Myths #3 and #4 about selling your home

There are very few things a seller can control about their home other than price. Two of those are the condition of the home inside and out. These two myths discuss the condition of your home.

3. Myth: Once potential buyers see the inside of your home, curb appeal won't matter.

Truth:

The first decision buyers make, often before they think of price, is the area or neighborhood in which they want to live. You can't do anything about the neighborhood where your home is located, but you have a lot of control once potential buyers decide they like your specific neighborhood.

The truth is buyers probably won't make it to the inside of your home if the outside does not appeal to them. Many buyers drive by a home before deciding whether or not to look inside. Your home's exterior will have less than a minute to make a good first impression. I have heard buyers say,"If they don't care about the outside, they probably don't care about the inside." Ouch!

Spruce up the lawn, trim shrubs and trees, and weed the garden. Clear the walkways and driveways of leaves and other debris. Remove kid's toys, lawn mowers, put trash cans out of sight. Repair gutters and eaves, touch up the exterior paint and repair or resurface cracked driveways and sidewalks. Paint the front door, place potted flowers out front, hang a wreath on the door and put out a pleasing welcome mat for added curb appeal.

It may not be fair, but the outside packaging is the magnet that draws potential buyers inside to see your beautiful home.

4. Myth: Once potential buyers fall in love with the exterior look of your home, you put interior improvements on the back burner.

Truth:

Have you ever seen a movie trailer and thought, "That looks like a good movie, I believe I'll see it.", only to leave the movie later completely disappointed? A beautiful exterior promises a beautiful interior of equal quality. If buyers walk in the front door and are presented with an interior that doesn't live up to the expectations created by the exterior, they will be disappointed and sometimes offended. Buyers have no qualms about walking right out the front door within 60 seconds if the house doesn't compare to the quality of the exterior.

Unfortunately for sellers, it is suicide to forget either the exterior or the interior; both are important.

Good Luck on selling your home. Contact me if I can help.

http://www.BuyMiddleTennesseeRealEstate.com/

Myths about Selling your Home

Selling a house can be a bit like having a baby -- everyone gives you advice that may or may not be true for you. Here are ten myths uncovered:

1. Myth: You should always price your home high and gradually lower it if it doesn't sell.

Truth:

Somehow we think that selling a home is like selling a car; price it high so you have some "negotiation room". The truth is pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.

You may think by listing high you can always accept a lower offer, but if you do, you'll miss the buyers looking in the price range where your home should be. When potential buyers search the internet they search by price range; $350,000 to $375,000 for example. If your home should be in that price range, say $372,500 but you price it at $385,000 to give you some negotiation room, you will miss the very buyers you desire.

On the other hand, buyers looking for homes in the $375,000 $400,000 price range will see your home priced at $385,000 and compare it to homes that should be priced at $385,000. They will likely think, "This home is not worth that price when compared to another similiarly priced home." You lose again!

Offers may not even come in, because interested buyers are scared off by the price and won't bother to look or buyers in the price range will find something at the same price that is of more value. By the time the listing price is corrected, you will have lost a large group of potential buyers.

Ask your real estate professional to do a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to help you properly price your home in the current market.

2. Myth: Minor repairs can wait until later. There are more important things to be done.

Truth:

Minor repairs make your house more marketable, allowing you to maximize your return (or minimize loss) on the sale. By and large, buyers are looking for an inviting home in move-in condition. Buyers who are willing to tackle the repairs after moving in automatically subtract the cost of needed fix-ups from the price they offer. You save nothing by putting off these items, and you may likely slow the sale of your home.

Face it, most buyers are not handymen or remodelers. They want to get in a home, unpack and pick up their normal routine. Most homeowner's normal routine does not include minor repairs, patching the holes in the wall, painting, replacing the window screens, fixing that leaking facuet, and all the other "minor" things you have learned to live with. You fix them and sell your home for more!

Good luck selling your home! Contact me if I can help! http://www.BuyMiddleTennesseeRealEstate.com/