Five Pointers When Selling Your Home

The most valuable and expensive home will not sell if the home is in bad, neglected, and unattended conditions. When your house is on the market, make sure that it is presentable at all times, strive for good curb appeal. You never know when that prospective buyer will come along, and you do not want to be unprepared when that day comes knocking on your door. Always make sure that the lawn is cut, the bushes are trimmed, the sidewalk is swept, the windows are clear, and the house smells good. (A couple of scented candles are the best for this)
When prospective buyers look at the home they want to be able to envision their family in that home, they want to feel like it is already their home, and the picture perfect home, is always clean! Make sure the interior of the home is decorated appropriately, avoid cluttering. Prospective buyers like to see an example of what they could make the home look like. An empty home with nothing in it will work for the right people, but for the most part, a show home shows best! Make sure all the furniture, drapes, and carpet are clean and inviting. Don't over do the interior, just enough for the prospective buyer to have an example in their mind.

This is one of the most important parts of a real estate deal. Selling your home all by yourself is hard, time consuming, and frustrating; not to mention a whole lot safer. When you have a potential buyer, you will not know if they are pre approved for the mortgage loan, they will be complete strangers. A Realtor will know exactly who they are showing the house to, and if they can afford the house, a local Realtor has connections, and the marketing capabilities that you will not. Realtors will send out flyers, letters, post cards, host open houses, send emails, generate leads, and make those phone calls so you don't have to.
You have to make sure that your Realtor is experienced and reliable. Be careful because some Realtors will tell you what you want to hear but leave a lot of hidden fees in the fine print. Make sure you actually read the whole contract before you sign it.

One of the most deciding factors to the selling of your home is the price. You will need to know what the market value of your home is. It won't hurt to get an experienced appraiser out to your property to give you an exact approximate amount. Most Realtors know how much a house is worth. So if they step into your home and think it is worth $110,000 and you are asking $145,000 they will advise their buyer of this and move on down the road.

Now when it comes to the actual value of the home a lot of things come into play. It is not just the structure that they are paying for; they are also purchasing everything that comes with the house. EX:

Fence
A fence will raise the property value. Depending on the type of fence, you could raise the property value up as much as $3,000

Exterior Structures
Storage sheds and work shops are another thing that will raise the value of the property, especially if the structure is equipped with electricity and/or water. Depending on the size of the structure you could raise your property value as much as $12,000. (But that's more like a barn and stables)

Appliances
Will your home come with an oven, refrigerator, built in microwave, dishwasher, and garbage disposal? Each one of those appliances cost money, and depending on the brand and type of those appliances, you may raise the property value even more.

Rain Gutters
You wouldn't think so, but rain gutters will improve the property value as well. Some rain getters will cost as much as $3,000. So adding one to your home wouldn't be a bad move.

Landscape
The right kind of grass, foliage, and a couple of trees will increase your property value and appeal. Having healthy Saint Augustine, four rose bushes, and two pecan trees would do a wonder to the property value. Always make sure that these are cared for properly. Water the grass, add fertilizer, trim the rose bushes, and cut branches. Make it look as perfect as possible.

Sprinkler system
A sprinkler system will add property value. The usual cost of a sprinkler system can range from $800 to $3,000 (Depending on the size of the lawn) having the sprinkler system will also help you water the grass for your property easily.

House Extras
Alone they don't stand for much, but all put together they can start to add up. Things like, ceiling fans, jet bath tubs, chandlers, garage door openers, security system, solar screens, stone BBQ pits, and other ad on extras will help with sell of your home.

Everything listed above will be added into the property description, and it is best to have as much to add to that as possible. The more details you have in a description, the better the price.

It never hurts to have pride and trust in the product you are selling. You don't want the buyer to purchase the home and then 2 months later find out that they have foundation problems. Usually before a buyer even makes the offer final, they have an inspector go to the property and inspect thoroughly. The inspector will check for termites, foundation problems, plumbing problems, AC, roof leaks, damaged walls and floors, electrical problems, insulation, and a laundry list of other things that might discourage the buyer from accepting. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the buyer will not find out about the problems, because nine times out of ten, the inspectors will!

You will need to de-personalize your home as much as possible. You may think a buyer would like to see a picture of your happy family on the mantel, but in reality it is the opposite. Put away all the pictures, all the posters, pack the hobby related material, and anything that says something about your family. Make as much room as you can. Remove excess furniture from each room and only leave the necessities. The buyer will want to picture their family in the home, not see the past that your family had.
When it is time for a showing, it's best not to be there. Lay low, and let the Realtor do their job. They have done this many times more than you and will know what to say to the buyer to get them interested in the home. "If the seller is around, watching everybody's every move, it usually makes the buyer nervous."

-Lupe Colindres, Broker, Team Lupe Real Estate.

Above all, be smart. Take the advice from those who have done this before, and you will not go wrong. For more information on selling your home, please visit Killeen Real Estate