Sep 4, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Words are powerful and when you are selling your home, the words that you use in your real estate listing can really impact the first impression that the property makes on potential buyers.
Whether you are writing the real estate listing, or the house is being promoted by a real estate professional, it is important to use the right words to convey the meaning that you intend.
This is especially true when you only have room for a short description, as every word counts.
Here are a few words to use in your description that will really bring positive attention to your real estate listing:
“Within Walking Distance Of…”
Can you walk from your home to the supermarket, the local pub, the shopping mall, the elementary school or the dog park? If so, make sure you advertise this on your real estate listing!
Buyers are looking for homes that are accessible to the major amenities that they use in their everyday lives, because this saves them time and money on fuel and is more convenient.
“Plenty of Storage Space”
Let’s face it, as a nation we tend to be hoarders. Many people have an incredible amount of stuff and they need a house that has enough room to store it all.
A home with plenty of well organized closets and storage space will be desirable, because it will suggest a comfortable and well organized living environment rather than a cramped and cluttered existence.
“Move Right In”
If your home is fully finished and doesn’t require any renovations, make sure that potential buyers know this. A home that is in “move in condition” will be very desirable to some people who don’t want to take on the headache and hard work of a fixer-upper.
“Light and Spacious”
We are attracted to bright open spaces and floor plans that have a comfortable flow, rather than small and dark compartmentalized hallways and rooms. If your home has a lot of natural light and an open floor plan, this is a great attribute that you should highlight in the listing.
To find out more about listing your home and generating interest in your property, contact trusted real estate professional today.
Jul 10, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Does the time of year when you put your home on the market affect how well it will sell? What about the final sales price?
According to many studies in housing trends, the answer is yes. The time of year when you sell your home can have an effect on how many people are interested and how much the home will sell for.
Of course, if you need to move and sell your home at any point of the year, you will still be able to find buyers and negotiate a price that works for you. In some areas of the country, the currently swift moving housing market can help overcome poor timing.
However, if you have the ability to plan for a more advantageous time, it makes sense to make the most of your flexibility.
The Best Times Of The Year To Sell A Home
One of the best times of the year to sell your house is in the late spring and early summer — like right now.
The school year is over for most families, and many people will be looking to purchase a home that they can move into over the summer and get settled before school begins again in the fall.
Housing sales peak during this time, as studies show that 60% of people tend to move during the summer.
If you can sell your home during the spring or early summer period, it will typically be on the market for a shorter amount of time and you may have many more offers to choose from.
The Worst Times Of The Year To Sell A Home
One of the worst months of the year to sell a home is December. There are a number of reasons why trying to sell a home during the Christmas holidays can be difficult.
Most people aren’t thinking of moving this time of year. Their energies are focused on decorating their houses, preparing for the holidays, visiting friends and family and enjoying their time off work.
Another difficult time is the beginning of the school year, typically in September.
Children will have just started school and most families will not be considering moving at this point. If you attempt to sell your home during this time of year, you will be much less likely to get the the same pool of buyers that you might see in a more “move friendly” time of year.
Of course, these are just guidelines to help you plan your next home sale. No matter what time of year it is, if you need advice on selling your Worcester County area home, call your trusted real estate professional right away.
Jul 3, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Want to sell your home this summer?
With the help of a real estate professional, you could be signing a closing agreement and on your way to a whole new housing world before winter sets in.
So, get inspired this Fourth of July to liberate yourself from your current home.
A local real estate agent who is an expert in his or her field might be the spark needed to get you motivated, strategically market your home and have potential buyers seeing fireworks at your first open house.
To help with your quest for the perfect home-selling expert, here are three questions you should ask during initial interviews:
What do you know about the local market?
Make sure your agent is up to date on the area’s current listings. He or she needs to know what’s happening in your neighborhood in order to market it and ensure it beats out the competition.
How will you market my home?
