Think Like a Buyer

07.20.16 by

Think Like a Buyer

for-sale

If you are planning to sell your Martin County home anytime in the near future, then you no doubt feel that your residence will make an exemplary addition to today’s flourishing real estate market. And while you are probably absolutely right in this assertion, you may want to take a moment and look at your home from the prospective of a potential buyer.

As someone who is bound to view and inspect a vast number of homes before they make a final buying decision, a buyer is going to view your home through a very special lens, and from a most unique prospective. As such, you must be willing to surrender your personal and highly sentimental view of your house (one that you hold with good reason, as your residence is beautiful), and investigate your home from the prospective of someone who might consider making it their own.

1. Does your home look buyable? Your home no doubt holds a great deal of sentimental appeal for you. Yet if you were seeing the house for the first time, would you consider it clean and attractive?

2. Is your home competitive with other homes available in your area’s current real estate market? Remember that today’s buyers have a rich selection of homes from which to choose; so it might benefit you to peruse current real estate listings advertised online, in the newspaper and in MLS books and real estate magazines. See how your house stacks up in terms of benefits and amenities offered, along with its asking price.

3. Is your home located in a desirable location? It always helps if your home is located in a community that comes complete with rich and varied occupational, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. The crime rates, tax rates, environmental landscape, and governmental structure of your community also might play roles in a person’s eventual decision to buy or not to buy your home. The better your community, the better your prospects of selling a home located in this community.

4. Is your home one that you would buy yourself? If you were visiting your home for the first time, would you consider buying it? It might sound like a silly question, but it is one you must ask when putting your residence up for sale—and answer to the very best of your ability, to get the optimum price for your beautiful home. Happy selling!

If you’d like some help in pricing your home, just fill out this form and we will get an approximate price to get you started.  Though, this is still no substitute for a full CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).

How to Sell Your Florida Home Quickly

11.08.11 by

How to Sell Your Florida Home Quickly

If you want to sell your Florida home and move on to a new one quickly, here’s how to get your goal accomplished:

First, make the outside of your home attractive. Drive-by prospects are more likely to be interested in winter if the lawn is cut and there are no toys or miscellaneous objects in the yard. Flowers near the entry are a plus. If one or more rooms are a loud or unusual color, repaint them in beige or a more neutral color.  Remove wallpaper. Stage the inside of the home. Buyers decide whether they are interested in a home within 30 seconds after opening the front door. Rent a storage building and put your extra furniture into it. Make the home look more spacious by removing ALL unnecessary furnishings and personal items. Send the extras to storage or to a charitable organization. Organize closets and drawers. Prospects will open them and look inside.Depersonalize the house. Leave no personal objects in view on bathroom counters. Remove family photos from bookshelves and walls so prospects can visualize themselves in the home.

Make sure that your realtor takes quality photos, or have them hire a photographer to take photos of the interior, exterior and special features. Quality photos get the buyers’ interest and will result in them coming to look at your home.

Have a For Sale sign in the yard. Many homes are sold to friends and family of people driving in the neighborhood and noticing an attractive home for sale.

Price the home correctly. You might think it’s worth $250,000, but if comparable homes are selling for $175,000, buyers will go elsewhere. Your Realtor will help you set a competitive price.

Have a flyer copied for distribution to interested parties. It should tell the home’s square footage, have an exterior photo, one or more interior photos, a listing of the home’s special features, the locations of parks and schools, and information about property taxes and utility costs.

When a showing is scheduled, first make sure the house is clean. Some home stagers say the home should appeal to all five senses:

Sight: Open the blinds and drapes to let in natural light. Keep your pet out of the home.

Smell: Put out flowers and candles in the main rooms and a colorful bowl of fruit on the dining table.

Taste: A hot pot of coffee helps with taste and aroma.

Hearing. Turn off the sound on all television sets and computers. Have background music playing softly.

Touch. Ask your agent to have the guests sit on the softest couch.

Space. Unless absolutely necessary, do not be present at showings.  Buyers are much more comfortable speaking among themselves and with their Realtor if they are not worried about offending the owner or the owner’s Realtor.

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
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