home selling tips

3 Home Selling Problems… Kids, Pets and Dirt

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you asked your Realtor what the three biggest home selling problems are, they would probably answer “kids, pets and dirt.” Unfortunately, if you have the first and/or the second, you definitely have an ongoing problem with the third! It can make life crazy for the time span your home is listed for sale. Here are some tips to keep your home show ready and your sanity intact, when selling with kids and pets.

Let’s look at pets first.

You have to keep in mind that while your dogs may be treasured members of the family, and Fluffy the cat is just the sweetest thing on 4 feet, not everyone likes pets. Some people are afraid of, allergic to or nervous around pets. Your pets are stressed because strangers keep coming into their territory and might just be a bit unpredictable. The best solution is to find somewhere your pets can stay while you are selling. It may not be the best thing for your emotional needs, but it is the optimal solution for selling. It means you can removed everything pet related out of the house.

If that isn’t possible, make sure that you do the following: fix all pet damage to the home. Clean or replace stained carpets, fix hardwood floor scratches or stains and fill in any holes your pups may have dug in the back yard. Also be sure to completely eliminate any pet odors. When you do your deep clean prior to listing, use an enzyme based cleaning product to remove odors. Keep new odors out by being absolutely scrupulous about cat little boxes being cleaned, carpets and furniture being vacuumed and use natural ways to scent your home, such as essential oil diffusers.

Along with that pack up all the pet accoutrement like toys and beds. Before a showing, scoop them all up, including food dishes, and hide them away in an out of the way area – NOT a closet, people look in those!

It’s much the same with kids.

Pack up all but a few toys, clean out and declutter their bedrooms, and enlist their help to keep the place in show ready condition. Request that your Realtor give you enough warning that you can vacuum through, pick up any toys, baby gear, pet stuff, grab kids and Fido and head out the door. If that’s one hour or three, make sure you have time to spare.

Hang in there and remember, you’ve got this!

Tampa Bay Home Selling Tips : How To Price Right For Your Neighborhood

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

One of the best Tampa Bay home selling tips is how to price right. It is also one of the trickiest parts of selling your home. Pricing it right for not only what you need out of the sale, but for the neighborhood and to make sure it sells. So how do Realtors figure out that magic number? A few things come into play, especially in Tampa Bay. Here are some home selling tips for pricing right for your neighborhood.

Check the comps

First, know what other homes have sold for in Tampa Bay. Check comps, or comparable homes, for their sale prices. Do NOT look at listing prices. Other homes may have been overpriced or underpriced. Comps also tell you if your home and the sold home have the same amenities. If the comp house has been updated with granite counters and your home still has laminate counters, the asking price of your home won’t be as high.

Location counts

That leads to some of the other reasons why homes are found at different price points. One of those items is location. Where is the home? Is it in a gated community? Is it in a great school district? Does it have a homeowners’ association that keeps the quality of the neighborhood higher? Is it a waterfront or water view property? All of these things will mean you can price your home higher. However, location can have negatives as well. Is the home on a busy street that is noisy or unsafe for children? Is it near an airport or railroad tracks? Is the neighborhood decaying? All of these may mean that no matter how gorgeous your home is, you won’t get top dollar.

Home condition

Another home selling tip is that home condition affects price . Is the home updated? How new is the roof? What about the home’s systems (electrical, plumbing, heating and AC)? Are they up to date or in need of repair? Have the appliances been updated? The important rooms to focus on are kitchens and baths. They are also the most expensive, but they are what buyers look for to be fresh and up to date.

Pricing your home right is important. If you aren’t sure what to ask, bring in a Tampa Bay real estate professional like Deborah Ward and let her do it for you.

Give Deb & her team of Tampa Bay realtors a call today! 727-410-0336

Financial Considerations For Move Up Home Buyers

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It feels like your home is bursting at the seams and figure it’s time to move up. Here are some tips to help make the move up easier.

The biggest thing that should be considered when you decide it’s time to move up is can you afford it. Needing space and being able to afford it are two completely different things. To get to a decision on affordability you need to do a few things.

First, find out what they payoff is on your current mortgage. Not the balance, the payoff figure.

Now you need to talk to a Realtor about what your home is actually worth. Obviously, if you’re upside down on your mortgage, meaning the mortgage payoff is more than the value of the home, moving up shouldn’t be on your list of things to do. If it is worth more than the payoff figure, your Realtor will help you determine by how much.

That should be your next determining factor. Are the net proceeds
enough to be a decent down payment on your next home?

So let’s say that your home will sell and give you a good down payment and all your closing costs for both the sale and purchase. Next you need to contact your lender, or a new one, and get yourself qualified for a new mortgage. To do that you’ll need to know what your price range for the new home should be. You can determine it the same way you did when you purchased your last home. You need to keep in mind that a bigger house will mean bigger bills.

Your mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, real estate taxes, heating and cooling costs and other bills will cost you more. You need to realistically sit and set up a budget.

Don’t move up if it means that you will be house poor. Be smart. Move up when you can afford it, and if that’s now, get moving!

If you are in the Tampa Bay area, now may be a time to move up. Home prices have risen and may have created equity in your home that can cover the cost of moving up. Give us a call today to find out if moving up makes sense for you!

727-410-0336

Check the comps

Location counts

Home condition

Give Deb & her team of Tampa Bay realtors a call today! 727-410-0336

The Deb Ward Team