When selling your home, remodeling in order to increase its market value, to appeal to more buyers or to simply get the deal done is often a necessity. While it might be less fun than remodeling a home you plan to live in and enjoy, other aspects make it a rewarding proposition. As always, we have local experts who have provided tips on the best ways to get the job done—and in this case, to get your home sold successfully!
It truly is crucial to have your home ready when you place it on the market, as buyers make the decision to purchase a home based on what they see and they are always looking at value. Therefore, your home needs to be show ready, which means having any necessary updates, cleaning, staging, or any other items completed before you actually list your home. Once your home is ready to put on the market, even though it looks flawless and inviting, it’s likely not going to sell itself. There are many ways to market your home, and a good Realtor can get you the exposure you need to make the final sale. Shawndel Polivka, a Realtor with HOME Real Estate, states “My clients are my number one focus. I will stand by you throughout the entire transaction. I can save you time and money by placing your home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), our HOME Real Estate website, Zillow, and Realtor.com, thus marketing the property throughout the company, community, and the country. My services include pricing your home competitively, effective personalized marketing, and hosting open houses. I negotiate multiple offers on your behalf, by understanding the complexities of each transaction, and am fully capable of managing and coordinating multiple, connected transactions. I can also assist you in getting your home ready for the market. As your Realtor, my goal is to sell your house for the most money, in the shortest amount of time, with the least inconvenience.” She adds, “As a Realtor with HOME Real Estate, we offer one of the largest buyer pools of any company in the area. Having direct access to more available buyers means that you will get more exposure and more showings, which equates to selling your house in less time and for more money. Additionally, we offer an all-encompassing marketing program designed to maximize exposure of your home. Working with HOME Real Estate means I can provide my sellers with a very strong on-line presence. Standing alone, our website is very impressive. However, we are now exclusive ZPro partners. We have partnered with Zillow and Realtor.com, which means, when you list your home with us, not only do you get maximum exposure, but you will also be represented on these sites by your HOME agent, a licensed Realtor.”
Nelda Hunt, also a Realtor with HOME Real Estate, agrees that making your home stand out among the competition takes strategy. “Every seller wants their home to bring top dollar, and when I go to work for the seller – that’s what I want tool! That doesn’t happen without knowledge of the current market conditions and seeing your property through the eyes of a buyer. Knowing what the objections might be and getting a house ready before showing can make a big difference. Anyone can put a sign in the yard and say nice things about a property, but it is the preparation that will add to your bottom line. I know the market and I know your competition. Price is important, but there’s more to the whole package. Consider what impression your property will leave with a prospective buyer. Do they leave thinking about too many things they might have to change? Buyers always estimate the cost of changes on the high side. I can help my sellers make wise decisions on where to spend their money and how to showcase their home. Furthermore, a good agent won’t be shy about telling you what you can do to increase your bottom line–it’s their job. I always tell my sellers ‘Don’t be offended if I ask you to make some changes.’ For example, I might suggest moving furniture around or enhance the lighting in a specific way.” She adds, “Two of the best things to do is clean and accessorize. Accessories do not have to be expensive but they can give your rooms a fresh current look. Organized cabinets and closets are important; clutter makes a prospective buyer wonder if the house has enough space. Updated paint colors definitely can transform a room. I recommend concentrating on key rooms where you spend most of your time, like the kitchen and the main living room or family room. Always try to brighten your basement, and if it’s a finished basement arrange it to look inviting and comfortable. Flooring and paint are a good place to start if you want to remodel; next consider plumbing and light fixtures. These things make a big impact but aren’t major. If your property is in need of major items, look for things that are energy efficient and perhaps have some tax credits to help. If your cabinetry is in poor condition there are many options for improvement without replacing it completely. It’s easy to spend money but the trick is making smart decisions that help your property sell without overspending. Thirty years of experience and staying up with the market and current trends are major aspects of selling a home and valuable services I offer my clients.”
