How can you make it sell?

Ever since the economic turn down, real estate sales have been slow. However, this does not mean that home owners cannot sell their homes at all. With the right real estate agent, home owners can increase the chance of getting a house sold within three months of listing. How? Choose the best real estate agent for the job. Selling a house in a slow market is a bit tricky. The agent you hire must know the market very well so that the house being sold will be priced accordingly.

For more information on selling a house and finding the right real estate agent, feel free to visit this site.

How can you increase your home's value?

If you are planning to sell your house in the near future - or even if you are not planning to sell at all - you still have to do various maintenance tasks to make your hub a better place to live in and at the same time boost its value in case you do decide to sell it. So, what can you do to improve your home and increase its value?

Perhaps the most basic thing any home owner can do to boost a home is to give it a fresh coat of light paint. I say light paint because using dark colors may not give a very welcoming ambiance. If you want your family and visitors to feel warm and "at home" when they go into your house, go with pastel colors. Moreover, coating your home with new paint can attract potential buyers if you decide to sell it as it may look like the house has been well taken care of.

The other basic thing when beautifying a home is to fix the flooring! No one wants a creaking floor every time you make a step. Plus, changing (or at least fixing) the flooring can add to a home's value as well. With this, make sure that the doors and windows are at top shape as well. Like with the coat of fresh paint, buyers will get the idea that the owners have taken care of the home well and they will least likely encounter maintenance problems when they move in.

Now, let us move on to interior designing. One of the defining things that can boost a home's value are accents like nice and clean carpets as well as curtains that will let the light in. The important thing here is to make anyone who enters the home feel warm and welcomed.

Finally, it is also essential to beautify the exterior of your house. Make sure the grass and bushes are trimmed, that vines and weeds are not growing everywhere. Also, add a few extras like flower beds or a brick pathway. By doing this, your home will attract loads of attention from potential buyers. Besides, the first thing anyone will see is the outside of your house -- so might as well make a very impressing first impression.

With this simple maintenance tasks, any home owner can easily make their house feel like home and at the same time significantly increase its value in the real estate market.

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Preparing for Home Showings

It's a very exciting time. Your agent has just lined up a prospective buyer. A deal can be made or broken, however, during the showing. How can you prepare your home to its best advantage?

The National Association of Realtors suggests that your first course of action should be removing clutter. The reasoning behind this is simple. Clutter distracts the mind and it distracts the imagination. A potential buyer needs to be able to see themselves and their own style in your home.

By banishing disorder and welcoming in neatness you can give your house an advantage over any competition who is lesser prepared.

2. After decluttering, the next step is to clean. In the same sense that decluttering is removing "you" from the potential home of another, cleaning is removing your grimy mark. Have carpets cleaned, wax the floors, and remove any odors of pets or smoking.

3. Luxurious bathrooms are a must. A bathroom that is clean and full of comfort is appealing to most every buyer. Arrange new towels and rugs, as well as burn fresh smelling candles. Consider adding rich decor, such as paintings.

4. Windows that shine. We can become desensitized to the finer details of our home, but buyers will hone in on each and every imperfection. Be sure that during your cleaning and decluttering, you don't forget to wash your windows. This way buyers will be able to focus their attentions on the beautiful grounds of your property, as opposed to the spots on the glass.

5. Let there by light. Burned out bulbs can make rooms look dark and dingy. Consider buying eco-friendly fluorescent or LED lights for use in your home.

6. Minor repairs are important. There are buyers who are turned off by even minor repairs. They see that loose cabinet door or that warped deck board as a two-fold evil. Either the house has been poorly cared for with bigger repairs waiting for discovery under the surface, or that the home may be too much work for them.

7. Don't neglect your yard. For many buyers, a yard is an extension of the home. Be sure that for each showing, your yard is freshly mowed and any debris, trash, or clutter (toys, tools, etc) are put away. A great way to make flower beds appear neat and well tended is to add mulch. Clean off sidewalks with a quick powerwash.

8. Add punches of seasonal color. Even if you aren't a garden guru, you can still plant low maintenance flowers in beds and pots. Some examples of low maintenance flowering plants are: petunias, pansies, and vincas.

9. A petless home. We all love our pets, sometimes like they're our own children. But they should be safely at a friend's house or kennel during showings. While you're at it, take your children and yourself out of the home during the showing as well!

10. Lock up your valuables. It would be nice to think that no potential buyer would steal from your home, but it could happen. Be sure that anything easily removed is locked away for safe keeping. And be sure that your real estate agent gets anyone's contact information before they are allowed into your home.

Article by Carla Hill

on Realty Times

Top 10 Tips for Staging a Home

Provided your home-for-sale has the curb appeal to get potential buyers inside, keeping them inside for a further look requires a staging strategy that sticks the deal.

HGTV's FrontDoor.com offers what it considers the Top 10 tips that can turn a languishing listing to a multiple offer attraction.

• Reclaim the yard. First impressions rule. Spruce up curb appeal by maintaining a clean yard, adding plants for a splash of color and applying a fresh coat of paint to the front door.

• Let the foyer flourish. The home portal sets the tone for the entire home. Make the space up-to-date, well-maintained and eye catching -- top to bottom.

• Back off beige. Don't let neutral colored walls dominate a room. Splashes of color liven up boring spaces. Throw pillows, artwork and fresh flowers add pops of color and personality.

• Cure kitchen craziness. Consistency pleases. All countertops and cabinets should match. New hardware, a new backsplash and a thorough cleaning can transform a bleak kitchen into one with smiles.

• Denude the dining room. De-cluttering and depersonalizing is the first rule of home staging. Homebuyers can have trouble envisioning themselves living in a home that's full of the seller's personal items.

• Avoid focal point faux-pas. Highlight the great features in a home by positioning furniture to highlight them. Windows, fireplaces and other architectural details will be noticed by a buyer if they are emphasized in the home correctly.

• Perk up the patio. The outdoor space is an extension of the home. Capture a higher selling price by cleaning and adding style to any outdoor space with furniture, lighting and accessories.

• Master the master suite. The best approach to staging is often working with existing accessories. Using what is already in the room and repositioning the furniture will highlight the room’s best features.

• Cure bathroom blues. Older vanities and dreadful wallpaper will make any bathroom feel outdated. Apply a fresh coat of neutral-hued paint and new hardware to modernize and brighten.

• Repurpose extra rooms. The value of a space decreases when homebuyers see a room without direction (think part office, part playroom, part home gym). Though almost every homeowner is guilty of having a "junk room," take sure to stage each room with a clear purpose before putting the home on the market.

Article by Broderick Perkins

on Realty Times