Inman News - November 2006
Home buyers are taking their time, shopping around, and you need to sell your house today - if not yesterday.
Though it's true that the inventory of Valley houses for sale is high, you can catch the attention of buyer's agents and their clients.
Good sellers' agents and professional organizations such as the Arizona Association of Realtors repeatedly stress curb appeal. The opportunity for making a good first impression starts online.
The Internet brings the world of home sales to our desktops in millions of living colors.
If the photos of your home don't reflect a gorgeous exterior with a fabulous yard, it's possible prospective buyers perusing the Web will move on to the next listing. Make sure the exterior is in such magnificent shape that buyers have to stop for a closer look. That may mean hiring a professional landscaper to give your yard a makeover, or painting your exterior to make it shine.
Your work is far from over. Your real estate agent will tell you to rid your house of clutter, which means a heck of a lot more than picking up toys from the floor. Take your cue from model homes in new developments. These homes are ready for "show."
Let's be honest. Getting your house into that kind of condition takes a lot of work. Most homeowners don't live like home sellers. They have piles of papers here and there, and unopened mail on the dining room table. Their lawns are slightly unkempt. There are children's handprints on the walls and scrapes and dings on the floor.
Sellers, on the other hand, have homes that look like they could be in a magazine: clean counters with just a small bouquet of fresh-cut flowers, polished floors, newly painted walls, and clean windows.
Ideally and before listing, sellers should cull through personal possessions. Sell excess furnishings and clothing at a garage sale, online, at a consignment store, or give them away. Move your can't-bear-to-part with items to storage.
If it's broken, fix it As a seller, your goal is to overcome any real or imagined obstacles buyers have. Fixing stuff that's broken, and selling a home that looks like it's been impeccably maintained over the years is a good start.
Tour your home looking for things that need to be done. Perhaps your walls or trim need touching up with a fresh coat of paint. Or maybe you have a crack in a floor tile. Or, your wall clock needs a fresh set of batteries in order to display the correct time.
Check the bathrooms: Cleaning or regrouting bathroom tile and fixtures will help make that room seem fresh and clean. Replace cracked windowpanes and ripped shades before any agent or buyer walks through the door.
Not fixing broken items, especially those that can be easily fixed, sends a not-so-subtle message to the seller that you don't care enough to get these things done. Also, when the home inspector comes through (which he or she inevitably will), you know these items will come up in the "need to do before I'll buy your house" list.
What should you fix? Anything that a prospective home buyer will think should be in working order on the day of sale, including:
• All appliances, including air-conditioners, furnace, boiler and hot water heater. They don't have to be new, but everything should be in working order. Clean lint from the dryer. Make sure the icemaker is working properly. Install new air filters in your heating and air-conditioning systems. Clean out the air-conditioning compressors. Make sure your humidifier is working properly.
• All faucets. If it leaks or doesn't turn on correctly, repair or replace it.
• All windows. If any panes are cracked, or if windows don't open properly, fix or replace them. And make sure to repair all screen doors and windows.
• All doors. No creaking, no doors that open only partly, no cabinet doors that don't open at all. If the windows are painted shut, fix them so that they open properly.
• Any exterior problems. Replace missing roof shingles, repair your gutter if it has come apart, and regrade landscaping away from the house if you've been finding puddles or wet walls in your basement. Clean out your gutters and downspouts.
• Cracked or chipped paint. A fresh coat of white or off-white paint can help make your home seem bigger.
• Peeling wallpaper. Get some wallpaper glue and make sure to get the air bubbles out when you press it to the wall.
• Light bulbs. Make sure all light bulbs are working and swap out the burned-out ones. Houses are often too dark when buyers come through in the late afternoon or evening for a showing. Make sure that every light you have has the brightest wattage possible and that you turn on every light before a showing, even during the day.
• Carpet. If your wall-to-wall carpet has been pulled up in places, make sure it is tacked down firmly. And while you're at it, you might want to have your carpets cleaned and floors waxed before you sell.
• Kitchen cabinets. Doors should open smoothly; hinges, knobs or pulls should be tightened.
As you're walking around the house, remember that a prospective buyer will be opening every drawer and door. How well these items work communicates a lot about how you've taken care of the property. Making a good impression here will go a long way toward getting your home sold quickly - and for more money.
Your pet's role Many buyers, not to mention real estate agents, are not animal lovers. If you own a pet, keep it clean and do something about the smell.
If you no longer can smell your pet, ask a neighbor, relative or friend about how your home smells and where. If you have a cat, you may have to replace your rugs or repaint walls to get rid of odors.
Your pet should be invisible during showings. Farming a pet out to a relative, friend or kennel is a great idea.
Selling 'as is' a last resort "As is" means the seller offers the residence in its current condition and will not pay for repairs. However, the seller still must disclose in writing all known defects, such as a leaky roof or a bad foundation. A better alternative is for the seller to obtain a professional inspection report and have the recommended repairs made before listing the home for sale.
Of course, when a home needs a major repair that the seller can't afford or doesn't want to make, an "as is" sale at a reduced price is advisable.
