Home Sellers Guide to Miami Real Estate

Home Sellers Guide how to make a home appealing to buyers. Advice for home sellers and guide for home marketing. Sell your home faster and for more money $$$$$$$.

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This home sellers guide was put together to help sellers make logical decisions on moving or selling. We as people get accustomed to our environment and what we see is not necessarily what someone else sees. After all, our home is our castle. Sometimes we need to step back or get a second opinion or another set of eyes as to what it looks like to someone else. Home sellers should not be offended, it is better to get it done now rather than later and get disappointed and not sell your home or not get its true market value. This is why we put this Home Sellers Guide together. We hope that it helps you and if you need a second opinion we are here to help.

Pretend You Are The Buyer

1. Put on you buyers hat and go through your home. Start outside and then inside and make notes as you walk through. Be critical and honest with yourself as if you are buying your house. Some sellers often ask home inspectors to do a home inspection before listing it. Home inspectors do not charge a lot of money but will be able to give you a good idea of areas that could turn off potential buyers. Spending few hundred dollars on home inspector now will save you thousands of dollars and delays in negotiations on the price.

First Impressions Sell

2. Go through the house, and organize and clean. Remove all clutter, box and pack all items that are not being used, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment. You may want to consider some help with staging. You have a tough choice, store items off-site or in boxes neatly stacked in garage or basement. Clean the windows inside and out, vacuum and shampoo carpets, paint or wipe down walls, lighting fixtures, and baseboards to make the house shine.

3. Get estimates for some of the items that home inspector pointed out to you. Do you have big-ticket items that are worn out or will need replacement soon, such as roof or carpeting? Get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them, even if you don’t plan to do it yourself. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home, and will be handy when negotiations begin.

Document Your Repairs

4. Go through and make a list of items that were repaired or replaced during your ownership, you will need them for sellers disclosure. Gather all the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house, buyers will be asking you questions and it is better to know. Consider buying a home warranty, it makes buyers more secure as to the condition of the property.

Curb Appeal is Everything

5. The exterior is the first thing buyers see when they drive by or come to see the house. Make sure that that the lawn and shrubs are cut and trimmed. There is no trash or debris that got blown in by the wind. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Is the address clearly visible? Are pretty flowers or plants framing the entrance? Is the walkway free from cracks and impediments? Are all the lights working and turned on if it is dusk? A bit of help from a local handyman could go a long way.

If you are planning to hire a Realtor do so. Realtors are great at giving advice and know what to look for and have access to home inspectors that they have worked with and trust to give an honest opinion about the condition. They can also help you stage the property or know of someone that can help you declutter and make your property look more presentable. Give us a call or email us we would love to help you. Call Us Direct at 786-505-4786 

* This Home Sellers Guide is for reference use only as an example, it is not intended to be used as a rule of thumb or legal advice just to help guide and help potential home sellers with the process.

Simple Tips for Better Home Showings

Some of the things we talk about may seem like common sense, however, they are very important and should not be overlooked. Ask a friend or the next door neighbor that is visiting you to go through the house, and tell you what they see. Don’t get offensive, just listen and take notes and then just do it. The better your home shows the faster you will sell it and sooner you will be enjoying your new place.

Make your Home Feel Larger

1. Remove clutter from counters and every room and closets. Get rid of all those stacks of newspapers and magazines you have been saving, and put away most of your small decorative items. Remove excess furniture and either store it offsite or sell it if you do not intend to take it with you, pack up remove out-of-season clothing items that are cramping closet space. Don’t forget to clean out the garage, too.

2. Wash your windows and replace ripped or damaged screens. This will help get more light into the interior of the home.

3. Everything must be extra clean. We know that you are living in a house, but you never know when that next showing appointment may be. A clean house makes a strong first impression and sends a message to potential buyers that the home has been well-cared for. Clean light switch plates, mop, vacuum and wax floors, and clean the stove and refrigerator. Polish your doorknobs and address numbers. It’s worth hiring a cleaning service if you can afford it.

