for sellers

Why Pricing Your Home Right at the Start Matters

November 11, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Pricing your home correctly when you first put it on the market is very important. Starting out with the right price will mean the difference between selling quickly and possibly not selling at all.

So why does overpricing sabotage selling your home?

Let’s start with the fact that the buyers who can buy your home won’t even see it unless the price is right, and those who will see it are looking for something in that actual higher price range. When buyers look for a home they choose a price range from the highest their budget will allow to the lowest price that represents the quality of home they want. No matter if they search the internet first, or just contact a realtor to assist them, if your home is slightly overpriced, it won’t show up in that range.

Perception and market timing

Second, the market for a newly listed home is the most active in the first 30 days. Even if you think that you can drop your price later, you won’t be willing to drop your price for at least 90 days, meaning you miss the hot selling period. It gets even worse. Remember, even if you have the most fantastic house on the block, the longer it sits the more people think something is wrong with it. Perception is everything. If it was so great it would have sold already, right? Maybe not, but that’s what sellers are thinking. Even an inkling that something might be wrong and they look elsewhere and won’t buy your home. There goes your chance to get market value!

Lower offers or market value

Guess what else will happen? That idea that overpricing it will get you at least market value is also wrong. After you drop to a more reasonable price that time on the market will mean that people will offer even lower. You’ll be so tired of trying to sell it that you’ll take less. Price it right the first time and that is much less likely to happen.

How To Sell Your Home When You Are The Worst House In The Best Neighborhood

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

I’m sure you’ve heard the adage “buy the worst house in the best neighborhood.” In fact, the HGTV show “Fixer Upper” uses that same idea, and in their opening spiel. So why do that? Why not go for the best house in the best neighborhood? As a seller, should you go ahead and make a lot of really expensive fixes to sell your home, or just let it be? The short answer is probably to inexpensively spruce it up and sell now.

Your strategy to sell is simple, make your home look clean and habitable. Its location will be its biggest selling point. Lots of things can be changed about a home, but where it sits is usually not one of them. It is exceptionally expensive to move an entire house. So buyers who can’t really afford to buy that gem across the street (you know that one – perfect floors, perfect kitchens and baths, most up to date color schemes and perfect landscaping), may just be able to buy yours. So play up your location. Sing the praises of the schools. Talk about how close you are to the best parks or entertainment or whatever it is that makes your neighborhood coveted.

So do all the things that any seller does to prepare to sell. Clean like a crazy person. Declutter so your rooms, as shabby as they may be, look bigger. Paint to help it look a bit less shabby. Mow the lawn and plant some colorful flowers out front and make your porch look welcoming. If you can’t afford to make improvements to the home, don’t worry so much. You may not be able to ask top dollar, but the location and neighborhood will help you get a decent price.

Be prepared for prospective buyers to ask for concessions for repairs they will need to make. If you price the home right, however, this may not be a huge issue. Pricing it right may just mean pricing it so buyers who couldn’t afford the house next door will see your listing and come looking. Hire a Realtor who can help you make the best decisions for your sale, then prepare to move!

How To Sell An Estate Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It’s happened. Your beloved family member has passed away. While dealing with your grief, you’ve discovered that your family member has made you executor of his or her will. So now you have to deal with disposing of their worldly possessions, including their home. So what will you have to do to sell an estate home?

Well, the actual sale process is the same as any other: clean, declutter, stage and list. In fact, you’ll probably be emptying the home anyway in the process of finding and making a list of all of the deceased’s belongings for probate.

Probate is the process where the property (all their stuff, money, cars, homes, furniture, etc.) of the deceased is transferred to the beneficiaries under the will, or in the case of there being no will how the law where the deceased lives says should be the beneficiary or beneficiaries. This is where things can get complicated. Part of the probate process is paying taxes, both state and federal. You also have to provide an accounting of all the stuff and how it was distributed to the beneficiaries, or the probate court.

So here are some things you’ll need to take into consideration. First, if the will states that the home is to be given to someone specific, then you having to sell it as the executor isn’t happening.

That is a process best handled by an estate attorney. But let’s say that the home isn’t a specific bequest to someone, it is then just part of the remainder, or what is left after the specific bequests, of the estate and will probably have to be sold.

Next, you’ll need to know what kinds of estate taxes will be due. This is important because they may be taken from the proceeds of the sale at settlement. Be sure that whomever you use to sell the home, or handle the real estate settlement is aware that this is an estate sale.

Your best bet is to hire an estate attorney and a Realtor who is familiar with all of the ins and outs of the sale of an estate property. They will be an invaluable resource to you.

How to Stage Your Home to Sell

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Stage your home if you want to sell it faster and for more money. Ask any Realtor and they will tell you that staged homes do sell faster and for more money than homes that aren’t staged. If you want to sell your home, stage it. Here are some tips.

