Areas of Your Home to Clean Before Putting It on the Market

Preparing to sell your home can be a complicated and stressful process. From choosing an agent to cleaning and staging your home for listing photos and viewings, the number of things that need to be done can be overwhelming. During all of this, it can be easy to overlook certain spots. Do not forget these three areas when preparing to place your home on the market.

The Exterior of Your Home

How often do you think to give the exterior of your home a good scrub? Muddy spots and smudges can stand out in photos. If you want to make your home shine, make sure to give the exterior, including windows and shutters, a thorough cleaning.

Not only will it look great in pictures, but washing your home enhances the property value. It removes mud and dirt, but it also rids the outside of the house of mold and mildew. Plus, it can make it easier to find places where chipped paint needs touching up before potential buyers will see it.

Blinds and Window Treatments

Dingy and dusty blinds and window treatments can age a home beyond its years. Worse, they can make otherwise immaculate kitchens and bathrooms feel unclean, which can bring images of unwanted pests to mind for potential buyers.

Why take the risk when most window treatments can be machine washed, and cleaning blinds can be much easier and less expensive than you might think?

Moldings and Architectural Features

Finally, make sure to pay attention to any moldings or architectural features in your home. Do not let these bits of character and interest age your home instead of making it stand out from the other homes on the market. A simple wipe down and a touchup with caulk and paint can take years off your home's appearance and make these features stick in the minds of potential buyers.

It is natural to forget about the small details that you see everyday, so it can be easy to miss places that need attention when you are preparing to put your home on the market. Make sure to take a step back and look at your home as if it is the first time you are seeing it. A bit of extra time and effort spent deep cleaning and making minor repairs can pay off big time come closing.

Want to make your house look stunning on the market? Click here to book a professional photographer!

A Quick Guide to Choosing a Real Estate Agent

Choosing the right real estate agent for your needs is one of the most important decisions that factor into the quick and successful sale of a home. In order to get top dollar for your property without having to deal with the accompanying headaches, you need to choose a realtor who is a good fit for your personal needs and preferences. Here are three things to look for when choosing a real estate agent.

Relevant Experience

The primary consideration to make when hiring your real estate agent is to look at their relevant experience. Getting a referral is one of the best ways to vet the experience of a particular agent. It is vital that the agent you pick has experience selling your type of property. For example, if you are looking to sell a single-family residence, you do not want to hire an agent who specializes in apartment buildings or condos. You need your agent to also have ample experience selling real estate in your particular geographical area.

Personality

When it comes to appealing to potential buyers, it is a realtor's personality that will score the most points. In addition to having a congenial personality, the realtor that you end up with needs to convey an air of professionalism. You want to pick a realtor who is warm and engaging but who also comes across as responsible. Certain personality traits in realtors lend themselves to success more readily than others. But regardless of the personality of your realtor, the most important consideration is how you click with them personally.

Honesty

You will never be happy with your realtor if you can’t trust them. You should avoid agents who use glib language or who speak in vague terms. Instead, you want an agent who is always up-front about the prospects of selling your home for the price you want. You will know that you can trust the agent if they present evidence and hard data about the market in your area rather than just giving you unsubstantiated opinion. The last thing you need is a realtor who says what they think you want to hear even if it is not rooted in fact.

Choosing a real estate agent is not a decision that you should take lightly. The right agent can be the difference between putting thousands of extra dollars in your pocket or not. So make sure to interview at least a few different prospects before making your decision.

Including Mallory Jane Photography in your marketing plan will make your listings sell more quickly, stand out online, and impress potential buyers. View my portfolio here.

3 Easy Tips for Preparing a Listing That's Still Being Lived In

As any realtor knows, listing a home when a family is still living in it presents many problems. After all, if someone is still living there, it will be very difficult for prospective buyers to imagine themselves and their own possessions in the new house. However, that doesn't mean an occupied home is impossible to list or sell, and with the right preparation, the transaction can be done. Here are three easy tips that will allow you to sell a home with someone still living in it.

Keep It Neat and Clean

A dirty home is distracting. It gives the impression that the family living in it doesn't care about basic things like maintenance, and this may scare off prospective buyers. The mess will also stop someone who may be interested in buying it from seeing themselves living in the house. Furthermore, a home that is caked in dirt or clutter will distract from all of the home's good features. To that end, make sure the seller keeps the home as neat and as clean as possible. This ensures that all of the home's various assets are highlighted.

Move Out All But the Essentials

Remember, the most critical facet of any move is to ensure that potential buyers can imagine themselves inside the house. That's not going to be possible if the current seller has personal effects, furniture, or various knickknacks scattered throughout the house. A home that is for sale should be as empty as humanly possible in order to ensure that the house looks ready for occupation by the new owners. To that end, declutter the house, and get rid of everything but what is absolutely required by the current occupants to live. When you can, move out extra furniture, and put it into storage.

Picture Angles Matter

Picture angles are always important when it comes to preparing a listing, but when the house is occupied, they are more important than ever. Pictures must be taken in a way that emphasizes the home's various strengths, even with someone still living there. When you take your pictures, concentrate on the empty space. Don't try to hide the fact that someone is living in the home, but don't emphasize it either.

There is no question that having someone still living in a home adds challenges to listing it. However, the presence of the current residents doesn't mean it's impossible to sell. Follow these tips, and you will be well on your way towards successfully listing a still-occupied home.

Finding the Best Time to Sell Your Home

After thinking it over, you’ve finally made the decision to sell your house. However, that's sometimes not as easy as it might seem. If there is one thing that you need to focus on when selling your home, it’s the timing. Granted, it’s possible to sell your home at any time, but it’s important to sell it as soon as possible. With the right timing, you’ll be able to sell your home quickly, and you may even net a bigger profit.

