Buy and Selling Homes in a Shaky Market
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If you're a seller:
Stand out from the crowd. Easier said than done, I know, but what's going to make your home the shining star in the neighborhood is careful attention to detail. I'm not talking about a gut renovation, but fixer-uppers aren't really moving these days, and that's because buyers aren't looking to buy a project any more. "Make sure your home is freshly painted, the appliances are all in working order and everything, inside and outside, is spotlessly clean," Link says. Remember that the first impression is on the outside, so make sure the lawn is mowed, the exterior is painted and the flower beds are weeded and blooming. For more staging ideas, check out the videos on Glink's website, ExpertRealEstateTips.net.
Price it right. You may think your home is worth more than the one next door, but unless you have an extra bedroom or extensive renovations, buyers are unlikely to see the difference. Take a trip around the neighborhood, see what sellers with similar homes are asking and set your price accordingly. Sellers have a tendency to overprice homes because their emotions get in the way. But sentimental value doesn't translate to a potential buyer, and if you price your home too high, you might close the door on homebuyers before they ever have a chance to walk through it. A good real estate agent can help you settle on the right number.
Take matters into your own hands. It takes some extra effort to move a home these days, and that means using all the resources you have available. I'm talking about Twitter, Facebook and your blog, of course. "Do your own social networking and marketing. Twitter about how great it is to live in your neighborhood, put pictures of the home on your Facebook page, make a website with photos and a video about how great your house is," Glink says. Spread the word to your friends too, because as much as our lives are electronic these days, there's nothing like good, old-fashioned word of mouth.
Stand out from the crowd. Easier said than done, I know, but what's going to make your home the shining star in the neighborhood is careful attention to detail. I'm not talking about a gut renovation, but fixer-uppers aren't really moving these days, and that's because buyers aren't looking to buy a project any more. "Make sure your home is freshly painted, the appliances are all in working order and everything, inside and outside, is spotlessly clean," Link says. Remember that the first impression is on the outside, so make sure the lawn is mowed, the exterior is painted and the flower beds are weeded and blooming. For more staging ideas, check out the videos on Glink's website, ExpertRealEstateTips.net.
Price it right. You may think your home is worth more than the one next door, but unless you have an extra bedroom or extensive renovations, buyers are unlikely to see the difference. Take a trip around the neighborhood, see what sellers with similar homes are asking and set your price accordingly. Sellers have a tendency to overprice homes because their emotions get in the way. But sentimental value doesn't translate to a potential buyer, and if you price your home too high, you might close the door on homebuyers before they ever have a chance to walk through it. A good real estate agent can help you settle on the right number.
Take matters into your own hands. It takes some extra effort to move a home these days, and that means using all the resources you have available. I'm talking about Twitter, Facebook and your blog, of course. "Do your own social networking and marketing. Twitter about how great it is to live in your neighborhood, put pictures of the home on your Facebook page, make a website with photos and a video about how great your house is," Glink says. Spread the word to your friends too, because as much as our lives are electronic these days, there's nothing like good, old-fashioned word of mouth.
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