When selling the home that you have lived in, cared for, and the place that you have created many fond memories, it is easy to be very attached and biased as to how wonderful it is—to YOU. However, just because your home has meant a great deal to you does not mean it will be a great fit to all of the people who come to view it once you have placed it on the market. For this reason among many others, having a Realtor represent you and your home as a part of the selling process is crucial. Though many people feel that they can sell their home on their own, that strategy poses many difficulties and can set you up to waste a lot of your time and energy. In her recent experience as a home buyer, our president Paige Zutavern strongly advises against the For Sale by Owner approach. She says, “When I was in the market to buy my new home, looking at other homes on the market was not a hobby or something fun that I enjoyed doing as a leisure activity—it was a necessity. Those who sell their own homes are missing a ton of buyers in the market, and some buyers who won’t even consider visiting homes that aren’t represented by a Realtor or trustworthy, local real estate firm. Having your home represented by a Realtor not only gets it into the sights of many real estate companies and related professionals, it provides you and prospective buyers with an outside party for communication and any negotiations. For example, if I walked into a home and I knew it wouldn’t work for whatever reason, I felt comfortable telling my Realtor. I certainly would not have told the seller as I would not have wanted to hurt their feelings. My Realtor also served as a trusted advisor to help me look past certain things, point out features I may have missed, or educate me on facets that I knew little about. Direct communication between the buyer and seller isn’t optimal because the seller is biased, invested, very likely isn’t going to be able to answer all of your questions in the capacity that a Realtor can, and the bottom line is they are not a professional at buying and selling homes in the current market conditions. Furthermore, as a home owner I would consider it offensive if someone walked through my home and hated it, and I would find it hard to negotiate with someone directly if they gave a low-ball offer. These are both common occurrences in buying and selling a home! As a buyer, you want to look at as many homes in as little time as possible until you find the right one. If there are major things you don’t like, and that can’t be changed, you really don’t want to discuss that at length with the home owner—you simply just want to keep moving on to other prospects. For these reasons, many buyers feel awkward in For Sale by Owner situations and avoid them altogether. Realtors are worth every penny of their commission, not only for their vast knowledge of all aspects of their profession but for the investment of their time and resources in assisting to stage and show your home as well as marketing your home and networking with other colleagues to find potential buyers that are willing to pay the right price. That is no easy task, nor is it something any normal person off the street would be able to do as well as a Realtor. You wouldn’t act as your own doctor or lawyer unless you are in that profession, so why would you want to act as your own real estate agent if that isn’t what you do for a living? Unless you have an abundance of spare time for researching the current market and home shopping, a Realtor will be able to match you with the perfect property much faster and for the right price.”
When you are in the process of staging your home, less is more. At the same time you are preparing your home to place on the market for sale, you can also be sorting through your belongings to decide what you will take with you to your new home and what must go. This is also a great time to explore new decorative elements, and to change your furniture or design aesthetic altogether to match your new surroundings. When downsizing or making room for new items, you should definitely consider taking your old, gently used home furnishings and décor to a local consignment boutique. For this purpose, Details by Design and Crazy for Consignment are great places to take your business. Furthermore, when you are showing your home you should already be in the process, to some extent, of moving. The less busy or cluttered your home is, the more comfortable and inviting your home will be to visitors and prospective buyers. In such a transitional time, this is the perfect opportunity to utilize a storage facility. For a small investment, your belongings will be out of your current home, safely located in a place where they will not be damaged, and ready to move right into your new home. Thomas Friedman of Strong Box Storage says, “We offer a variety of sizes of storage for those who need to move things around while they are in transition. Many times a seller will need to move out of their current residence prior to closing on their new home, and they need a place to store their belongings in the meantime. It is also common that sellers want to move some of their possessions out of crowded garages or basements to help their homes show better. We offer a range of sizes from 5×5 to 10×40, and we always try to find the right size that fits the customer’s needs. We also provide unique keypad codes so our customers have access to their unit 365 days a year. Our office, which is open six days a week, offers a dozen different sizes of moving boxes, packing peanuts, wrapping paper, tape, and many other items that help our customers during their transportation of their belongings. We are also an independent Uhaul dealer, and we can make reservations from wherever our customers are to wherever they are going. With over 15,000 independent dealers across the country, we have been awarded a TOP One Hundred award of achievement from Uhaul. We truly consider this an honor, and do our best to best meet and exceed the needs of our new and returning customers”
Any home on the market for sale will benefit from great curb appeal–something to capture the potential buyer’s attention the moment they drive up. According to Kristin Hain of Land Escapes, “This can be done very simply by trimming existing shrubs and trees, perhaps adding a few bright flowering plants and fresh mulch in all of the landscape beds. Strategically placing some containers of flowers on the front porch is a nice touch as well. In the fall, we use unique pumpkins to dress up the entry and gardens for a splash of fall color. If the home is being sold in the winter, the gardens can still be mulched but rather than flowers, we can do pots of fresh winter greenery or birch poles. There are many simple, inexpensive ways to give a home curb appeal to gain the interest of buyers. The main thing is that the property must be clean and tidy. We’ve done work at many homes that were going onto the market over the years and the one thing that’s been the same at each home is the need to keep existing plant material trimmed away from the house. This is something the inspectors will require, so you can be one step ahead of them and get this done early. Any trees or shrubs that touch the house will need to be trimmed, and this is something we can easily do for the homeowner in most instances. However, occasionally an arborist may need to be brought in to deal with large trees.” Hain adds, “We can provide maintenance on a monthly or one-time basis to keep the property looking its best. By doing regular maintenance, property owners aren’t faced with a major clean up all at once when they’re ready to put their home on the market. We can also ‘remodel’ the existing landscape, getting rid of plants that are higher maintenance or untidy and replacing with low maintenance plants that will look good all season long. A few plant changes can go a long way, both immediately and a few years down the road. Looking at the foliage color of the existing plants is also very important. I’m big on foliage color and when you have a landscape with all green plants, it’s kind of boring and things are visually washed together. Incorporating a few plants with blue, gold or burgundy foliage can go a long way to improve the overall look and interest of a landscape.”
