3 Tips for a Fall Sale

As the market settles down for the season, there are a couple things to remember for a successful Fall sale. Fall can be a great time to sell your home for a couple reasons. The first is that buyers can get a warm and cozy feeling about the house. LIGHT Fall decor can easily enhance that emotion. The second is that regardless of season, people have to move. There may not be many families with school age children, but there are still plenty of millennials or empty nesters looking for the right home. 

Here are some tips for a successful fall sale:

Clean up around the home. Try to make sure the yard is a free of leaves as possible. Same goes for the gutters and walkways. This is a perfect time to trim trees around the yard as well. Make sure a doormat is in place. Not only will it enhance appeal, it will help keep the floors clean. The interior of the home should be kept comfortably warm. Keep blinds and curtains open so plenty of light can illuminate inside the home. Don't be scared to add a few embellishments as well. An older sofa can be refreshed with some new pillows, and fall centerpieces always highlight certain areas of the home. 

Wishing everyone a successful Fall sale!!


 

YOU KNOW WHAT COMES AFTER FALL!

This weekend is going to be perfect! Sunny, warm weather, and a chance for me to get outside and do a little fall cleanup around the house. Clean out the garden, weed around the house, and throw away what was at one time, beautiful summer flower baskets. With those out of sight I can concentrate on Fall, and partake in Fall activities ( which consists of drinking apple cider and eating A LOT of pumpkin donuts). I can't help but think of what comes after Fall though....SNOW and lots of it. Before that happens, it is important to take some nice photos of the outside of your home. If by chance you decide to sell, it is always best to have photos without snow. Buyers want to see what the yard looks like, and are curious to see just what that snow is covering up. If you have flowers or blooming trees, snap some photos to show what they can expect after the "thaw". It's always helpful, appreciated, and just another way to make your house stand out from the rest!

QUALITY LISTING PHOTOS

The old saying is most certainly true.... You never get a second chance to make a first impression! The first impression just happens to be the visual impression. (listing photos) It is so important to photograph in a way that makes your house stand out...for the RIGHT reasons. 

In this day and age it is said that an average of 90% of home buyers start their search by looking through online websites. They weed through them and let their agent know which ones appeal to them. An agent might be able to see past unappealing pictures but most likely a buyer will not give it a second look.

Quantity of photos: There are some who argue putting fewer pictures online will intrigue buyers into scheduling a showing....Data does not support that at all. Time is precious and there is only so much of it. Prospective buyers want to make sure a showing is worth their time before the schedule. If they see there are only 5 photos "There must be a reason why" or "They are trying to hide something". 

Quality indoor and outdoor photos are crucial, now more than ever, when a home hits the market.

For more tips or questions feel free to call or email me at nikole@realestateone.com

Superficial Flaws

You are ready to sell your home, but is your home ready to be sold? There are some very important things to consider before listing your home with a Realtor. Starting with the outside: Is your deck in need of paint or stain? Is the yard picked up and grass cut? These things are very important. Curb appeal goes a long way when selling your home. Small, minor investments, can bring in not only more showings, but higher offers. I drove by a house for sale today, and the very first thing I noticed was the peeling paint on the deck area. First impressions go a long way. Can a buyer overlook that? Absolutely they can, but I guarantee it will affect the offer price, especially if they notice other minor flaws throughout. Are there any areas inside the home that need to be touched up? Are the paint colors loud and very personal, or are they neutral and appealing to the majority of buyers? Changing a paint color is a small investment in the grand scheme of things. The last piece of advice is to make sure your home is ready for showings. If the home is priced right, has high quality photos taken, and is described well featuring all the lovely things about your home, you will have showings (possible quite a few). Remove any "clutter" that may have accumulated, empty waste baskets, make sure bathrooms are clean, and keep kitchen counters and floors are clean. If possible, try to show that there indeed IS a storage space for everything. There is a place to keep the laundry soap, or toiletries, etc. These are things that buyers are looking for! For a more in depth list, or questions please let me know :)       

Local Market Stats...

So far this Spring we have seen sales activity slip about 5-7% from last year at this time. Not because of lack of qualified buyers, but due to the lack of homes for sale. One of the biggest logs in the damn holding back a flood of new listings is the seller's "Move Up Spiral". With many homes selling quickly, sellers are afraid to put their home up for sale until they find a home to buy to avoid an "intermediate" move. Sounds legit, but if all sellers were afraid to put their homes on the market there would be very few, if any, homes to purchase. 
IF... sellers would let us know of their intent or interest in selling (even if they withhold putting it on the market), our matchmaking skills would take over creating sales... and additionally breaking up the log jam! These deals are called "created sales", and we have seen a spike in them by 10% or more! Also, it is becoming more common to give sellers both extended occupancy dates and closings, to ensure they have somewhere to go or a new home to move into.

