Month: February 2017

Selling A Home With Pets

You love your pets, but not everyone else does. Some people have allergies, while others may be afraid of animals. They may not be familiar with all the smells and shedding from pets. A first impression is very important for potential buyers, make sure you make the best one you can.

Now that you are getting ready to show your home, what do you do about staging your home when it is occupied by your pets, their scents, their shedding, and their items? For an open house, you might ask your friends and relatives to watch your pets or you may wish to board them at a kennel while you have scheduled open house showings.

Here are some other tips to help you to prepare for an open house or a showing when you have a pet in the home:

  • Put your pet(s) in an inside, safety gated area, or outside, if weather allows.
  • Give your home a thorough cleaning, especially the areas your pet occupies the most.
  • Put away any clawing trees, chew toys, etc., when you’re showing your home.
  • If you have carriers or cages, keep those well-hidden.
  • Clean all pet food bowls and dishes or put them away.
  • Vacuum all areas where there are traces of fur, including drapes, couch pillows, carpets, and rugs.
  • Empty garbage baskets and spray the inside with deodorizer.
  • Scrub and clean any fish tanks or hamster cages.
  • Open all the windows to circulate clean air in your home, if you have a strong pet smell consider a candle or deodorizer.

Now that you have removed all marks of your loved pets’ loose fur and pet-related items, check the outdoors surrounding your home. If the lawn is sprinkled with dog droppings, it is crucial to pick them up and dispose of them. There is nothing worse than a prospective buyer coming up the front walk and stepping in your dog’s mess!

Ready to sell your home? Contact an experienced realtor HERE that can give you all of the information you need to get your house on and off the market quickly!

How to Get a House Ready to Sell

1. Un-Personalize

People want to envision what their life would be like in a potential home, so remove pictures and other items that are specific to your family. Keep your house clean and put any essentials in an accessible box. Also, remove or replace any built-in items that you want to take with you like chandeliers.

2. De-clutter

Go through each room and trash or donate what you don’t need anymore to minimize spaces. Clear off all nightstands, coffee tables, kitchen counters, etc. If you have more items than space to put, consider renting a storage unit.

3. Organize

The more organized a house looks the more appealing it is for buyers, including inside closets and cabinets. A good tip is to align all of the items in your kitchen and bathroom cabinets to make any cluttered space a little cleaner. If you have a collection of CDs or DVDs, alphabetize or color-code them. Make sure all of your closets are organized as well.

4. Repair

If you have a room that you painted a loud color, paint over it with a neutral one. Check all sinks and toilets to make sure they’re in working order. Focus on details like addressing doors that crack or drawers that jam.

5. Clean

Cleaning your home before you list it can make all the difference in selling your home faster. Wax wooden floors and steam carpets to make your home glow. Try to vacuum your house daily while it’s on the market. Dust furniture, fixtures, and any hard to reach places. In the bathroom, re-caulk around the tub and sink. Polish any metals in the bathroom and kitchen.

6. Spruce Outside

The exterior of your home is a buyer’s first impression, make sure you mow and maintain your lawn. Also, trim shrubbery and plants around the house. Finally, clean your windows and pressure wash the driveway.

If you apply all of these steps before listing your home, it will make selling a much smoother and quicker process. These tips will make your home more appealing to potential buyers. To list your home and learn more, contact a professional realtor here.

5 Tips to Help Sell Your House Faster

As soon as you decide to sell your house one of the first questions people ask is “How long will it take to sell?” Many people base estimated time off of how long it took your neighbors to sell their home, but that’s not necessarily true, there are many factors that can determine how fast your home will sell. To get your home on and off the market as fast as possible, follow these five important steps.

1. Update Your Landscaping

When a potential buyer comes to your home the first thing they will see before they enter the house is your front yard. Give buyers something to remember by having updated and clean landscaping. Homebuyers can become attached to a home quickly if there’s a positive first impression.

2. Consider Moving Out or Staging Your Home

One of the realities of real estate is that vacant homes sell faster than occupied homes. If you can’t move into your new home or stay at another location, do your best to remove personal artifacts and stage your home.

3. Add New Paint and Flooring

When you walk on the same floors every day, it’s easy to feel as though your floors are good enough, but you need to compare them to other homes on the market. If other properties in your price range have new flooring and paint, consider making this a priority because those homes could get purchased before yours.

4. Price It Right the First Time

There are three huge factors that sell homes: price, location, and condition. Out of these three points, the price is the most critical factor. People can look over a home’s condition and location if the price is right. People can also scan past your property listing if the price is wrong.

5. Hire a Professional Realtor

When people try to sell a home on their own, there’s always a greater chance for something to go wrong or just not go right. Professional realtors have knowledge and experience that can help you set the right price and stage your home correctly for buyers. If you want to sell your home fast, this is the best way to do it.

If you need help selling your home in the Seminole County area, simply contact us here.