Tips for “For Sale” by Owner

Of course, being a Realtor the first thing I’m going to tell you is to talk to a Realtor in your area and get on the Multiple Listing Service. The largest benefit to this, besides exposure to all the Realtors in the area, is Realtor.com. 84% of homebuyers are starting their search on the Internet and Realtor.com is the most trusted source for consumer Real Estate information.

However, if you simply can’t afford the commission or have your own reasons for not working with a Real Estate professional, there are some things you can do to make your house more attractive to buyers and to expose it to more buyers.

CLEAN YOUR HOUSE – Get it so clean your in-laws wouldn’t recognize it. Polish all shiny surfaces, hardwood floors and granite are especially impressive when they sparkle. Hardwood and granite polish can be purchased at any standard retail store like Wal-Mart, Longs, CVS, Target, K-Mart etc. Bathrooms and kitchens need to be spotless, no dirty grout, no dirty dishes, no food sitting out, no dirty clothes or towels or dish rags in sight. Vacuum and mop your floors, no dust bunnies or scuff marks should be visible. Dust displays and trinkets on shelves, a dusty house makes people sneeze and frown. Rely on the fresh smell of a clean house, don’t over-perfume with candles, sprays or plug-ins. Many people are sensitive to perfumes and will wonder what you’re trying to cover up.

MOW THE LAWN – The first thing a potential buyer sees is the view from the street, make sure it’s a nice one. Mow your grass, weed your flower beds, prune dead foliage and trim the hedges. Do not leave toys, trash cans, tools or other distractions lying out.

DECORATE TO SELL – You want your potential buyers to see their future home, not your stuff. Take personalized pictures and hangings off the walls, remove fake plants or sculptures and other personalized art, minimize furniture, get a storage unit if you have to. Make sure an implied flow of traffic is present so that when potential buyers walk through the front door they feel compelled to make their way through the whole house. This is achieved by arranging furniture and light in a way that is inviting.

PUT THE HOUSE IN THE PUBLIC EYE – Advertise your home for sale. The most effective ways are on well-known and frequently visited websites. If your town has a local Real Estate website (ie Siskiyou Living, Redding.com, RogueValleyShopper.com) contact the advertising department to find out about placing an ad on the website. Is there a local Real Estate publication devoted solely to advertising Real Estate that consumers routinely rely on for listing information? Don’t waste your money on newspaper advertising because not many people buy the print version any more anyway and those that do aren’t buying to look for Real Estate. Be sure to emphasize important features like the square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, size of the property the house is on, new additions and benefits (new kitchen appliances, new roof, recent bathroom remodels). Refrain from wasting readers’ time with long narratives or overly-descriptive “flowery” words.

GET YOUR INSPECTIONS DONE EARLY – Get a home inspection, pest inspection, and if you live in an HOA (Home Owner’s Association) get a compliance inspection done for your CC&Rs (Conditions, Covenants and Restrictions). Then advertise that all the inspections have been done or that you (the seller) will pay for all the inspections. If any of your inspectors notes a problem with a particular system in the house, get an additional inspection done by a specialist and fix whatever may be wrong. (ie If the home inspector notes missing shingles on your roof or evidence of water damage in the attic, have a roof inspector assess the integrity of the roof and have it repaired or replaced if you can afford it.) Remember, if you have knowledge of any material facts affecting the property or its marketability, you MUST DISCLOSE THIS TO A BUYER.

USE A TITLE COMPANY – When you do find a buyer for your home, use a title company. I cannot stress the importance of this enough. If you sell your property without a clear title, not only can you face potential lawsuits but so can your buyer. And if your buyer gets sued, guess who the buyer is going to sue – that’s right, YOU!

Want to find out why it’s so important to have a Realtor in your corner? Are you in the Yreka, California area in need of a business or residential rehabilitation loan? Looking for a good deal on a foreclosure or trying to find a way to avoid foreclosure? Click the links above to be taken to my blogs about these topics and much more.

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Jessica Murr provides both buyers and sellers with real estate transaction services and advice as well as tenants and landlords with management services in the Siskiyou, Shasta, and Trinity County Regions of far Northern California. I want to be your resource for information and answers to all your real estate questions. Ask me how you can get $1,001 or more on your next real estate purchase.

Jessica Murr
Richter Scale Real Estate – Realtor™
Platinum Property Management – Owner, Manager
Mt Shasta Real Estate Consulting – Owner, Consultant
Mobile: 530-941-6061
Email: JessicaMurr@RichterScaleRE.com