Collected articles on
Buying & Selling
Browse these selected articles to gain further insight on the home buying and selling process
All articles are pulled from ixact Crm
5 Ways to Add Fun to the Selling Process
…do you dwell on the possible work and stress involved? You’re not alone. Many homeowners share the same concerns.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
In fact, there are plenty of ways to add some fun, anticipation, and even a sense of adventure to the selling process. Here are just a few ideas:
- 1. Plan fun things to do when your home is being shown. That can include walks, sports activities, or trying something you and your family have never done before.
- 2. Declutter for your own benefit. Instead of thinking about decluttering as a chore required for the sale, focus instead on how much more comfortable your home will be after decluttering. Studies consistently show that less clutter reduces stress and increases a sense of well-being.
- 3. Get everyone in your home anticipating the move in a positive way. Put pictures of your next home, including neighborhood shots, on the fridge door. Sit together on the computer and explore your new neighborhood’s features and amenities.
- 4. Celebrate milestones in the selling process. For example, when you’re finished preparing your property for sale, go out to celebrate. Make a checklist of milestones and how you’ll celebrate each one.
- 5. Get the help you need. A big part of the stress of selling is the anticipated work involved. Remember, you don’t have to do it all yourself. Much of what needs to be done can be handled by contractors and other professionals.
- There are many other ways to make selling your home a positive and turbulent-free experience.
How to Determine the Best Features of Your Home
Answering those questions will help you determine which features to emphasize when selling your home. After all, you want buyers to notice and appreciate your property’s best attributes.
But here’s the challenge…
It can be difficult for homeowners to determine which features of their home are particularly desirable to buyers. After all, you live there! So, there might be a fantastic characteristic of your property that you’ve become so used to, that you don’t even realize its value.
One way to gain perspective is to ask friends, “What is it about our property that you like most? What stands out to you?” Ask them to be candid. Often, they’ll reveal characteristics about your home that may surprise you. You’ll definitely gain insights that will help you when listing.
Another technique is to compare your property to others in the neighborhood. Buyers often target neighborhoods, so realizing how your home stands out can be helpful when marketing it. For example, your property might have a larger backyard than most others on the street, or it might have a lot of recent upgrades.
Questions to Ask When You're Selling Your Home
In fact, asking the right questions is key to selling your home successfully and for the best price.
Here are some of the most important questions to ask:
- * How much is our house likely to sell for on today’s market? What should the listing price be? What are the selling costs?
- * How long will it take to sell? What happens if our house takes longer than expected to sell?
- * How do we prepare our house for the sale? Will we need to make any major improvements? Will we need to hire a contractor?
- * What’s ‘home staging’? Will we need to hire a professional stager? Can we do some of that staging work ourselves?
- * What happens when we get an offer? What if the offer price is lower than we can accept? How does the negotiation process work?
- * What happens after an offer is accepted? What happens on closing day?
- * How do we find a new home while selling our current one?
- * Besides a good real estate agent, what other professionals do we need? How do we find them?
- * What can we do to make the selling process easier and less stressful?
Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll find you’ll be able to go into the selling process with a lot more confidence.
So, if you’re thinking of selling this year, get the answers you need. Then, get the process started!
The Importance of Depersonalizing Your Home
They want to imagine cooking in the kitchen, relaxing in the living room, and enjoying get-togethers with family and friends.
However, when they see a baseball trophy on the mantle with your name on it, that visualization crumbles. That’s why it’s smart to depersonalize your home as much as possible when selling.
You don’t have to go too far. Simply do what you can to remove items that scream “We live here!” Consider stowing items such as:
- – Trophies, diplomas, certificates and anything else with a name prominently displayed on it.
- – Personal and family pictures.
- – Mementos, knickknacks and other items of a personal nature.
- – Notes, pictures, etc. on a fridge door or bulletin board.
Depersonalizing is a proven staging strategy that can help sell your home faster and for a better price. Depending on the number of personal items you have, you may be able to display them between viewings.
Getting Your Home Hunting Ducks in a Row
Your goal is to find the ideal property, in a neighborhood that is just right for you, within a price range that you can afford.
