First Impressions Have a Lasting Effect on Buyers; Going From Mess to Selling Success

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What would you say is the number one priority for most sellers of any property?  Getting a good price!  That is why it is essential that when you put your home on the market you be completely prepared to stand out and beat the competition. In fact, in today’s property environment, more and more sellers are jumping off the fence because they can sense the market shifting away from the buyer-centric climate we have had for years.

How can you get the most of your money when you sell your home?  It all comes down to impressions. Did you know that most buyers will decide whether they are interested or not within the first eight seconds of seeing a property? Eight seconds is all it takes for buyers to know immediately whether they want to investigate further or move on. Here are three ways to address this aspect of selling a home so that you end up getting top dollar for your sale:

Make a Fabulous First Impression

Consider how your home looks when you drive up to it. Is it warm and inviting? Are there lots of unkempt areas in the lawn and garden area?  Is the space messy or neat and clean?  Driving down any street and looking at homes, most people can easily spot homes that are cared for and lovingly maintained versus the ones that are neglected. The first impression a buyer gets of your home also indicates how you take care of the property inside as well.

Keep That Great Impression Going 

Now that you have the buyer’s initial interest, it is important to keep it going when they venture inside. Be sure to present the home in its best light. Imagine that the space was being photographed for a magazine. Would there be clutter, old and outdated fixtures, a sink full of dishes or a fridge covered in personal items?  Remember that buyers want to see the home for what it is – so it is important to provide visible access to all areas of the home. If there are closets, make an effort to de-clutter them so prospective buyers can gauge the amount of space they hold. If your home has a unique feature, show that feature off. And keep a balance between personal tastes and neutrality in terms design and décor.

Stay With the Times

No potential buyer wants to see a house that is over the top – enough that it shadows the potential of the space. If you have a kitchen that was last updated in the 70s, take the time and necessary expense to refinish the space. If budget is a concern, refinish the countertops and cabinets or flooring so that the area is rejuvenated. The same holds true for outdated bathrooms, carpeting and fixtures. Painting the walls is an inexpensive but impactful way to update a space and if at all possible, bring in some of the latest trends as long as they are neutral.
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We have a team of seller specialists dedicated to helping our sellers prepare their homes for the market. Our staging professionals will provide you with all the insight you need to know exactly how you can demand top dollar for your home. The most important thing to start is to make and keep a lasting impression!

3 Buyer Tips

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Right now, the housing market is a buyers’ market, but that is beginning to change.  However, no matter what kind of market it is, there are three sure-fire tips to make sure that you are getting the best deal on the best house.

Find the Right Agent

By hiring the best agent available, you are smoothing the road toward buying a new home right from the gate.  The right agent is someone who keeps a close eye on the market and is also a top negotiator.  When you hire the right agent, you can be confident that they will do all that they can to make sure you get the best possible deal.

Get a Home Inspection

Buying a home will most likely be one of the biggest investments you ever make in your life.  There is no need to put that investment at risk by trying to save a couple bucks by skimming out on a home inspection.  The money that you will spend on a home inspection can help you save huge dollars by spotting defects that only a trained and experience inspector may be able to spot.

Find the Right Lender

Just like finding the right agent will smooth the path to home ownership, finding the right lender can take great deal of unnecessary stress out of the process of buying a home.  By hiring the right lender, you can make sure that their fees and rates will remain unchanged and that they will be there for you to close on time.  Don’t risk the house of your dreams on an unreliable lender!

Keep Your Home Safe While on Vacation

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With summer fast approaching, you might already have vacation on your mind...so I wanted to share with you on this little video clip my favorite safety tips. In fact, I have multiple critical steps to prepare your home for safe keeping while you're away, to keep your nest safe and secure.

This is exactly what I did to prepare my home while I'm on vacation:

The best way to keep your home safe in your absence is to make it appear you are home, leaving absolutely no clue you're actually away. Light, time and noise are your greatest weapons to accomplish this. Follow these tips to ready your home and keep it safe:

- Ask someone you know and trust to keep an eye on your house.

For short trips, ask one of your neighbors to pick up your mail and your newspaper. If you are going to be gone longer, however, be sure to stop by the post office and have your home mail delivery stopped until you return.

Be sure to provide neighbors, friends and family members with emergency phone numbers so you can be reached quickly. It's a good idea to leave a spare house key with a relative or neighbor as well.

- At least a couple of weeks before you leave for vacation, decide what to do about your pets. You may want to have a friend or neighbor stop by each day to provide food, water and exercise. Or you may want to hire a professional pet sitting service or take the pets to a reputable kennel. This decision should be made well in advance so that proper arrangements can be made.

- Use timers on lights, televisions and radios to provide sound and illuminate the inside of your home.

- If you still have a home phone, change the setting on your answering machine so it picks up on the first or second ring—or just turn down the ringer. A constantly ringing phone is also a good sign no one is home.

- For long absences, you may want to turn off the main water valve. This will help avoid problems with frozen pipes in winter and leaking pipes in the warmer months as well as other plumbing issues.

- Keep shades up and blinds and curtains open to make it appear you're home.

- Keep bushes and shrubs near your home's entrance and walkway well trimmed. This will eliminate hiding spots for burglars.

- Keep the outside of your home well lit. Burglars won't go where they can be seen.

- Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway, occasionally moving his or her car indicate your coming and going.

- Leave the air conditioner on. A silent compressor on a hot day is a good indication you aren't home.

- Have the lawn mowed my a friend or lawn service if you are away longer than a week in the warmer months.

- This one is tough for those addicted to Facebook but posting to Facebook where you are at all times you are not only sharing this with your 'friends'. Those posts and photos allow others to find out when you are away and where you are. This isn't as concerning when you are local as you could post a comment or photo as you are ON your way home or just arrived but when your, say, at Disney World, those with ill plans regarding your trip away from home.

- Be sure to turn down the temperature on the hot water heater and unplug televisions and other appliances. These appliances will be drawing electricity whether they are on or not. Unplugging them will help lower your electric bill.

- Turn your thermostats down (or up) before you leave. There is no reason to spend money heating or cooling the home when you are not there.

- Don't forget about the plants. If you are having a friend or pet sitter care for your pets, ask them to take care of your plants as well. Simply soaking the plants with water before you leave is not enough. A better idea is to create a self watering system if you cannot have someone care for the plants. For small plants, make a self watering system by filling a plastic container with pebbles. Then fill the bottom of the container with water. This allows the plants to slowly absorb the moisture they need, without the danger of their roots becoming waterlogged. Larger plants can be mulched with a damp towel or newspaper to prevent the loss of moisture.

- When the day to leave for vacation finally arrives, try not to make that departure too obvious to those passing by. If you have a garage, be sure to pack the car with the garage door closed. If you do not have a garage, you may want to pack a couple of items a day in order to avoid broadcasting to the world that your home will be unoccupied.

- This last tip isn't a security measure for your house but for your credit (you know I always care about that as well) as you need to keep tight check over your credit in order to purchase or refinance your home!

With all the excitement of the upcoming trip we sometimes get carried away, plan only for the trip and security of our home for while we are away and leave for our stress-free trip. But wait!! You suddenly realize the day before you return the date! You've missed your mortgage payment, car payment, credit card, and utility due dates by a week or more! This happens more than I'd like to hear and the credit company doesn't accept this as a viable hardship excuse. So ensure you plan ahead. Go on and sit down to make all the payments needed to be made in advance before your trip and all those due up till a few days after your return for good measure to ensure you don't get tied up with the return home and forget this very important task to protect your credit rating!

As you can see, there is a lot to think about before you jump in the car or on a plane for vacation. Use this checklist as a way of bringing peace of mind to you and your family. Enjoy your vacations without worrying about the safety of your home while you're away.