Monthly Archives: April 2017

Every homeowner wants to make sure they get the best price when selling their home. But how do you guarantee that you receive maximum value for your house? Here are two keys to ensuring you get the highest price possible.

1. Price it a LITTLE LOW

This may seem counter-intuitive. However, let’s look at this concept for a moment. Many homeowners think that pricing their home a little OVER market value will leave them room for negotiation. In reality, this just dramatically lessens the demand for their house (see chart below).

Instead of the seller trying to ‘win’ the negotiation with one buyer, they should price it so that demand for the home is maximized. By doing this, the seller will not be fighting with a buyer over the price, but will instead have multiple buyers fighting with each other over the house.

Realtor.com gives this advice:    “Aim to price your property at or just slightly below the going rate. Today’s buyers are highly informed, so if they sense they’re getting a deal, they’re likely to bid up a property that’s slightly under-priced, especially in areas with low inventory.”

2. Use a Real Estate Professional

This, too, may seem counter intuitive, as the seller likely believes that he or she will net more money if they don’t have to pay a real estate commission. With that being said, studies have shown that homes typically sell for more money when handled by a real estate professional.

Research posted by the National Association of Realtors revealed that:    “The median selling price for all FSBO homes was $185,000 last year. When the buyer knew the seller in FSBO sales, the number sinks to the median selling price of $163,800. However, homes that were sold with the assistance of an agent had a median selling price of $245,000 – nearly $60,000 more for the typical home sale.”

Bottom Line

Price your house at or slightly below the current market value and hire a professional. This will guarantee that you maximize the price you get for your house.

Call Candie for a strategy to sell your home. Nashville Native and owner/broker Nashville Area Homes. You could say “We know the Neighborhood”

If you are planning to list your home this spring and get the most out of the sale, your home should be staged. It comes back to the importance of emotion in the decision to purchase; an empty or a poorly furnished home doesn’t yield any emotion. Home staging is part of the process in preparing your home to have a great impression and successful sale.

Here are 9 tips for upgrading and styling your home and helping get what you want: a sale giving you close to your asking price.

1. Curb appeal should be outstanding. Never underestimate the importance of curb appeal. Many people considering your home will do a quick drive-by first and make an early judgement regardless of what the inside looks like. Make sure you prepare your home for this initial judgement by doing the following:

• Reseed, mow lawn as needed
• Plant flowers and greenery
• Make sure house number is easy-to-read
• Clean front windows and power wash walkways and siding
• Make sure porch floor has fresh paint or stain
• Add a few pieces of nice porch furniture
• Make sure porch and front walkway is illuminated in the evenings

2. Decluttering is not easy, but it’s key if you’re serious about staging your home. You ‘gain’ more space when surfaces, floors, closets and cupboards are clear and clean. Make sure toys are cleaned up as this could be a big turnoff—even if a potential buyer has kids. People looking at houses are imagining a fresh start; a neat kids room could make the point that a kid’s room could be nicely organized. This goes for ‘extra’ rooms. Don’t assume a potential buyer would see the extra room as a positive if it’s shown as a storage room for unused furniture or boxes of items. Make sure the room has a clear purpose: another kid’s room, guest room, office or music room. This will have a big positive impression.

3. Clean your house well. Every surface should be clean and shiny, from counters, floors, windows and grout. Cleaning your home is a cheap way to enhance it, but it’s not the easiest part of the preparation process. If the task is too daunting, don’t rule out hiring a pro to get the job done as you shouldn’t skimp on this.

4. Choose neutral colors. While the idea of painting your daughter’s room lime-green might be fun, now is not the time to do that. You don’t have to go all white either, but could consider sophisticated neutrals like wheat or brown gray.

5. Take care of your closets. Open house visitors will always look inside your closets to see how much space you have. Remove unnecessary items and try to have between 20-30% of each closet clear to give the impression of spaciousness.

6. Show up any awkward areas or rooms. Try to find a creative way to show off that nook beneath the stairs. Whether you make it a small work station, reading nook or add a bulletin board, this can become another selling point.

7. Get rid of and don’t create any unwanted odors. This is a big ‘make or break’ part of first impressions. If you have a pet, be sure to steam-clean all rugs, wash and vacuum all surfaces and keep your pet’s heavily used toys hidden at the time of the home tour. This is also not a good time to cook fish, bacon, fried food – anything that leaves a lingering odor – however, cookies, apple pies and bread never hurt.

8. Create a lifestyle based on the neighborhood. If your neighborhood is in a quiet, leafy suburban area, hanging a hammock in your backyard or a bench swing on your front porch might be the perfect touch.

9. Hire a professional photographer when you’re ready to list. Real estate listings should include quality photos that offer great first impressions to homebuyers. This may be the only chance a seller gets before their home is passed over for one that has photos taken by a professional. Be sure to confirm if your real estate agent whether or not the photos will be taken by a professional photographer. When it comes to the seller get the maximum out of their listing, it’s best to let a professional photographer do what they do best.

Call Candie for Expert Representation and our Exclusive Selling System 615.400.5230