Make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to spreading the word about your property. You’ll want to confirm that your agent is Internet savvy and has fresh ideas on how to make your home stand out. It’s always a good idea to ask agents you’re interviewing to provide examples of how they’ve marketed other homes.
What will you do to help me prepare my home for sale?
Successful agents should do a walk-through with you and use their past experience and buyer feedback to give advice on how to stage your home. It benefits both of you to have your home looking its best, so that it sells fast!
In honor of the Fourth of July, take a cue from our forefathers and enlist the services of a good real estate agent to help emancipate you from your current home.
If you’re looking for a Massachusetts real estate professional, I’d appreciate the opportunity help you. Give me a call today or email me to get all of your questions answered.
May 21, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
It can be very difficult to determine what your property is worth in the current marketplace, because you are biased by what the property is worth to you. These emotions can get in the way of impartially evaluating a property and often cause sellers to overprice their home.
When pricing your property, you need to be objective and reasonable so you can come up with a selling price that will capture the interest of buyers.
Here are a few examples of common mistakes people make when pricing their house for sale.
Reading Too Much Into Online Comparable Properties
Avoid relying too much on online pricing information of sold houses. They can be a perfect place to start for getting a general idea of how much real estate is worth, but they are not always accurate.
Overestimating The Market
Don’t assume that you can sell your house for the same price at which you purchased it. Unless you bought your house a few weeks ago, the real estate market may have changed — sometimes significantly — and the purchase price will not reflect the appropriate pricing for today. (more…)
May 15, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
Everyone knows that first impressions are important. By carefully staging your home, you can positively influence the feelings your potential buyers have when they are viewing the property.
Staging is the art of decorating and arranging the spaces within your house to make it more appealing to buyers. If you can adapt the rooms to create an attractive and welcoming zone that home buyers can see themselves in, they will be more likely to buy your property.
One of the most important rooms to stage is the living room, because it is such a central part of the house. This is where a lot of the social activity occurs, so it should appear comfortable and welcoming.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when staging your living room before the next showing of your home:
- Clear out the clutter. The most important step is to de-clutter, because a mess will turn off potential buyers. Clear away any papers, toys and other items to make your living room as clean and minimalist as possible.
- Go zen. The main purpose of a living room is for relaxation, so make the space look as comfortable as possible. Try a soft throw on the sofa, plush cushions and a big chair that is just begging you to come curl up with a book.
- Strategically place furniture. Arrange the living room furniture to create areas of conversation, such as two sofas facing each other with a low coffee table in the middle. (more…)
May 14, 2013 | Home Selling Tips
When deciding to sell a piece of Massachusetts real estate, there are certain things you must disclose about the property to the buyer before the sale can go through.
Disclosure laws are put in place to protect the buyer from unknowingly purchasing defective property. Not disclosing certain information about the property can jeopardize the sale, or worse, invite a lawsuit.
This has become more of an issue lately as some sellers are tempted to gloss over deficiencies in the home they are selling in order to try to get a higher sales price. In fact, a recent poll of real estate agents showed that 75% of agents ranked non-disclosure among the “top three current and future issues.”
What You May Need To Disclose
The main items that need to be disclosed are any defects with the home. This includes, but is not limited to, plumbing problems, water leaks, cracks in the foundation, insect infestations and toxic materials in the home — such as lead, asbestos, carbon monoxide or mold.
Be sure to fully disclose anything that may be pertinent to the buyer before purchase. Some disclosure laws include reporting issues with neighbors and whether the home has a criminal or notorious past.
If you are unsure about some information regarding your real estate, one option would be to state that you do not know that specific information. Remember though, if you knowingly withhold information, it may cause the sale to fall through or could be used against you in a lawsuit.
Does It Make Sense To Have A Pre-Inspection Done?
Sellers can also have their home inspected prior to placing the property on the market to prevent any surprises of unknown problems with the home. This way, defects can be fixed before listing the property, and the disclosure form can state the problem has been fixed. Buyers will almost surely want an inspection prior to closing, and a pre-inspection may suffice. (more…)