Besides the landscape and the complete view of the home, the first thing a person sees when they first pull up into most driveways is the garage door. This first impression usually consists of seeing what style and in what type of shape the garage door is in. Ron Fricke of Raynor Doors of Nebraska says, “There are a variety of garage door options available to splash up your curb appeal. Our showroom is the best around, and we encourage visitors to see, touch and learn more about our garage doors, openers and services. We can also take a picture of your home with an iPad, or upload a picture you provide, and show you the different looks, styles, windows and colors that we have to offer on the spot. We also oil, service and adjust (OSA) any garage door that simply needs a little work. I recommend new openers if there is excessive noise when opening and closing, or new rollers for smoother motion. We invite those who are interested in improving their garage door system in order to sell their home to let our experts come out, look at it, and determine the right plan of action that fits your needs and budget.”
Stephanie Boyes, a Senior Mortgage Loan Consultant for BNC National Bank, suggests remaining conservative when making upgrades, especially in the resell market. She explains, “The main reason to remain fairly conservative is you just never know what people actually want or need in specific terms. For example, while you may want to have an in-ground pool for your family, another may look at that as a high maintenance item. It is also important to keep colors and decorations more neutral. Bright pink may work for an 8 year old child but would not translate well to someone using the room as their business office. It is also important to stay realistic. Homes that are in a certain neighborhood still have to be compared to other homes in that area. There may be one buyer in a hundred that would pay thousands of dollars extra for a whirlpool tub while another may just want the basic model. If you get the ‘best’ of everything, understand that the monetary amount you put in for those luxury items may not quantify into your resell value as much as you would like.” She adds, “My best advice is to consult several professionals on your choices. Just like consulting a second opinion at the doctor, hearing several different views on a particular subject can be just the right perspective you need.”
According to Lindsey Reinke of John Henry’s Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, “Before selling a home it’s important to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer to better understand the features they want. State of the art kitchens and bathrooms are typically high on their lists. Buyers tend to get excited about a kitchen that has the right cupboards, countertops, and appliances. John Henry’s gets quite a few requests to help consumers update their kitchens and bathrooms. We work closely with plumbing supply companies that have quality products on display in their showrooms. We can assist our customers in decisions and installations. A remodeled kitchen or bathroom can get a 100% return or more on responsible remodels when homes are sold. Having a beautiful kitchen and bathroom can definitely make the difference whether a property sells or not! If you are planning on selling in three to five years, why not perform the remodel now and enjoy it until you sell your home? You may like the remodel so much it will entice you to stay!” She adds, “Preparing to sell a home is an important step in the sales process. This is especially important if your next home purchase relies on the sale of your current home. If you are in doubt what is needed, ask professionals for advice or help so there are no surprises or disappointments. They may recommend something as simple as a fresh coat of paint, which is typically inexpensive and the benefits are high. Also, make sure the landscape is well manicured. A home that has great curb appeal is much easier to sell! Another advantage you can gain when selling your home is having a plumbing, heating, and air conditioning inspection immediately before you list it so that you can share documentation of the evaluation with prospective buyers. This can be done separately or in conjunction with a full home inspection, depending on your preference. This takes some of the basic worries out of the purchase and indicates the owner is willing to back up the quality of their home in writing. If you discover your heating and air conditioning system will not pass an inspection, you can have it repaired or replaced prior to listing your home. This is important because items that do not pass inspection can be a deal breaker for most buyers. The more advantages you have in your favor when your home is ready to sell, the better the odds are of selling and getting your asking price with minimal concessions.”