Making the Most of the Summer Sun

Summer is a great time to sell your home. Many people take vacations during this part of the year. Others want to get their children set up in school before it starts. There are various reasons why you should list your home during the summer. However, there are a few cons as well. Depending on your area, the hot weather can put a damper on anyone’s mood and easily dissuade buyers from house hunting.

Fall is Not Too Late

Fall is a season in which selling your home can be more difficult, but compared to winter, you do have a better chance. There is much less competition in the market, so you might have more than a few callers. A lot of buyers are looking to get a new home before the cold weather hits, so it can be a great time to sell. This time of year might also attract buyers who were picky in the spring but didn’t find a house and are now on a time crunch to buy a new place with fewer options.

Winter Blues

Winter is the time of year when it's very difficult to sell your home for a lot of reasons. Your flowers are dead or dormant, and your trees are bare, which doesn't do much for your curb appeal. This is also the season when everyone is preparing for the holidays and looking forward to them, so house hunting isn’t exactly a priority. If you're not hearing much about your home, you can take on some home improvement projects in the meantime. If you need any repairs completed before selling, winter is the perfect time to do them.

Springtime Possibilities

Almost every real estate agent will tell you the same thing. Spring is the prime time to sell a house. Statistically, May is the best month of the year for selling homes. Compared to the blistering heat of summer, spring has the perfect house-hunting temperature. In addition, using spring break is a great way to let your children get in on the action.

Although each season has its pros and cons, deciding on the best time to sell your home is ultimately your choice to make, and it often depends on factors beyond marketing. If you must list your property in late fall or winter, just be prepared to either show some flexibility in the negotiations or wait till spring.

Once you’re ready to sell your home, call us to schedule real estate photography!

3 Assessments to Do Before Selling Your Home

When it comes to selling a home, the price is never set in stone. There are a variety of factors that come into play when determining the present value of a house. Although it can be a little frustrating for homebuyers, this constant change in price can actually provide you with a better closing number. However, before this can happen, you will need to conduct a few assessments.

Home Inspection

When it comes to real estate, the fewer surprises, the better. Therefore, before putting up your home for sale, you need to schedule a home inspection. The typical price of a home inspection can run between $300 and $500. Although it's not a cheap service, you as the homeowner should cover the cost in order to get things moving faster when potential buyers come along. Now, when it comes to choosing the right inspector, references are going to be your best friend. Unfortunately, most inspectors are not required to be licensed by the state, and, therefore, word of mouth might be your best bet. It is quite the investment, so research wisely.

Independent Survey

Often a property survey will be conducted by the buyer in order to prove to his or her mortgage lender that the property is worth their investment. However, you as the owner should conduct your own independent survey as well. A recent independent survey is usually more reliable than old surveys that could easily be out of date. Thus, you will need to locate a surveyor company. Surveyors research your property, and then come and actually walk the property lines to determine the worth of the land itself. Although most do a good job, it’s wisest to conduct multiple surveys if possible so you can choose the best one.

Pest Inspection

Things such as the condition of the pipes, air conditioning, and electrical units are a very important part of evaluating a home. Pests such as mice and termites threaten these features of the home, and there’s a possibility that your home might contain some of those pests. Before putting your home on the market, make sure to bring in a pest control service to evaluate the condition of your property from a pest perspective. This will provide you and your buyer with the peace of mind that their new home will stay in good condition.

It’s not easy to sell a house, but there are things that you can do to make it easier, as well as increase your likelihood of a positive outcome. One of the most important things you can do is conduct the right assessments to reduce the likelihood of any surprises coming up in the closing process, as well as price your property more accurately.

Need someone to take beautiful, enticing photos of your property? I’m the one for the job.

What to Know About Remodeling Before Selling Your Home

Remodeling your home before selling can improve its value and ultimately make it easier to sell. However, all remodeling jobs are not created equal, and there are ways you can remodel your home that can maximize your financial investment and your time. Here are three things you need to know about remodeling before selling your home.

Create Your Plan

Remodeling is a major financial investment and absolutely not one that you should start without major forethought and a plan. Creating a remodeling plan ensures that you do your research, take your time and put significant thought into a major financial project. As part of your plan, consult experts, including contractors. Determine how much money you are willing to spend and what sort of return on investment you are looking to make, and make sure you target your remodeling efforts to the place which can maximize that investment.

Be Patient

Do not rush a significant remodeling effort. Your ideal contractor or building materials may not be available right away, but more often than not, it's worth the wait. After all, it's better to do a job right than rush it. If a contractor isn't available right away, that doesn't mean that you should jump right in and do the work yourself. Remember, working on a construction site can put you at risk of serious injuries. If you aren't an expert, it is better to wait for contractors who can do the work for you.

Talk to a Real Estate Agent

Unless you have a background in construction or home sales, odds are you are not an expert on the best types of remodeling techniques. Talk with a real estate agent before starting a remodeling job. They will be able to give you advice on what rooms to renovate, what types of improvements sell the best and what areas in your house must be upgraded or repaired in order to make a home sale. The last thing you want to do is to target your limited funds for an improvement that won't make a bit of difference.

Remodeling your home before selling it can increase its value and get more money back into your pocket. However, that doesn't mean that you should jump in and start work without putting significant planning and thought into this project. Take your time, and consult with the experts first. Your efforts will be rewarded.

When selling your home, the pictures in the listing can make all the difference. Mallory Jane Photography can give you the quality photos you need!