbox, house numbers and exterior lighting are clean and in good condition.

· Do exterior paint touch-ups as needed.

· Give your house a facelift by painting the front door.

· Inspect your chimney for cracks or missing mortar and have those items repaired if you find them.

· Make repairs to loose trim, fencing and drain pipes. Clean out the gutters.

· Add a new welcome mat to your front door.

· Clean stains and window screens. If your sidewalk or house is especially dirty, consider power washing or hiring someone to power wash.

Garage

· Declutter and organize all the remaining items.

· Sweep and scrub the garage floor.

Living areas

· Apply a fresh coat of paint anywhere you need one. If your house has brightly painted walls, consider repainting with light, neutral colors.

· Clean your draperies and vacuum and steam clean your carpets (or hire a professional to steam clean).

· Make sure all lightbulbs are in working order.

· Clean all of the windows, inside and out.

Kitchen

· Remove any clutter from the countertops. Thoroughly clean counters, sinks and appliances. Clean your oven inside and out.

· Clean and polish or wax the floor.

· Clean tile or grout and replace it if it’s beyond cleaning.

Bathrooms

· Clean or replace the shower curtain.

· Thoroughly clean the sinks, shower, bathtub, toilet, floors, mirrors and anything with chrome or porcelain surfaces.

· Clean or replace grout and caulk.

· Fix faucet drips or leaks.

Closets

· Make sure that doors and drawers open and close easily.

· Declutter and tidy up the shelves and racks. Neatly arrange all your shoes and clothing.

· Get a head start on packing and remove all the clothing that’s not in season from your closet.

Overall

· Do a walk-through as if you were a home buyer. Look for doors, windows, cabinets and drawers that stick, squeak or are too loose. Look for any issue which may cause a buyer to ask for additional maintenance on your home.

· Clean your fireplace and remove any smoke stains from the wall and mantle.

· Service your HVAC system and hot water heater.

· Make sure your home smells fresh and inviting. Do this by keeping everything clean and, if possible, opening the windows occasionally to air out stale odors your home may retain.

Once you have done all that, you are ready! We will review the checklist with you, stage, position and list your home! Want to know more? Contact Jacobson Realty and Home Staging. We’d be happy to get you on the path to selling your home – maybe even faster than you thought. Oh, and we have a lovely horse property that just became available! You won’t want to miss seeing this!

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Why You Need an Open House

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Why You Need an Open House

A public open house

A public open house is a critical piece to marketing your home, especially if you need to do showings by appointment only. Your listing agent has the responsibility to get your home the most exposure to the public as possible, and while tools like Zillow and Trulia are great for online marketing, they don’t get people in the door like an open house will.

The open house is a coordinated event with you, the owner that allows the public to freely view your home with or without an agent during the timeframe of your choosing. It reduces the pressure on you as the owner to ready your house with little or no notice, and it provides freedom to the potential buyer to preview the home in a more leisurely manner. It’s essentially a win-win situation for both parties. Here are some frequently asked questions I get about open houses.

Do open houses only attract neighbors?

Not always. Keep in mind, though, that your neighbors are your friends. The more neighbors who know about your property, the more likely they will tell their friends and family about your listing.

Are public open houses always scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays?

No. However, many open houses are scheduled on Sunday afternoons to prevent conflicts with weekend and religious activities. Open houses can be scheduled any time of the week that works for you and makes sense for potential buyers. The time of day is also flexible. It’s a good idea to listen to the recommendations of your listing agent and coordinate a date and time that works best for you and for your potential buyers.

Is it important for a listing agent to offer food at an open house?

No. If a listing agent has a unique or desirable property listing, the open house will be very busy — especially if the house has been professionally staged. It’s best not to have food at a public open house. You spent a lot of time and effort readying your home for the open house, and you probably don’t want to go through sweeping up a day’s worth of crumbs and spills after it’s over. A small dish of candy and perhaps a bottle of water are considered gracious and all you really need to offer for a regular open house.

If your listing agent is planning a broker’s open house, usually simple luncheon food is provided. Why do you provide food for brokers? Because you want your listing agent to keep brokers on site to gain as much feedback as possible to understand the positioning and the perceived value, architectural flaws and overall perception of the property by other pros. This information will help your agent make adjustments to tweak your listing in a more favorable light. You want them to share their property experience with other agents who may have a buyer for your property. Food encourages people to stay a little longer and talk.

Do public open houses and broker opens always work?

No. They are simply additional marketing tools for your agent to use to provide exposure to your property. Listen to your listing agent about recommendations to determine if a public open house or broker’s open will work best, given the location of the property and time the property is being offered.

If you would like more information on open houses or anything else related to residential real estate, contact Jacobson Realty and Home Staging. We’d be happy to answer any questions.

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