What do you need — at minimum — to get started?
If you’re looking for ways to get your ducks in a row, here are some things to prepare:
- A property wish list. What does your ideal home look like? How many bedrooms does it need to have? Do you require a spacious recreational room? A large deck? A pool? A nice view? Get your wish list down on paper.
- A neighborhood wish list. Where you live is just as important as what you live in. What qualities are you looking for in a neighborhood? A nearby park? Walking distance to a good school? Hiking trails? A shorter drive to work? Write it down.
- A pre-approved mortgage. Getting the financing handled up front takes the guesswork out of what you can afford. Home sellers will also take any offers you make more seriously.
- Realistic expectations. 99.9% of homes sell at or near the current market value. So, don’t expect to find a bargain that no one else has noticed.
Is There a Best Season to Sell?
Hockey in the 
winter. Vacations in the summer. Gardening in the spring. Even retirement reportedly occurs more often in the fall than any other time of year.
To some extent, even real estate seemsto have a season. The spring is traditionally an active time for home sales. But, does that mean you should wait until spring to list your home?
Here’s the reality…
Properties sell all year round. There are buyers actively looking for homes at all times of the year. In fact, there are bound to be buyers that would be interested in your home if you were to list it this month. While it’s true that the market may fluctuate throughout the year, with some months featuring higher or lower prices than others, those variations are nearly impossible to predict. So, it doesn’t make much sense to wait for the “perfect” month to sell, because thatperfect month is just as likely to be this month!
Here’s something else to think about…
If you try to sell your home during a month when prices are up a little, you may need to buy another home in that same market. So, you’re really not gaining. The same holds true if you sell during a month when prices have softened.
So, if you’re considering selling your home, don’t be concerned about picking the right month or season to list. Focus your efforts, instead, on selling your home for the best price and finding and moving into your next dream home. You can make that happen in any season.
Pulling Together to Records You Need for Selling
You venture to the basement, check out the furnace room, and notice the water heater. Is it owned or rented? As a potential buyer, you’d want to know.
Now imagine a property you’re viewing has a brand-new gas fireplace. Nice! Is it under warranty? Is that warranty transferrable to you if you buy the home? Again, you’d want to know.
So, when you’re selling, it’s important to pull together all the necessary records you will need in order to answer these types of buyer questions. After all, if a particular warranty transfers to the new owner, that’s a selling point.
Take the time to find receipts, warranty certificates, and other documents related to:
- – Renovations (e.g., a bathroom makeover)
- – Major repairs or replacements (e.g., new air conditioner)
- – Service prepayments (e.g., lawncare)
- – Purchases of major appliances and other items
Keep in mind that you may have purchased extended warranties or maintenance agreements at the time of purchase. Those may transfer to the new owner.
Also note that some guarantees or service agreements transfer automatically while others require the new owner to initiate that transfer.
These documents could potentially add a few more benefits to buying your home. So, it’s worth the time it takes to dig them out!
The Role of Personal Goals When Deciding to Sell
For example, some might be required to move due to a work relocation and others may realize that their household has changed and they are ready to downsize or upsize.
But, personal goals play an important role too.
In fact, when deciding whether or not to sell your property and find your next dream home, it’s essential to consider personal goals—your own and those of other family members too.
After all, where you live, and the type of home you live in, can greatly impact your goals and dreams.
For example, if you’re active in a particular sport or other hobby (such as hiking), being able to enjoy that activity locally might be an objective. If your goal is to live in a certain type of setting—urban, country, wooded, etc.—then that will definitely impact your decision to sell and move. But, even if your dream is seemingly unrelated to real estate, such as learning how to cook fine cuisine, moving might get you closer to classes or into that dream chef’s kitchen.
A helpful exercise is to make a list of your personal goals. Then, next to each one, note how moving might help you achieve that dream. When you do this exercise, ask yourself if you would be more likely to reach an important goal if you took the leap and moved. You might discover that making a move will bring you closer to your dreams than you initially thought.
So, don’t wait for practical reasons to sell. Personal goals are just as important a factor, if not more so. Consider them when you’re deciding whether or not to move.