Things to remember: 
The values of well maintained homes are quickly rising
Almost 70% of all home listings are selling within 90 days or LESS 
You when know when your home is priced right by the amount of interest...If you price your home right, BE PREPARED FOR MULTIPLE SHOWINGS, and from that the offer(s) will come!

Have a great day! 
Nikole

Local Market UPdate

The general idea in obtaining a good feel for the market is to spot trends. Trends in home showings, pending sales, final sales, and new listings. Grand Traverse County real estate has sent mixed signals. This could be due to our long lasting winter season! New listings are down from last year, with an ample amount of buyers searching for homes. Buyer demand is very strong right now. Homes from $200,000 and under have a significant listing shortage. The only concern with this price range is the slower pace of new listings hitting the market. Although this is frustrating to buyers, it benefits home sellers by pushing up home values.

 The 200k + segment is benefiting from the the inventory shortage of the 200k and below. With interest rates still low, many are finding these homes more affordable. There is a surge of inventory with new listings hitting the market. The home values have risen in the past 60 days as well. We can expect this segment to rise in the next quarter with buyers gaining increased buying power and moving up in the market to find homes to purchase.

The message is very clear to any homeowner who has contemplated selling in the past 5 years....get an updated market valuation, you will be surprised at what your home is worth today!

Seller's Rejoice

Selling in today's market is quite different than it was 2 years ago... even 1 year ago. The ball seems to be more in your court. You are faced with multiple offers, and back to back showings, which has given you, the home owner a sigh of relief. Offers are coming in higher and with less contingencies. It's close to a perfect world for you. If it sounds too good to be true, it's NOT. There are a couple things to remember though before you put a sign in your yard. 

1. Clean up around the yard. Now with snow(mostly) gone, it is important to pick up any debris that may have been forgotten about for the last 6 months.  

2. Keep the home clean and organized! I have personally noticed this is a huge factor for potential buyers. They want to see everything orderly. It makes them feel that the home would be easy to keep clean, and there are places for all their belongings. HUGE DEAL :)

3. Get rid of any musty odors or smells that are a TURN OFF for buyers. Keep a clean, neutral smell and everyone wins!

 

Preparing your home for the selling season...

1. Replace Your Front Door-You may not even notice your front door anymore, but a new door makes a great impression on buyers. If your front door doesn’t need replacing you could always add new hardware for a similar impact. Replacing your garage door is another great idea if it is warn and beat up.

2. Rejuvenate Your Kitchen- Low cost ideas such as replacing hardware, adding a backsplash or giving it a new look with fresh paint can be very impressive to buyers.

3. Work on Your Lighting-Today’s buyers like bright, light rooms, so look around your home and see if you need to upgrade your lighting fixtures or add more.

4. Replace Your Window Treatments- A great low cost investment could be replacing old window treatments with new to give the room an inviting look.

5. Update Your Bathroom- You can make cost-effective minor upgrades. Replace your fixtures and your mirror, or repaint the space. While you’re there, redo the caulk around your tub and shower and replace the grout on your tile flooring.

Things to Remember Before a CLOSING....

Closing Checklist

* Pull these items prior to packing to leave on the counter top in the home packet.
- garage door opener
- manuals
- copy of restrictions if subdivision 
- any tips you have on the house are always appreciated by the buyers

* Bring keys to closing (including any special keys to mail box etc.)

* Call insurance company to cancel coverage on your present home and secure coverage on your new home

* Call your real estate agent the day of closing to check on any updates

* Remember to bring valid photo ID to the closing

* Remember to ask ANY questions you may have...at any time. Fully understand what is going on and understand every document before you sign!

10 Low-Cost Ideas to Make Your Home More Saleable

1. Take away clutter...Pack away what you will not need during the "in between" time.

2. Welcome the potential buyer with a new doormat. Put potted flowers on the porch, and make sure the entry floor is clean. First impressions always count.

3. Stimulate the buyer's interest by "setting the stage". Use anything available to make the potential buyers feel "at home". Lighting the fireplace and placing fresh flowers on a coffee table are just a couple ideas.

4. Make sure the house smells fresh. Use the sense of smell to your advantage by doing things such as putting cedar chips in closets, using carpet freshener, and having potpourri throughout the house.

5. Create a spacious feeling. Make sure all entrances to rooms have an open flow, and clean out the entry closet so that your buyer can visualize their possessions there.

6. Make the most of all views. Disguise unsightly views. Make sure all windows are crystal clean and clear.

7. Create counter space. Store away extra appliances. Put away dish racks, and soap dishes. Decrease kitchen and remove magnets from the refrigerator.

8. Avoid eccentric decor. De-personalize rooms and remove anything that wont appeal to the masses.

9. Increase wattage in light bulbs in the laundry room, bathrooms, and the kitchen. For showing, turn on all lights....and try NOT to be present.

10. Put photos of family enjoying your home in at least three different places.