You can do a lot to increase the appeal of your property and to create a lasting impact on potential buyers. Our clients receive a checklist of 47 Ways to Help Make Your Home Sell Faster.
What To Do To Prepare:
The following are factors to keep in mind when listing your property for sale:
1. Curb Appeal. Keeping your landscape pristine, and adding creative touches to your yard, such as colorful annuals, will create an immediate impact on passers-by and potential buyers.
2. Property Repairs. Simple upgrades such as window repairs, wood rot repairs, replace air filter, shrubs trimmed away from home, and a fresh coat of paint in the most frequently used rooms will instantly brighten up the property.
3. Cleanliness and Staging. Keep your property uncluttered, sweet-smelling and well-lit from top-to-bottom. Pay attention to details: put away the kitty litter, place a vase of fresh flowers near the entryway, pop a batch of cinnamon rolls in the oven, have your carpets cleaned. As your agents, we will scan the property before it is listed for sale to see how you can improve the staging of your property.
4. Disclosures and Inspections. We are very familiar with the legal procedures involved in disclosures and are ready to help you develop a thorough disclosure statement beneficial to both you and the buyer, as well as suggest home improvement measures before placing your property on the market.
5. Showtime. Presenting your property to potential buyers is a job that we will take care of for you. Buyers feel more comfortable discussing the property with the agent, if you are not there. Moreover, as your agents, we will know what information will be most useful in representing your interests when speaking with prospective buyers.
How to price your property:
Prices should be grounded in reality rather than wishful thinking.
Step 1: Abandon your personal point of view. Step out of your shoes and be a shopper. How much would a willing, ready and able buyer be willing to pay for your home? Buyers do not care how much you paid for the home, how much you need from this home to purchase the next home or how much time and money you have invested in hardwood floors or landscaping.
Step 2: Trust and gain insight through your customized CMA (comparable market analysis) that the Kelso Team will prepare for your home. The CMA is an accurate analysis of the homes that are comparable that have sold in the last 6 months. Price per square foot is also considered. Note: ACTIVE home prices can be considered, but SOLD is the operative word when gauging your SALES price. They are active and not sold for a reason. Remember that you want an honest opinion; not an agent that will suggest a flatteringly high price in order to get your listing only to demand a price reduction in 30 days.
Step 3: Consider market conditions. Are homes selling quickly in your neighborhood? Are prices rising or declining? Are you selling in a buyer’s market or a seller’s market? Will your home be on the market in the spring home buying season or the dead of winter?
Step 4: Consider additional factors. Some buyers are looking for more than just the price. Can they move in the home when they need to? Can you the seller finance the home? The more creative and flexible you are in meeting a buyer’s needs, the more success you will have in selling your home. Do not be tempted to figure what you paid for the property, add a healthy mark up and start packing!!!
Marketing your home:
We will present your home to a select group of buyers who have been pre-qualified to purchase a home like yours. The most important thing is to get your home sold and at the best price for you!!!
There are a number of actions the Kelso Team takes to create as much awareness as possible for your home:
* Network With Other Brokers Working to Sell Your Home: We will present your home to top agents in the area and their numerous clients. We work in the top office in the Kansas City Metro and enjoy many business relationships. Keller Williams Realty being number one in the nation allows us access to out of town buyers who have confidence in our service, training, and experience.
* Take multiple quality digital pictures of your home both inside and outside that will be placed on the Multiple Listing Service which can be accessed by the approximately 7500 local Realtors and all prospective Buyers, locally, nationally and internationally
* Place yard signs & directional signs where permitted
* Prepare ad copy for your listing brief and for local advertising publications
* Design quality marketing materials in the form of colored brochures of your home, property postcards for target markets, ad copy for media advertising– inclusive of internet sites, newspaper & magazine advertising
* Prepare a home book that details all property marketing information including the amenities & features of your home, schools for which you are zoned, neighborhood & area information, Association information, financing & promotional incentives, i.e. everything a buyer would need to make a decision on purchasing your home
* When we market your home for sale online, thousands of potential buyers can preview your home worldwide on the internet including our Website. Over 90% of all buyers of real estate surf the Web before buying their next home. Place listings on all available Internet sites, such as, www.kellerwilliams.com, www.kelsoteam.com, and over 350 other sites such as Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Kansas City Star newspaper, etc. Your website presence is guaranteed to be stellar.
* Create marketing Brochures: We will present the very best features about your home to inquiring parties using informative and inspiring full color Email and print brochures of your home.
* Send Direct Mail Campaign: One of the many ways we will market your home is through our sophisticated direct E-mail and print market campaign.
* Utilize Printed Materials: While a web presence and direct mail campaign are very important in marketing, utilizing a variety of publications, we have been successful in reaching buyers with the homes for which they have been searching.
* Convey Appreciation and Attention of Quality: We have been involved in the construction and remodeling of custom homes for 30 years. This experience gives us the insight on how to best highlight the quality and unique features your home has to offer and how to convey these special features to prospective purchasers–features about your home that might otherwise go unrepresented by the untrained eye.
Top Seller Mistakes
Mistake 1 >>> Sellers are unwilling to depersonalize or de-clutter the home.
Mistake 2 >>> Sellers who like to play tour guide for showings
Mistake 3 >>> Sellers unwilling to make repairs prior to listing the home
Mistake 4 >>> Pets at home during the showing.