When making upgrades to your kitchen and bathroom, or even to your flooring, new grout can make a world of difference in the fresh, clean appearance of those tile surfaces. Kevin Monismith, owner of The Groutsmith, says “Any tile surface where the grout is dis-colored or cracked can be restored to like new condition. We can repair loose floor tile with our re-bond process without tearing up the floor. High traffic tile entry ways and kitchens are where we see loose tiles most often. Once the tiles are repaired we can color match the grout with one of over 30 sealant colors. This type of restoration is by far a more reasonable alternative to replacing all of the tile work.” The Groutsmith backs their floor sealant with a ten year warranty, and also offers Groutsmith cleaning products for keeping your tile and grout looking great during the high traffic times when you are showing your home.
Staging the outside of your home and improving it to sell is just as important as the inside facets. This not only goes for the landscaping but for the outside features of the home itself also. Replacing any rotten siding, window brick mold trim, or rotten fascia boards is a great, relatively easy way to ensure your home maintains its curbside appeal. If there is any evidence of leaks in your roof, such as ceilings or walls with water stains, have a professional do an inspection and directly follow up by completing the recommended repairs. The same goes for any leaking or rusted guttering. If your home has a leaking roof, you should absolutely hire someone on your behalf to repair or replace it immediately. A leaking roof will surely either push away prospective buyers or lead them to demand large price concessions. Not to mention the other problems a leaking roof can lead to, such as drywall damage, mold, and eventually structural issues. Correcting this problem will save you a lot of money, as the repairs can generally be made at a very reasonable cost and for far less than the concession a buyer may expect if they are taking on the burden of this issue. Along the same lines, it is important to have your windows checked by a professional to determine whether there are any broken window seals, and if so, you will also want to have the window replaced. Prospective home buyers often look for homes that have new windows or siding, and value those improvements when making a home buying decision. Windows especially are one investment, if researched and conducted in a cost-effective manner, with the potential to yield a good return for sellers.
A security system is always an attractive feature to potential home buyers, as not only does it provide you with peace of mind it can also save you money. In fact, most insurance companies offer a discount for having a home security system, often up to 20% off of your policy. As a full service alarm company, RJ Lipert of AlarmLink USA states that his team can check out any existing security system, evaluate your needs or concerns, and make any necessary recommendations to address those needs, your project timeline and your budget. This includes fixing or replacing equipment or making vital adjustments and/or improvements. Providing potential buyers with the information that their current system will be monitored by a local company staffed with trained dispatchers who are ready to handle any emergency is sure to be a significant selling point!
As an additional security feature or if you are already updating your windows, ideally you should consider putting solar films on all windows that have sun exposure. This is a feature that a lot of home buyers are looking for, and a simple upgrade with a lot of attractive and significant benefits. A few of those benefits are:
• Protection from the damaging UV rays that cause furniture, flooring, artwork and other valuables to fade and deteriorate.
• Blocking the excessive heat from the sun that will create hot spots in the home. Window films decrease the extra exposure, and decrease the stress on your HVAC system which also lowers utility bills.
• Adds security and privacy, as films will keep people from being able to look into your home but you still have a great view from the inside.
• With film on your windows, you don’t have to keep your blinds closed all of the time. Blinds can collect a lot of unsightly dust and prevent you from seeing out of your windows.
Basically, there are some improvements and upgrades that are well worth your time and money for an appropriate return, but others that should certainly be avoided. Some things about a home, like the mustard yellow tile in the bathroom or shag carpet left over from the 70’s, might detract potential buyers from an otherwise perfect home and replacing these features is relatively easy and won’t break the bank. However, be warned: Not all remodeling projects are created equal. Some remodeling projects are not only huge money suckers for those looking to sell their home instead of enjoy their surroundings and investment. Not only that, they might also fail to add significant resale value to your home. When deciding which projects are worth completing, it is never a good idea to over-invest your time and money—expensive projects are rarely worth it if your goal is to simply sell the house.
Tips on Choosing Optimal Remodeling Projects and Updates:
• Beware of projects that could run into delays. You don’t want to end up in a situation where you have to put off listing the house or try to sell it with an unfinished project going on.
• Often times, buyers will dictate what improvements they want before they purchase the home. Sometimes, patience works in your favor and you may just want to wait and see what you have to do instead of investing in something blindly.
