Tips for a Successful Open House

November 13, 2013 by Dargan

You’ve set a date for an open house, and you want to be sure the right people show up. You have the basics down: declutter and ensure the home is clean and well-maintained, but what else? Don’t worry; these insider tips should do just the trick.

Consider hosting an early showing of your home for locals only. If you’re planning an open house between the hours of 1 and 4 pm, invite your neighbors to stop by between noon and 1 pm. The invite will make neighbors feel appreciated and needed, but it will also allow your agent to focus on serious and interested buyers during the actual hours of the open house.

PROMOTE, PROMOTE, PROMOTE. Bring awareness to your open house by uploading tons of photos, passing out flyers, and advertising in the local newspaper. Make sure your property is listed on the MLS and be sure to advertise the open house on websites like Trulia.com and Zillow.com. An added bonus: post an “Open House” sign in the yard a week before the event to let potential buyers that drive by the home know when they should come back.

Be absent. If you’ve hired an agent, there’s no real reason for you to attend the open house. Buyers need to be able to picture themselves in your home, as well as feel they can speak their mind freely, and it might be hard to do that if you’re there.

Secure your home and belongings. It’s okay to set some ground rules when you’re opening up your home to strangers. Require a signature and proof of ID (if you skip it, you run the risk of getting fake names and numbers) from every person who stops by the open house. Bathrooms are off limits–you never want a closed door between a stranger and your home. Dispose of any prescriptions you are no longer taking and/or take them with you, lock up and hide away all valuables, and ensure all guests have a chaperone at all times.

Consider choosing an “off” hour. Most open houses take place on Saturday or Sunday afternoon between the hours of 1 and 4 pm. Host your open house between 3 and 5 pm instead. An “off” hour ensures less open house competition and draws more attention to your property. An added perk: most buyers hit up several open houses in one day. At the beginning of the day, buyers are excited about the properties they are planning to see and fly through them because they’re eager to see what’s next. By knowing your property is the last open house of the day, the buyer can take their time viewing the property–and if they’re still looking–give you serious consideration.

Selling your home? 7 Things You Shouldn’t Do

August 26, 2013 by Dargan

1. Don’t set an unrealistic asking price.

You’re aware of the price you originally paid for your house and the amount of money you’ve spent updating it. But those amounts may not be what your home is worth today. Your home is only worth the amount of money you can get for it. Your realtor is aware of the price similar homes in your area are selling for today. Pricing it too high will discourage buyers and will likely result in the property sitting on the market for months.

2. Don’t forget to market your property.

The only way to be sure you’ll get the highest possible price for your home is to utilize every marketing tool available to you. This means advertising the home on the internet with quality photographs, hosting open houses, and mailing out post cards to potential buyers. Don’t expect sticking a “For Sale” sign in the front yard is enough to bring in buyers.

3. Don’t skimp on photos.

Listing photographs give buyers their first impression of a home. Don’t skimp on them; the more pictures, the better. Just be sure to clean and clear out clutter before the photographs are taken. Buyers may not even consider viewing your home if they don’t like what they see in your photos.

4. Don’t neglect to fix things that are broken or attempt to hide them from buyers.

When buyers walk through your home and see several things that need to be repaired, they’ll question how well you’ve maintained the property over the years and wonder about any problems they can’t see. A home inspection will bring any problems to light so it’s best to be upfront about them or repair the issues before you list the property.

5. Don’t get emotionally involved.

You’ve probably spent many years creating a home exactly the way you want it. The perfect home you’ve created is probably not the same as someone else’s perfect home. Don’t take it personally if the buyer wants to change certain things about it before they agree to a purchase. First and foremost, think of the selling process as a business transaction. By thinking about it from a financial standpoint, it’s easier to distance yourself from the emotional aspect of it.

6. Don’t neglect to properly prepare your home before you list it.

You want to put your best home forward during the selling process. It’s imperative to adequately prep your home before listing it or you’re just throwing money down the drain. Clean the dingy rugs, get rid of the pesky odors, and clean out all the clutter to make a lasting impression on buyers and keep the sale price where it should be.

7. Don’t get offended by a low offer.

If a buyer makes an offer on your home that’s way below the asking price, don’t take it personally. Don’t get so offended that you walk away from the offer altogether. Now’s your chance to negotiate. Buyers are trying to purchase a home at the lowest price possible. You can’t blame them for trying. Make a counter offer. Buyers usually come back with an offer that’s more indicative of the price they’re willing to pay.

Contact Dargan Real Estate for more advice about selling your home.

843-712-2585

Attributes Buyers Love (& Sellers Fail to Mention)

August 15, 2013 by Dargan

Trulia posted an article about a few things you should consider as you market your property, and we wanted to share a few of them with you.

Sellers sometimes fail to mention certain property features that could potentially sway a buyer to make an offer. These features aren’t deal breakers, but they are things that could have motivated other buyers to view your property had they been advertised.

It’s easy to describe a property with expensive upgrades and beautiful views or a jaw-dropping estate in the most reputable neighborhood in town. BUT–if you own a “normal” home and have lived there for many years, it’s easy to take its charm for granted. Those charming features you may have forgotten are the same ones that someone else might be actively searching for. You need to let them know you have them!

The five features listed below are just a few examples. Try to think of some others!

#1 – STORAGE SPACE

You might think your home doesn’t have nearly enough storage space but that could be because you’ve outgrown it. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a first-time homebuyer. They are probably comparing your storage space to the one-bedroom apartment they’ve lived in for the past three years. Your home might be their storage heaven!

#2 – NEARBY AMENITIES/ATTRACTIONS

You might also think every potential buyer is searching for area-specific properties online and that it’s not necessary to mention nearby amenities or attractions. That’s not always the case. If a homebuyer is relocating from another city, they may not be familiar with the area at all. They might only be looking at homes in the area that fall between a certain price range. By mentioning that your property is within close proximity to an attractive shopping plaza or reputable school, your home could easily move to the top of their list.

#3 – EASY ACCESS/SENIOR FRIENDLY

Older homebuyers might seek to purchase a home they will live in for the rest of their lives. They might not look for properties with numerous disability features but are likely to look for ones with fewer stairs, lower levels, and low maintenance. It’s especially wise to mention these property features if you live in an area where they are scarce. Also–if you’re selling a home that can function as a multi-family home or features an “in-law” unit or second master suite, it would be smart to mention that as well. Children tend to move their parents in with them as they get older; these types of features are rare and should be advertised as such.

#4 – GREEN/ENERGY EFFICIENCIES

All homebuyers should like to hear that a property has energy-efficient features even if they aren’t specifically looking for a “green” home. Energy-efficient almost always means budget friendly. If you have new insulation, a tankless or Energy Star®-rated water heater, or solar panels, make sure to mention that.

#5 – HYPOALLERGENIC & CHEMICAL-FREE MAINTENANCE

A property with a hypoallergenic HVAC system or a property that has been maintained with only natural and chemical-free cleaning products over the past few years is worth marketing. Homebuyers who suffer from terrible allergies and/or sinus problems will likely move your property to the top of their list.

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Those are just a few things to consider when you go over your property with your listing agent. Again, try to think outside of the box. If your property doesn’t have any of the features mentioned, that’s okay too. Try to think about those you do have that might only appeal to a specific group of people, and mention them to your agent so he/she can add them to your already attractive list of features that appeal to everyone.