Be Open to Your Realtor’s Suggestions For Staging Your Home

Chances are, your real estate agent will make specific suggestions regarding cosmetic and/or major changes in your home’s appearance to make it more attractive to buyers—perhaps even specific buyers he or she has in mind.

This is called staging the home, and any good Realtor® will go over this information with you.

What does FULL SERVICE mean at Full Octane Homes?

In today’s real estate market most real estate transactions are technology sales rather than a relationship sales. Do NOT be fooled by the promise of an OPEN HOUSE bringing you a buyer! Ask your friends if they have ever bought a home while visiting an open house, we are guessing the percentage will be very low to zero! Our studies have shown very little success in actually selling a home with an open house format and we feel it is better to pass the time savings on to our clients in the way of reduced fees. Traditionally an open house can benefit the listing agent way more than the seller by providing the agent with strong buyer leads which they can market additional homes to. Ask yourself the simple question, do you typically go to an open house ready to buy or do you look to an on-line sours first.

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

Once you’ve decided to consult with an agent, the decision of which one to choose is probably the biggest and most important decision you’ll make in the entire process.

You are obviously reading our tips so we assume we will be considered but we always welcome the opportunity to compete for your business. The best first step to identify our competition is to talk with close friends and relatives who have recently sold a home. Ask if they had a good experience, whether they would recommend the agent and if they had any reservations or things they wished the agent had done differently. Now is the time to find out about any issues.

Here are a few things to think about when first talking to a perspective agent:

• Have they personally owned and transacted 10 or more personally owned homes?
• Do they seem professional and high-quality?
• Do they present an image of an organized, competent professional?
• Do they impress you as someone you may be interested in working with?
• Do they come across as a strong negotiator?

Don’t neglect the minor details
It’s often the little things that really stand out. If your mailbox is in poor shape, replace it. Varnish or repaint your door if it needs it. A door knocker and brass kick plate can also be a nice addition. Spruce up the entryway with new light fixtures, potted plants and other decorative touches.

With the exception of adding a deck or patio, most of the steps we’ve touched on here can be accomplished in relatively little time and without a lot of money. But the difference in the impression your home makes on prospective buyers will be dramatic.

Catch ’em at the curb

“Curb appeal” isn’t just catchy real estate jargon. It recognizes the fact that many buyers form their first, and often strongest, opinions before they step out of the car. Remember, buying a home is first and foremost an emotional commitment, especially for first-time home buyers.

You may have a long list of logical reasons your home is a good catch, but a buyer is reacting emotionally to what he or she is seeing.

Knowing this, you can use a buyer’s emotions to your advantage. First, take a good, hard look at the first impression your property makes. What do people see? If it’s flaking paint and an unkempt yard, they may be seeing a home that needs a lot of work.

Here are some investments in your home’s exterior that we’ve found through firsthand experience can pay huge dividends:

Spend time before you spend a dime

Unless your home is in mint condition or you’re selling it as a “fixer-upper,” there’s probably a long list of repair or remodeling projects to consider. These can range from relatively simple jobs, such as painting a bathroom, to more complex room-addition or remodeling projects.

In considering any home improvement project, you need to ask yourself a couple of questions:

Why are you doing it?

• Is it work that really needs to be done—a paint job or replacing a leaky roof?
• Or is it an amenity you’d like that you think might appeal to a potential buyer—a hot tub or home office addition, for example. Will it add value to your home, or have no impact at all? Or will it make your home more difficult to sell?

Some investments—like painting and yard work—involve relatively little cash outlay and yet return many times your cost. Other improvements that you think add value have no significant impact. Adding a swimming pool is a good example. Besides the hassles of maintenance, a pool can reduce your home’s appeal among families with small children because of safety concerns.

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