• Avoid unconventional appliances or features. A built-in wine cellar or a hot tub may sound like a dream addition to your home, but if you are selling in the next few years you may want to evaluate your enjoyment vs. the appeal to most home buyers. You are not going to get very much extra money for your wine cellar if the prospective buyer is envisioning tearing it out to replace with a home theatre. Personal touches often make it harder for other families to picture themselves living in the house, and are difficult to recover the total cost of your investment when you’re ready to sell.
• Rather than worrying about extending the size of your house and adding any square footage, worry about making the outside look inviting instead.
• Be careful about major kitchen and bathroom updates. These are largely touted as the two places where money is well spent, and they are, but the trick is investing in smaller improvements as opposed to major renovations (depending on your budget and goals). For example, bathroom renovations typically cost about $250 per square foot or more on average. This means that a 5×8 bathroom may cost upwards of $10,000 when all said and done! Instead, consider replacing the vanity, sink, faucet, mirror, or grout.
Having a home inspection done before putting your home on the market is a step that shouldn’t be overlooked, and is likely required by the buyer’s agent. Randy King of King’s Home Inspections shares the following tips on the most important aspects to know about Home Inspectors:
• Do your homework–inspection companies are not all the same. Inquire into each Home Inspector. Talk to them, ask them what they cover. Understand their fee structures, what they do and don’t test, extra charges you may incur, and so forth. Many charge extra for termite inspections, radon inspections, mold, lead paint, well, septic, etc. Also, ask them what their warranty is. A Home Inspection is not a Home Warranty—those are available for you to purchase, and are generally a good idea.
• Are you talking to the actual person who will be doing the inspection, or will it be another employee from the company? Are they willing to meet with you, in person, at the conclusion of the inspection to answer your questions?
• Understand that a home inspection is simply a visual review of the various systems in the house. It is not an in-depth, invasive analysis of the home. Your Home Inspector is a generalist, not a specialist. They are not an Electrician, a Structural Engineer, a Plumber, etc. Their role is to identify areas of concern and recommend repairs or additional in-depth analysis of a particular area.
• Radon testing is becoming more common, and there is a lot of radon in southeast Nebraska. The only way to know if your house has it is to measure for it. In fact, you can have very low radon levels while the house next door can be off the charts. Radon causes lung cancer, and if your house is high you should lower it to decrease your exposure risk.
• Ask about credentials and experience. Many Home Inspectors are “credentialed” and have little in-field experience, while others with many years of experience don’t hold a lot of stock in “credentialing.” In visiting with a Home Inspector, get a feel for their skill and competency level. Is it a locally owned and operated company, or a national franchise? Do they have, or will they provide, local references for you to talk to?
• A home inspection will not uncover hidden defects. That’s why they call them “hidden.” Most Inspectors spend no more than four hours looking at a house, and they will not find every single issue in that length of time. Remember, it is not an exhaustive analysis, it is a visual review—a snapshot in time.
• An Inspector cannot, with certainty, determine how old a water stain is, how old termite damage is, how long a pipe has been corroded, or predict the service life left in an appliance or shingle. They can give you estimates and averages, and that is what you should take them for. Estimates. Averages. Not guarantees.
• If the house has been vacant for a while, rubbers seals in stools, dishwashers, and faucets may begin to drip or leak after being pressed back into service. A roof that appears fine may leak, and your Inspector may not be able to detect that in dry weather. Your Home Inspector cannot look behind walls, inside of pipes or water heaters, scope sewer lines, etc. Those are specialized inspections that your Home Inspector may recommend if they suspect a problem, or if you choose to have those done.
Tips on Preparing Your Home for Sale:
• Get a storage unit and move out about half of your furnishings. Less is more. Your rooms will look larger with less furniture. Also, people will be able to better picture their stuff in the space if your stuff isn’t still hanging around. Hallways and doorways, in particular, definitely need to be clear and open.
• In clearing out as much as you can in order to stage your home, if you would rather get rid of items as opposed to storing them, consider donating them to a local organization who can make good use of the items or have a garage sale and get the word out that you are planning to sell your home.
• Use “counter intelligence.” Go through your house and clear off all horizon surfaces like kitchen and bathroom countertops. Throw away old magazines or newspapers, and pack away your knick-knacks. Counters absolutely need to be clear and clean, regardless of how cute your arrangement of items may be.
