Curb appeal is key and could make a difference whether people stop and take a flyer, or drive right by. Here are a few tips to increase the curb appeal of your home. Staging your home is important. Many buyers will stay in your home longer if it's staged appropriately.
Inside
• Keep decorative objects on the furniture to a minimum. Too much just makes things look cluttered.
• What's on your kitchen countertops? If it hasn't been used for several months...put it away! Scrub the counters, tile and grout. Make them sparkle! Clear your refrigerator doors of messages, pictures, etc. If the kitchen is clear and clean, the buyers will visualize their own things in your kitchen!
• In the bathroom, keep only your most needed cosmetics, brushes, perfumes, etc. in one small group on the counter and put the rest away. Make sure your tubs, shower stalls and commode tops are free of clutter. Coordinating bath towels and rugs are a nice touch.
• When it comes to selling, we need to make the rooms appear larger. Rearrange or remove some of the furniture to get a more open feel.
• Take down some of the pictures or objects on the walls. Patch and paint if necessary.
• Go through your house room by room: - Paint any room needing attention - Clean carpets and/or drapes - Clean your windows.
• During "showings" turn on all lights even your lamps.
• Turn on your radio, playing some soft music for all showings.
• Have a lock box on the property. Most agents will not take the time to show a property that does not have a lock box.
Outside
• Go around the outside of your house and move all the garbage cans, discarded wood scraps, rakes, shovels, extra building materials, etc. into the garage.
• Check your gutters and/or roof for dry rot. Make sure gutters are free of debris.
• Inspect all plants...prune bushes and trees, remove any dead ones. Weed your flower beds and keep plants from blocking windows.
• Keep your lawn freshly mowed and green.
• Clear patios or decks of all small items, such as small planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbecues, toys, etc. (put them in the garage)
• Check the paint condition of the house especially the front door and trim. "Curb appeal" is very important!
Basically:
Try to look at your house "through a strangers eyes" as though you've never been there before. Any time or money spent on the above guidelines will bring you more money in return, and a faster sale.
Recent Home Sales
What are homes selling for on your street? Use HomeRadar.com to find out what neighborhood homes are selling for, free of charge, or choose a more detailed analysis of the value of your home.
Closing Costs to Expect:
- Title insurance fees depend on the sales price of the home.
- Broker's commission is a full-service fee and will cost anywhere between 5% to 7%.
- