Spring is just around the corner…no really! Spring officially kicks off in around 30 days! So what are you doing to get your home ready?
Spring is typically considered the best time to market your home. Flowers start to bloom, trees turn green, curb appeal is greatly improved and the kids will shortly be out of school for summer break. BUT with the melting snow comes the realization that all that snow shoveling had scraped away what was your freshly painted or stained deck and the plow did a number on your driveway and mailbox. So now what?
Get a jump on the end of winter and move confidently into spring by taking advantage of periodic warm-up days and sunshine to take inventory of damage that will need repairs. Make a list, get the supplies you need and be ready as the weather improves to fix the most obvious eye sores first and then continue through the hidden but necessary repairs.
Consider putting your home on the market before the "Spring Rush" so you can capture the attention of active buyers now before your competition increases. It's true that there are more buyers in the spring BUT there are also a lot more sellers. Be diligent with getting your repairs and refreshments completed and be one of the first homes to hit the pre-Spring market!
Maximize your Upgrades while Minimizing Your Costs!
Want to upgrade your home to receive maximum $$ you've seen other homes in your area receiving but don't have a bundle of cash to do all you desire? Here are a few ways to maximize your offering while minimizing your cost!
Granite Countertops: Eliminate the middle man (Home Depot, Kitchen Design Shop, Granite Specialty Stores) when shopping for new counters.
Search for wholesale granite companies that supply the middle men mentioned above. You can cut your cost by 30-50%, have a better selection of granite choices and reduce your installation costs. Consider using granite tiles as part of your design in lieu of full slabs. This can also reduce your overall costs. One other way to reduce your cost is to stick with a bullnose edge instead of getting lured into something fancier. It still looks great but is the least expensive option. Ex: The granite you see in the photo is the same granite sold by Home Depot for $78+/sf. The cost at the wholesale company that actually supplies the local Home Depot was under $50/sf installed allowing the entire kitchen to be done in slab granite for under $2500 installed! Take the time to shop wholesale!
Again search for bargain outlet stores (ie: HOBOs – Homeowners Bargain Outlet) At stores like this you can find tile and marble at a fraction of the cost of buying it at big box stores. The key is that these types of stores get in inventory randomly so make sure you purchase more than what you think you'll need (because you always need more) because if you go back it may no longer be available. Ex: The marble in the photo was used for the Master Bath floor and spa shower walls at a cost of $3/sf versus the $14/sf it was marked up to at Home Depot (the exact same tiles).
These are just two examples of how you can upgrade your Kitchen and Baths which always bring the best increased value to your home by taking the time to shop wholesale stores and suppliers, eliminating the middle man of the typical big box or retails specialty stores. It might take a little extra work but your savings will be vast and your reward plentiful!
Sometimes we can see cosmetic issues in our home that, if addressed, will present a more finished look for ourselves living there or if we're selling, for buyers considering purchasing. BUT it's not so easy when we can also see that our bank account will not allow us to replace all the items that need a fresh look. Here are a couple simple ideas that will refresh your home without breaking the bank!
If you live in an area with high humidity and consistent use of central air, you may find your metal vents showing bits (or lots) of rust and loss of color. Now, buying one or two vent covers might be no big deal but when you need to replace several or the whole home, it adds up. So instead of replacing them, scrape, sand and then give them a fresh look with a paint like Rustoleum that you can easily spray on, let dry and have a great new look in a very short time for under $5!
Other items that you can use the same process on to give a fresh look and spend pennies: Old ceiling fan: take apart, spray the body and the paddles updating an 80's-90's brass look to an updated oiled bronze, black or other trending color. Old drawer pulls and door knobs? An hour of your time and they can look all brand new.
Walk through your home with a friend you trust to be honest and take notes on what you can update and refresh while at the same time, keeping your costs to a minimum!
Today is the first day of Autumn. If your home has been on the market through the summer, here are some simple steps you can take to bring your marketing campaign into the new season.
Pull up the remainder of your dying summer flowers and replace with autumn specific plants or plantings such as mums, sunflowers, autumn crocus, goldenrod and others (do an online search for autumn blooms for your specific area). Mums are an inexpensive option in small, medium and large containers for quick landscaping changes at a minimal cost.
If you home is wrapped in fall colors and landscapes, update your photos highlight the season.
Use pumpkins or squash varieties to create autumn displays near your entryway.
On a tight budget? The Dollar Tree or other such stores have a wide variety of items you can use to create season specific decor without breaking your bank.
Change the wreath on your front door to more fall specific color tones than what you may have had on there for summer (or spring if you never changed it in June).
Put pumpkin scented waxes or candles around your home to update your aroma to a scent that reminds everyone of the fall and thanksgiving.
Having an open house? Instead of putting out chocolate chip cookies, replace them with pumpkin spice yummies instead.
Aromas have a very strong effect on people so put a pot of simmering hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks on the stove. Feels like coming home!
Key: Try to avoid being holiday specific such as halloween or thanksgiving decorations. Promote the season not the holiday. Keep your advertising current to reap maximum results.
BE SAFE, SECURE & SMART WHILE TRAVELING THIS SUMMER!
Often during the summer, even though your home is on the market, you still do a lot of traveling to weddings, reunions, family picnics and family vacations. You might only be gone over a weekend or perhaps a week or two. So what can you do to ensure that your home is secure while you're away from home? Here's a few tips.
It's great to put your lights on timers but it's a mistake to use one that illuminates the same lights at the same times every day. A better choice is using timers that can be set for different times each day and to not all go on at that same time. You want it to appear that you are randomly moving from room to room throughout the day and evening.
There are numerous systems with apps now that you can purchase that allow you to control your lights from wherever you are. If you travel a lot, this may be the best way to provide yourself with a stress free trip.
If you're road tripping in your own vehicle, see if a neighbor, friend or family member can stop by at different times while you're gone and pick up your mail or just hang out for short periods of time so there are cars in your driveway while you're gone. If the live nearby and can leave their car in your driveway overnight once in a while even better!
In the past it's been suggested that you have your mail delivery stopped while you're gone. This can be an ok idea but keep in mind that you are letting people in the local post office with whom you're not acquainted know that no one is home. Better to have someone pick up your mail or if it drops through your mail slot, just gather it up when you get home.
This may be the most important tip. DO NOT POST on social media that you are heading out to your reunion or someone's wedding or that you're anxious to hop on that cruise…..WAIT and when you return you can post that you just got back and what a great time you had. Still get to share but do so wisely!
Don't be afraid to let your local police department know that you'll be gone and ask if they can periodically patrol your street and keep an eye on your home. They really don't mind doing so.
With a few well thought out plans, you can enjoy your summer journeys while still marketing your home and feel safe and secure all the while!
PROACTIVELY PROMOTE YOUR HOME ALL DAY LONG!!
Maximize the impact of your BuyOwner.com advertising by proactively promoting your home throughout your daily activities. Also, take a few hours a week and be deliberate with your personal marketing. You might not connect with your buyer but rather with someone who will share it with their friend or family member who wants to live in your area. Think beyond your buyer and create a network of marketers sharing your home with others.
Goal #1: Get your phone to ring or your email or social media messages to load up!
Police and Fire Departments (many require that they reside within the city they protect).
Nearby University, Colleges or Hospitals. Put on Community Boards but also give to HR departments who might be hiring new Professors/Doctors/Nurses/Staff, etc.
Any additional place where you can obtain permission to post!
Post on the bulletin board at work or your gym, if possible.
If your subdivision/neighborhood offers a bulletin board or some kind of announcement section, post your flyer there! By posting in the neighborhood, you're targeting people who are already attracted to your location.
Your town/city may have a similar bulletin board option at the town center or community rec center.
Talk about your home sale with your friends and family.
Mention it at work, at stores, with new acquaintances.
Be bold! If you're standing in line at the coffee shop, bank, etc., and you hear someone talking about wanting to move into the area, excuse yourself for 'eavesdropping' but let them know you might have the home for them and hand them your flyer! Don't walk away too quickly as they may have questions and engage immediately, especially if they are relocating or their home is already sold and time is of the essence!
Bring it up at book club, community events, parties, showers, holiday gatherings.
Create free online ads at places like Craigslist and Google that link to your BuyOwner.com page. You'll be drawing even more people to look at your home's photos, tours and text!
Post on your Facebook page and ask that people viewing it share it on their pages as well.
Instagram or twitter including a link to your BuyOwner.com webpage.
E-mail everyone in your e-mail address book a link to your online ad and ask them to pass it on to anyone who's in the market.
Blog about your home sale. If you, or someone you know, blogs regularly, that can be a great way to spread the word about your property. Try to get a post written that links to your advertisement and mentions some of your home's key features.
Schedule an open house on a weekend afternoon when not a lot of community events are happening. Hint: don't plan the open house on the day of a big football game or the weekend of a holiday.
Promote your open house everywhere (see above for suggestions about flyers).
On the day of the open house, have a niece or nephew run a lemonade stand out front. This will help draw in other passers-by, inviting them inside.
Mark your open house online, through your ByOwner seller dashboard. Contact Customer Care to add it to your MLS & realtor.com listings.
Make the most of other open houses in the area. Check local ads, and when an open house is scheduled in nearby, put out several signs and draw those visitors to your home.
Don't hesitate to call your BuyOwner.com Customer Care Rep or your Personal Marketing Consultant and ask for help! We are here to make your experience positive while helping you achieve your home selling goals!!
BEWARE OF RENTAL and RENT TO OWN SCAMS!
You've probably seen several listings online (often posted on Zillow and Craigslist) that seem "too good to be true" because of how low the rent is or because you can rent to own the property with very little down, low rent and a less than stellar credit score. They seem too good to be true because most likely they are. These scams have become much more prevalent over the last couple of years and though your head might be screaming "This is a scam" your heart may be saying, "Wow it would be great to live in that neighborhood and maybe it's true that the owner is building a bridge in Nigeria or has already moved and just wants to know that someone will love the home as much as they did" and is looking for a perfect renter/buyer. Below are some red flags to look for and hopefully wave you in the other direction!
* They can't meet you in person and show you the home because they are out of town or out of the country BUT they trust you so as soon as you send funds via wire transfer or Western Union to cover the security deposit and/or first or first and last month's rent, they will send you the keys. Note: If they send you a long heartfelt email about why they can't be there or share a sob story, google search the first couple of lines of the email and you may find that it is one that is used over and over again in the scam market. Run!
* Don't assume because the ad includes a realtor's name that this is an actual listing. Research the name, agency and phone number to see if they exist and are actively working in the marketplace. Even if you discover that they do exist and are actively working, take the extra very important step to see if the home is listed differently on the realtor's website. If so, and clearly their listing has been hijacked by a scammer, take a moment and call the agent to let them know so they can handle it on their end and protect their client. Good Karma!
* They will always ask you for your personal and financial information either via the internet, an email or over the phone. SCAM! Hang up or shut down. Never provide any financial information over the phone or online to anyone you don't know, haven't met or cannot verify as legitimate.
* If you cannot tour the home with an agent or the owner prior to committing to the rental, take a pass! This is Scam 101!
* If they try to rush you because there are so many others who want the property and it's first come "with the deposit", think twice. This might be the case sometimes, but never rush without doing due diligence.
* If you see a home with a big Rent To Own regardless of credit or Rent to Own this home for a few hundred dollars move on to the next listing. These are typically fraudulent. Don't hesitate to notify the site or even local law enforcement of these scams so as to protect others who might not have read this blog!
KEYS: Be diligent. Do your research. Don't rush into anything. Decide with your mind and not your feelings. And as always, remember that usually if it seems too good to be true, it is!
BEST TIME TO HIT THE MARKET?
*If your home is located in a warm climate (ie: Florida, Arizona) the cold winter months provide an increase of potential buyers, often known as snowbirds, that are, in addition to taking a vacation from the weather, searching for a winter home. So, from the moment the holiday season kicks in November through the onset of spring, you have an additional surplus of potential buyers so being visibly out on the market during that time gives you an advantage over waiting for the typical spring market. By the same token, the potential buyers may decrease in those markets as the temperature climbs into the "I'll never go there in the summer" ranges.
*If you have a single family home or in a 'child abundant" neighborhood, your buyers most likely will be shopping starting around March and into April with the goal of getting under contract and closed by the time the kids get out of school so they can settle in over the summer and get the kids registered in their new schools.
*Another advantage of putting your home on in Spring, especially if you are located in an area with defined seasons, is that your landscaping and curb appeal are often at their peak performance in the spring.
*If you wait until summer to put your home on the market, you will lose potential buyers to scheduled summer vacations which brings you back to the long standing belief that being on the market by April increases your odds of getting sold. This way the closing can be scheduled around their vacation and be a positive experience for you and your buyer.
*Serious buyers (moving due to job relocation, family and financial issues, health situations, etc) shop year round so if you need to sell for your own specific reasons, putting it on the market to meet your needs and not the specific market time may be best for you.
*Interest rates have started to increase, so taking into consideration that buyers may be shopping sooner than later is something for you to consider especially if you are also going to become a buyer.
Photos vs Description….Which is Most Important when Creating your Ad Campaign?
Though in the "old" days, sellers would tease potential buyers with flowery words and a couple of photos in order to get them to come walk through their home to "learn more", those days are gone. We live in a fast food, fast paced, show me what you got society which means you only have moments to capture your audience and cause them to stay on your ad with the potential of then choosing to physically walk through. So, though, words are important, they take second stage to your photos.
PHOTOS: If someone is searching the web looking at multiple sites to find homes that fit their needs and desires, the first few photos they see of your home will determine if they look at the rest and then if they like what they see they will read your description. Buyers are not interested in being "teased" anymore. If you won't show them your home online with good, well taken photos, they will move on to another home that will. You could very well lose your buyer because of either a lack of photos or lack of quality photos. If you take only so so photos, you need to consider having your home professionally photographed. The minimal cost of doing so can not only get you your buyer, they can cause you to receive better offers as well.
DESCRIPTION: We've all read the buzz words "cozy" "nestled" "charming", etc. Though those can be strong adjectives when overused they become costly mush. Again, with the I want it now mentality that exists today, buyers are looking for the description to further detail what they've seen in your photos while offering them important information ie: A+ school district….close to highways, shopping and entertainment….walk to the beach…etc. Keep your sentences brief and to the point while still enhancing your photos…..they can see the wood floors but are they hardwood or wood laminate? are the countertops granite or quartz (a hot item these days)….new roof, furnace, a/c…etc.
Clearly both your photos and description add value to your marketing campaign. Take the time to do both well providing your buyers with a great online experience. Before you know it they will be knocking at your door, walking through your home and hopefully choosing to make it their own!
It is not uncommon when selling your home to want some guarantees that you're not wasting your time showing your home to or being tied into a deal with a buyer who ultimately cannot afford your home. There is nothing wrong with noting in your advertising and letting buyer's agents know that you will only show your home to pre-qualified or pre-approved buyers. Also, if you're a buyer, you have a lot more negotiating power if you present your offer as a qualified buyer. BUT it's important in both roles to understand the difference between pre-qualified and pre-approved.
Pre-qualified: Based on what you report for income, assets, liabilities and credit rating, it appears that you can afford a specific price range home.
Pre-approved: Based on verified data regarding income, assets, liabilities and credit rating you have been approved for a mortgage by a lender.
IS IT WORTH DOING AS A BUYER OR REQUIRING OF BUYERS AS A SELLER?
Absolutely! Being a pre-qualified or pre-approved buyer allows you to take advantage of the best rate for your needs, enables you to know your spending budget, and makes you much more desirable to the seller. If you want the best deal, become the seller's best buyer!
OBTAIN THE BEST RATE Just like the internet has made it possible to research available properties for sale, it also allows buyers to explore rates, benefits and offerings of multiple lending companies allowing you or your buyer to obtain the best possible rate based on their qualifications.
WHAT CAN YOU (YOUR BUYER) REALLY AFFORD?
Taking the time to get pre-qualified or better, pre-approved allows you to realize what you truly can spend so you won't waste time viewing/bidding on properties you wouldn't be able to get a mortgage for. It's just like the old saying; "don't try on a wedding dress you can't afford because surely it is the one you'll fall in love with". You can be pretty assured that when you look at homes above your true price point, you will find yourself with the feeling of settling for something less than your dream home instead of being excited about your new home owning adventure.
This really is a common sense factor of home selling or buying. If you're a buyer, put yourself in the seller's shoes. Would you tie up your home with someone who isn't willing to prove they can qualify for a mortgage? Doubtful! If you're the seller, it certainly makes sense to choose a buyer who provides proof that there is no risk that they won't get a mortgage and complete the transaction. Bringing strength to your negotiations allows you to reap the greatest result!