How do I sell my home?

So many people are thinking about putting their homes on the market but aren’t sure what it will take to get that accomplished. The perception is there is so much on the market that this isn’t the time to sell. However, so much depends on your ultimate goal and on your individual situation. For instance, if you purchased your home twenty years ago, and your home is in good condition, without inherent problems, you might still realize some profit and, if priced right, could sell in a reasonable amount of time. Or, if your goal is just to get it sold and move on, get your home looking fabulous, price it right, and you might be packing sooner than expected. Right now, in any given price range, there are only a handful of homes a good realtor is going to show their buyers. None of us want to waste our client’s time so we will select only those homes that clearly meet their needs, represent value, and quality.

Here are some, hopefully helpful, hints to make it easier. Many will seem overly simplistic, but each is an important factor in getting a property in “show to sell” condition. This is true for homes in every price range:

• Start by taking a walk from your driveway to your front door. ? The old adage that you only have one chance to make your first impression holds very true for showing houses What do you see? Are there things that need to be put away? Is the doormat fraying and falling apart? Is the paint chipped here and there. What does the walk from the car to the front door say about the condition of your home? Look at it with Buyers’ eyes and you may be really surprised.
• Put away absolutely as much of your personal belongings as humanly possible. This includes personal photographs, knick-knacks, and as much of your “stuff” as you can live without. Take away everything you think should go and then take away more. Whatever you collect, teacups, old time dolls, antique toys, etc. will be a distraction, not a selling point. You will be taking those things with you.
• Clean everything.
• Paint everywhere that looks dirty or dingy. Paint is the cheapest way to upgrade a home. Fresh and clean goes so much further than anyone can imagine.
• Make your home as light and bright as possible. If your trees are blocking light, even if you like them full, get them trimmed. If you have a dark room that doesn’t bother you, rest assured it will bother your potential buyers. Make sure all your bulbs are in working order and if you have a dark area, consider purchasing a torchere style lamp. Even one of this type of lamp can light up an entire room. 99 out of 100 buyers want lots of light.
• Buy new doormats. Buyers will be going in and out of your home and won’t want to leave outdoor residue on your floors.

One other suggestion….carefully consider what you want to take with you before going on the market. Furniture and furnishings are killing deals all over town. If you have things you love that are attached to the walls, such as a favorite chandelier or Aunt Ida’s mirror, replace them with ones that don’t matter to you before showing it to buyers. Inevitably, those will be the critical items someone must have if they are buying the house. It can literally kill your deal.

Often people overlook what isn’t serving a purpose or whose purpose has passed….i.e. empty pots or pots with dead/dying plants. They don’t see what needs replacing….i.e. teak patio furniture which needs oiling and pads that have seen too many seasons. Replace it, pack it up and store it or give it away. All of this holds true for the smallest condo as well as the largest estate.

Montecito is a very small town and there is currently a solid, albeit not thriving, market. Buyers are for real, they want to buy…what’s missing is any sense of urgency. But when they see what they want, they are ready to purchase it. The clients looking now understand the combination of depressed prices and historically low interest rates will not last. Have your home looking its best, price it right, and you could be a buyer rather than a seller sooner than you think.