Staging a Home...and Not

I was again reminded this week of the importance of properly preparing a home for sale. I recently listed a property, and the homeowners were beginning their search for a new home. As we toured the homes under consideration, we saw several things, including a lack of painting, dishes in the sink, beds not made, many, many photos on the walls, etc. I begin to ask myself in some of these homes if the seller was really wanting to sell the property!

First impressions are important. As such, when selling a home, you want to make a good one. It is said a buyer will form a first impression in the first 11 seconds of getting to a home. Curb appeal is critical....the exterior of a home is where it all begins. You must recognize you are competing with other homes on the market.....if the exterior of your home is dirty, cluttered, and the grass not mowed, well, you know.

Pressure wash the exterior if needed, plant colorful flowers in the front, keep the grass neat and trimmed....look at your home from a buyers perspective, you will begin to think differently. Ask yourself the question, what does a first time visitor see on the exterior of my home.

Do the same thing with the inside, take a look at painting, excessive personal items (toys, clothes, and photos). Oftentimes it is well worth the small expense of renting a storage unit to get unused personal items out of the home. This does two things, it makes the home feel more spacious (particularly in the closets), and 'de-personalizes' the home.

We all love our families, but we don't want potential buyers preoccupied with personal photos and wondering where you took your last vacation.....rather we want them to visualize where they will be putting their furniture in the home!

Another important consideration when trying to sell your home is to keep it neat and clean. Beds made, dishes washed, all common sense, but you would be surprised just how many homeowners fail in this area.....

Small sacrifices now will make a huge difference in the marketability of your home, even in this market. I had rather delay listing a home for a few weeks to address these issues up front in order to make a good first impression when the home does go on the market.

Rent Vs. Buy

Low Mortgage payments, first time homebuyer credits, depressed housing values....perhaps the time to buy. Uncertain job future, unfamiliar with the area, lower rental payment, maybe not.

So what is best for me --- Rent or buy.....let's take a look!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSBui4_uPGM