Mistake 5 >>> Difficult to set a showing time
Mistake 6 >>> Sellers unwilling to negotiate with buyers
Mistake 7 >>> Unpleasant odors in the home
Mistake 8 >>> Picking the wrong agent (you won’t if you choose Kelso Team)
Mistake 9 >>> The home is just plain messy
Mistake 10 >>> Bad photos in the MLS
Mistake 11 >>> The home is overpriced
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE SHOW LIKE A MODEL HOME – (for less than $200)
If you are trying to sell your home, it really pays to make the extra effort to impress your buyers.
There have been studies that show it takes buyers only seven seconds to decide whether or not they are going to buy a home once they set foot in a house. That is why it is so crucial to make a good impression. That starts with curb appeal and the front porch!
However, not all of us have the cash on hand, or the time and energy to do things that are really going to flip your home over to the next buyer quickly. For instance, not everybody has the cash on hand to install a brand new flashy Jacuzzi complete with freestanding brass towel warmers and new stone tile floors. However, you might have the money on hand to install designer faucets, paint the walls, and replace the old cabinet pulls.
Here are some quick and easy ways to make your home show like a model home for under $200. These are easy-to-do tips and the type of thing an interior decorator would advise you to do to help set the stage so your property is more attractive to buyers. The goal of this top ten list is to give you hints on how to make your home show better than your competitor’s home on the real estate market!
1. Clear all Clutter - You can get rid of all of the junk in your home at no cost to you! Simply get rid of anything you don’t need and haul it away in your car to the nearest dump or favorite charity. This means getting rid of “stuff” in the front yard, back yard, hallway, and garage. Studies have shown that people perceive clutter as being indicative of a property that is decrepit or not worth much money. They also associate it with decay and the presence of vermin or bugs. Even things you are actively using should be tucked out of sight before a house showing. This means clearing your kitchen counter of appliances like George Foreman Grills, or blenders, or anything else that takes up counter space. One thing in particular you need to get rid of is ashtrays. People consider houses that have been smoked in to be less desirable and also smelly. Outside, you should make sure that your garden hoses are coiled up, your birdbath is clean of leaves, and that you do not have sports equipment or bikes lying around your front porch.
2. Get Rid of Evidence of Pets - If you have a dog or cat, send them away for the day. Hide the litter box and any evidence of its aroma. Vacuum pet hair from the home daily and keep yard clean and fresh. Houses with more pets are also considered to be less desirable than ones with no pets at all.
3. Get Rid of Kid Clutter and Dirt - Get rid of strollers on the porch, inflatable kiddie pools in the back yard, and any toys that may be lying around in the hallway. Get rid of baby gates and make sure there are no hand prints or crayon drawings on the wall. Studies have also shown that homes that have kid’s stuff strewn about are considered to be less hygienic or valuable that those that do not.
4. Clean Up the Front Yard, Porches and Patios- The front yard and porch are very important as that is what your buyer will first see when they approach the home. Make sure that the grass is cut and that the garden is nicely tended. If you have to, reseed the lawn and plant a few decorative bushes. It also does not hurt to spruce up the front door with a coat of paint and replace the house number plates and the doorknocker with new versions. It also helps a lot to get rid of dead trees or bushes that may be on the property. Many people associate that with a lack of caring for the property.
5. Walk in Your Front Door – The path to your front door and the driveway are also very important. Most of the time homeowners use the garage entrance and never go in the front door or sidewalk. Make sure that the path is clean and clear; this is a buyer’s first impression of your home and they will be standing and looking around while the agent unlocks the front door.
6. Paint Rooms That Need It - If you have a wall that looks scratched up, beaten, or damaged, you are well advised to paint it. This can go a long way towards making a home look less shabby. You should also make an attempt to plaster any holes or crumbled parts of walls in your home as well.
7. Replace Some Fixtures - If your chandelier or light fixtures look dated, then go to some trouble to replace them. You can also make a home look more contemporary and like it is worth more money simply by making a few cosmetic changes like changing the light switch plates or electrical plates to designer versions.
8. Change the Faucets and Spouts - Sometimes you can make a kitchen or bathroom look really glamorous simply by changing out your old faucets and spouts for glamorous new ones. There are lots of different styles on the market that can instantly transform a sink into a contemporary silver masterpiece of design and many of these fixtures also cost less than $200. Furthermore, it can be quite easy to install these fixtures all by yourself. A tall spigot on a kitchen sink can make it look suddenly very European and modern. Replacing the showerhead in the bathroom with something quite snaky, long and silver with several water flow options can also help it seem more luxurious and expensive.
9. Provide Flowers and Greenery - If you have cleared all the clutter, then you should have a home that looks more simple. One way to augment this air of designer sophistication is to put flowers or vases of tall grasses in several rooms. If you have a dining room table, it is quite a good idea to put a display of fruit or flowers on the center table to make it seem more glamorous or traditional. It is also quite chic to place a small display of flowers or bamboo in the bathroom. A rose floating in a bowl of water looks nice reflected in a dresser mirror in a bedroom.
10. Staging – A service we provide for you. The benefits of this are usually a faster sale and more money for your property. An objective set of eyes can determine on what exactly it is that can make your home look fresh, appealing, and attractive to others. With an eye for design and just a few hundred dollars, you can usually make small changes to your home so that it is more appealing to buyers all by yourself.