First and always, declutter and repair! Take the time to pack up now, and put the majority of your belongings into storage. Keep only what you need to live for a few weeks. Then make a rule, for every one thing you bring into your home, one thing has to leave. Less is more. Take the furniture you have left after thinning it out, and group them to make the space look larger. Put sofas and chairs into cozy conversational groups. Place furniture so that there is a definite traffic flow. Use furniture pieces in different places in your home. Put an armchair in the bedroom to make a cozy sitting area or use your dining room table, without the extra leaves, under a window as a writing desk or library table. Think out of the box to sell your home.

Make that junk room into a room with a purpose. Use that unused furniture to make it into an office. Make each room have a purpose to add value to your home. Odd rooms or unused space that makes no sense will make buyers look elsewhere.

Make sure rooms are well lit, either naturally or with lamps. This also makes them look larger and more inviting. Paint. Freshen up rooms with paint. A small room can look larger if you paint it the same color as an adjacent room. Choose colors that are neutral and inviting. Neutral doesn’t have to mean white; it could be tan or light blue. Look for calming colors.

You should hang things on the wall, but not photos. Depersonalize as much as possible, but also place paintings or art in places that are not “usual” to get them noticed. Place things on tables in living areas to make them inviting as well. Use a “group in three” rule. Odd numbers when accessorizing are preferable, but don’t line them up, vary scale and group in a triangle or some other shape. Group by color, shape, texture or some other unifying element. Use the beauty of nature in it as well. Raid your yard for flowers or foliage to bring in some natural beauty. Staging your home is not really an option when selling your home.

Ask your Realtor for some guidance, and then get ready to sell your home!

Selling Your Home In December

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Thanksgiving has come and gone and December is here. Time to sell your home. Yes, really. December is a great time of year to sell your home. Selling your home in December means fewer homes for sale, more people from out of town looking and better chances for you.

December is a great month to sell your home

People are busy, but not too busy to house hunt. If someone is in the hunt for a home, using time waiting in line Christmas shopping to look online for homes to see is probably how they multi-task. The fact that the holidays are busy will work to your advantage another way. Who has time to just look? People looking will be serious buyers. If they are going to take time out of their busy holiday schedule to look, that means they are buyers to take seriously. That means that your Realtor will show to well qualified, pre-qualified buyers who are serious. Aren’t you busy at the holidays too? No wasted time for you either.

I bet if you asked others about listing in December they told you it was nuts. “No one ever lists in December!” Exactly, that means less competition. But buyers are still looking. New listings in December are few and far between, so it gets buyers looking jazzed. Now think about them looking at your home. How does it look this time of year? Decorated and at its best. Perfect!

Sales Ready

Getting your home sales ready in December is really much easier than you think. You are already making room for decorations and a tree, probably packing a few things away for the duration. So, use the opportunity to declutter and pack. Then tastefully appoint your home with holiday cheer.

Selling your home in December works to your advantage. So decorate, and get ready to move after the New Year! New Year, new home. Sounds good, doesn’t it!

5 Tips To Attract Out Of State Buyers For Your Home Sale

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

If you have to move away before you can sell your home, some unique problems may crop up! Find a Realtor who is used to working with out of state sellers.

It happens. You get transferred to a new position out of state and have to move, or move away for whatever reason. In a perfect world you would have time to sell your home before having to move away. Well, the world isn’t perfect and sometimes you have to move before you can sell. So here are some tips to make your sale the best it can be from states away.

First and most important, carefully hire a Realtor to assist you. It would be incredibly hard to clean, stage, show and sell your home yourself from so far away. Choosing the best Realtor to help you will mean you will hire someone who will show and market the home, hire contractors to handle upgrades and repairs, and ensure that there is a smooth sale of your home.

Be sure that you personally interview Realtors for the best fit. Choose one who has a great track record for sales and getting the best price, who communicates well and is comfortable with how you communicate (I.e. phone, text, email) and has a good reputation in the community.

Next, be sure to price the home correctly. Trust your Realtor to understand the market, the neighborhood and the condition of the home to get you the best price. Get it right the first time. Start with the best price, because if you miss that crucial first 30 days, repricing won’t help you sell for the best price. People will wonder why it didn’t sell and will low ball you with offers. Also, be sure that your Realtor is aware of the lowest price you are willing to accept. Be open to negotiation and other considerations for a lower price, but make sure there is an understanding.

No one will buy your home if it looks like an episode of Hoarders. They certainly won’t give you the best price if it is a cluttered mess. Before you move, pack up all of your belongings and those things you don’t want give away or throw away. If possible, leave a small amount of furniture to make sure the home doesn’t look vacant.

Then clean. Clean as if your life depended on it. If you can’t due to the impending move, or just don’t want to, hire a cleaning company to do a serious deep clean on the home. Also have any necessary repairs made, and any updates your Realtor recommends. Have the home staged for the best effect.

If you are looking for a Realtor in the Tampa Bay area who works often with out of area seller, give Deb Ward a call today! 727-410-0336