• Your home should appeal to all senses, including smell. There should be no noticeable odors, including pet scents, stale cooking smells or cigarette smoke. It is also very likely that you have become accustomed to those smells and don’t notice them as much as your visitors will. Find a friend whose judgment, and nose, you trust to give your home the real “sniff” test. While inviting scents are great as long as they are not overpowering, sometimes the best option is to scrub down your entire house, have the air vents cleaned, replace old, smelly carpeting and open up your windows.
• Repaint to neutrals or modern colors. Again, that hot pink your daughter had to have in her bedroom when she was 13 may have been cute then; it isn’t now.
• Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses. If you are going to spend some remodeling money, that is the first place to do it. New faucets, new drawer hardware, new curtains or blinds, new light fixtures—those are the inexpensive items that really give a bright new look to your home for staging purposes.
• People buy for space and updates, but they also buy for lighting! One darker room may add to the overall appearance, but if the whole house is dark it’s a problem. Open the blinds, turn on all the lights, and add lighting in rooms that are darker. If Mother Nature isn’t cooperating with your marketing efforts, use more flowers or decorations that suggest sunlight like a pitcher of lemonade for your guests.
• Avoid controversy! If you have a deer head on the wall or a Texas Longhorns flag displayed, consider that as an item that should go into storage as it will be a turnoff to some buyers.
• In line with keeping your home clutter-free, keep it clean and make sure there is no visible dust, cobwebs or trash. People looking to buy a home are extremely observant and meticulous, and this is the easiest fix of them all.
• Set your house apart from others on the market. Those in the market to buy a new home are looking at tons of possibilities, and may even look at similar homes in similar neighborhoods with similar amenities and features. You need to give the home a hook, or something that makes it different in a positive way from other houses. This could even be something as simple as fresh, bright flowers. It’s all about the details!
• When staging, maintain a real life look. You don’t want your home to look so staged that it appears artificial–you simply want prospective buyers to be able to visualize living in the home.
• Curb appeal is crucial! Get your outside vegetation and landscaping under control. Prune shrubs, mow, trim and edge lawns, seal cracks in the driveway, replace broken sections of sidewalks, and scrape and paint all exterior wood trim. If you have a deck, give it a fresh coat of stain. Ensure all doors open and close correctly, garage door rollers are lubricated and openers operate correctly, drains clear well, gutters are clean and spikes are not loose, seals around sewer vent stacks are in good condition, etc. If you can’t do some of the things yourself, hiring a local company or handyman to go over to your house and fix all the little things shows the potential buyer you have cared for the home. You only get one shot at a first impression!
• Have a pre-listing Home Inspection done. This identifies issues you may not be aware of, and the Inspector can recommend things to repair or upgrade prior to listing your house For Sale. Also, having a pre-listing inspection helps in the sale in that it removes fear. The number one obstacle in selling a house is the buyer’s fear that there will be things wrong with it. When you present a pre-listing inspection report, and can demonstrate that you have repaired some or all of the items found in the inspection, it removes fear from the buyer about the house.
• Most buyers want to invest in a completed, ready to move-in home. If your property needs work, replace it now so that all the buyers have to picture is moving day instead of being preoccupied and worried about the many repairs they will need to make in the future. The more changes buyers calculate that they will have to make in the home, the more stress is involved and the less appealing the purchase becomes.
• Buy a home warranty for the house when you put it in the market. They cost $400-$600 on average, but it protects you and the new owner when the dishwasher decides to leak three weeks after they have moved in, or the furnace fails unexpectedly, etc.
• Have the shingles assessed for approximate service life left and decide accordingly. If your shingles have about five years left and you are planning to sell in three, it may be wise to consider replacing them. Old shingles are usually a major factor in marketing a house as well.
• Enlist the services of a Realtor. Their marketing experience, knowledge of the valuations in the area, and their ability to take care of the mountains of paperwork, conduct Open Houses, advertise, and expose your home to potential buyers is well worth the commission they charge!
• Another part of having a great Realtor is a better understanding of the market. Does your potential market include families with children? If so, make sure to baby test your home. This includes whether the floor is suitable for a little one to crawl around on or whether your walls will show smudges or handprints, and then making the appropriate modifications.
While selling a home presents unique difficulties, moving on is a necessary part of life. The more prepared you are to move, and the more preparations you have taken to get your home ready to sell, the smoother the process will be. However, don’t forget to use the wealth of local resources available to your advantage. There are plenty of knowledgeable professionals in the local market that are ready and willing to help you sell your home, and can help you avoid any unnecessary hassles or financial setbacks, so you can move on quickly and begin the next chapter in your life.