10 Steps to Getting Top Dollar for Your Home

When you decide to sell your home you should immediately begin referring to it as a house. You’ve become emotionally attached to this place and it’s now time to say goodbye. Start detaching yourself by making some changes that will help you with the sale of the house.

You probably have accumulated a lot of clutter over the years. This must be the first step.

1.  Unclutter your home. Start in the basement and either throw things out or rent a locker off premises to store it until you move but prospective buyers need to see what the house looks like behind all your stuff. This means going room to room and clearing everything out that makes it look junkie and disorganized.

2.  Neutralize the personal nature of your home. You may love the native tapestry on the living room wall from Bora Bora but I’ll guarantee 95% of   your prospects will have it on their mind when they leave your home and not in a good way. Knick knacks and generally all things that you’ve previously enjoyed should be stored away until after the sale, that includes grandma’s spoon collection that takes up half a wall in the kitchen. Replace these things with neutral items like picture frames or vase with a simple arrangement.

3.  Minor cosmetic work. Once you remove the clutter you will see all the things that you’ve been meaning to get to over the years. Painting where necessary, new carpet/s, moldings repaired, cracked plaster and re-taping/ repairing drywall. When making these improvements think neutral colors for any coverings be it paint or carpets. If you have hardwood floors sand them and finish them. Area rugs can look amazing. Whatever you do, don’t over do it. Try and think like a buyer.

4. Hire a professional cleaner. Once you have the house cleared you should hire a professional cleaning crew to wash the walls, windows, work over the kitchen and bathrooms, clean the floors and shampoo all carpets that don’t need to be replaced. Your house should be spotless and kept this way for the duration.

5.  Staging each room. If your rooms are smaller rearrange the furniture to make the room look bigger. For example removing some furniture is better than having too much cramped in. Set your furniture up in conversation pit style. Like a gourmet coffee house, make it cozy. Pull couches away from walls to give the appearance of depth. Remove wall clutter, one or two pictures but no more. Generally make it look inviting.

6.  Kitchen and bathrooms. These are the most important rooms in your home to a buyer. Make sure they are impeccable. Plumbing fixtures should be working properly and look like new or they should be replaced. Use a good cleaner or even a metal polish to make them gleam. Showers and tubs need to be spotless! Sinks and vanities need to be pristine and uncluttered. Kitchen cupboards should be orderly, doors opening and closing properly, drawers the same. I can’t stress enough how important these two rooms are to your potential outcome.

7.  Doors and windows. First thing prospects see when they walk in your home is a door. Make sure its painted or cleaned up and that it will open and close properly. This goes for screen doors as well. Often screen doors are a problem people let go. Not anymore. Windows should all be cleaned and be sure if someone wants to open them that they work properly. If they have been painted closed as is the case with some older homes, now is the time to get them to open. Do whatever it takes.

8.  Garages and workshops. These are the second most important areas. Again remove all clutter from the garage and make it accessible so you can actually park your car in it! As for the workshop, try and organize it so the handy person prospect will appreciate what they can do with their “new shop” when they move in. It’s all about your prospect picturing themselves in your house.

9.  Family effort. Everyone in your family needs to be on board with the presentation of the house. This means your kids need to buy into the project and keep their rooms tidy. Bribe them if you need to but everyone has to help maintain the appearance of the entire house.

10.  Odors and pets. Wow, is this ever important. If you have pets only you really love them. When you walk into a house with dogs or cats you immediately smell them, especially if you don’t have your own. Keep litter boxes fresh and clean daily. Restrict your animals if at all possible to certain areas of the home until after the sale. Vinegar and water will do wonders when you clean their areas every other day until the sale is complete, and top it off with effective air fresheners wherever you need them. Vacuum often with carpet fresh powders two or 3 times a week.

This sounds like quite a bit of work and it is. Try and remember that by following these tips you could easily add five to ten thousand dollars to the sale price of your home, maybe more. A little elbow grease now will be a solid investment.

The Author is the President/CEO of www.realestatemate.com , www.homeheap.com  and www.agentsmate.com . He has over 26 years experience in the real estate industry.

©Copyright 2006, Used by Permission, All Rights Reserved

Buying a home with a lease option program

Buying a home with a lease option program

Have you dreamed of owning your own home, but just don’t know how you can manage it? You might have bad credit, little money for a down payment or no credit history at all. Even so, homeownership is within your grasp by using a lease option program. 

What is lease option?

Lease option is when you enter an agreement with a landlord that states in the future you have the option to buy that house. You agree on a price when you begin the lease, and if you opt to purchase the house, then you get a mortgage and end renting. If you opt to not buy the house, you move on or continue to rent. 

Why is lease option popular?

Lease option will get you into your house fast! You sign a lease like the one you would any other apartment, stating what the rent is, how many pets you can have, etc. With a lease option, you also sign an agreement that says you have a right to buy the home and for what price. The agreement will also state the terms such as how long you have to decide on buying and what the expenses will be for both you and the seller. 
The pros of lease option programs

•    You can get in to a house immediately. Sign the lease agreements, move in and then work on getting your mortgage.

•    Work on repairing or building credit while you rent your home. Pay off some bills or establish credit in order to get a better rate on a mortgage.

•    You can put equity into the house before you even buy it! Even though you are renting, you know the house will belong to you. You can finish off the basement, paint the walls, add landscaping or whatever else you choose. It’s going to be your house!

•    Save some money. While you are renting, you can set aside money for a down payment for when you do apply for a mortgage. The larger the down payment you have, the less the mortgage amount will be, saving you even more money in the long term.

•    Investigate the market while you rent. If you are in a seller’s market, you can see if the prices go up or down while you are renting. If they go down, you can opt to not purchase and find another house that may be less. If prices go up, you don’t have to worry because you are locked in at an already determined price.

•    Know you have options. If while you are renting and a job transfer comes up, know you aren’t obligated to buy the house. You can end your lease, move to another city, and begin another lease option program that can benefit you where you will be living.

Lease option is becoming more popular every year and more people are turning to it because they wouldn’t be able to get into a house as quickly otherwise. Some people who use lease option didn’t even know they could own a home so quickly. Lease option may be a solution for you!