How Clean is Clean

4. Get rid of smells. Pet and cooking smells tend to stay in the house for some time. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smell. If it is not cold outside open the window let some air in. Potpourri or scented candles may help, but there is nothing like cleaning things first.

5. Bright rooms make them feel larger more spacious. Install higher wattage bulbs if allowed in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Any burned out bulbs must be replaced. Wipe down the walls, or better yet, freshen up with a fresh coat of neutral color paint.

6. Don’t overlook minor repairs. These minor problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house is neglected.

First Impressions do Matter

7. First impressions tend to make or break the deals. Tidy your yard. Trim the grass, rake the leaves, add new mulch, trim the

bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters. For added curb appeal, place a pot of bright flowers near the entryway.

8. Don’t forget driveways are a large part of the house. Patch holes. Repair any holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9. There is nothing like some color to add some life to the room. Add a touch of color to the living room. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room. Buy new accent pillows for the sofa.

10. Some flowering plant put near a window will give character to the room you pass by frequently.

11. Centerpieces for your tables and these do not need to be large or expansive. Use brightly colored fruit or flowers. If you already have one make sure that they are clean and look great.

We hope that you found some of these tips helpful and your home is on its way to getting sold. If you need help with any of the items we talked about or you have some questions that you need help with that we did not cover even if they seem silly we are here to help. You may reach us direct at 786-505-4786 

* This home sellers guide is for reference use only as an example, it is not intended to be used as a rule of thumb or legal advice just to help guide and help potential sellers with a process.

Should You Be Making a Move?

Should you be moving up or downsizing is a personal question that only you as a home seller and a potential buyer can answer. However, we put together a short list of questions for you in this Home Sellers Guide to hopefully guide you and help you make that tough decision. Whether you’re ready for a larger home or a more desirable location or maybe your kids are no longer living with you and you need to downsize. If you answer yes to most of these questions, it may be a sign that you are ready to move.

Is Moving the Right Decision

1. The length of time that you have owned the property and real estate market conditions have a lot to do with how much equity you have built up in your home. Take a look at your mortgage statement or ask the lender to find out your mortgage payoff. During the first few years of owning your home, most of the payment that you make is for the interest. You don’t build much equity in the first five years or so of your mortgage since monthly payments are mostly the interest, but if you’ve owned your home for five or more years and market conditions where right, you may have significant unrealized gains.

2. What is your financial situation? Has your income or financial situation improved? If you’re making more money, you may be able to afford higher mortgage payments and cover the costs of moving. Maybe your financial situation has not changed but your home is just too big for you. Selling it and getting something smaller maybe a good option, or something close to transportation or in the city.

Reasons for Making a Move

3. Have you outgrown your neighborhood? The neighborhood you pick for your first home might not be the same neighborhood you want to settle down in for good. For example, you may have realized that you’d like to be closer to your job or live in a better school district. You may want to move back in the city where you can walk to stores and local restaurants.

4. Are there reasons why you can’t remodel or add on? Sometimes you can create a bigger home by adding a new room or building up. But if your property isn’t large enough, your municipality doesn’t allow it, or you’re simply not interested in remodeling, then moving to a bigger home may be your best option.

5. What is the current real estate market condition? Do you feel comfortable moving into the current housing market? If the market is hot, your home may sell rather quickly and fetch top dollar, however, the home you buy will also be more expensive. If your market is slow, finding a buyer may take longer, but you’ll have more selection and better pricing as you seek your new home.

6. What are the interest rates and are they attractive? A low rate not only helps you buy a larger home but also makes it easier to find a buyer since their payments will also be attractive.

We hope this Home Sellers Guide will help you make a decision, it is also advisable to get a Realtor and start work with them and get some answers to questions you may not know. Things like selling price of your home and purchase price of a home you are considering of buying as well as interest rates can be easily answered by your friendly neighborhood Realtor. If we can be of assistance please call or email us. Call US direct 786-505-4786 

* This home Sellers guide is for reference use only as an example, it is not intended to be used as a rule of thumb or legal advice just to help guide and help potential sellers with the process.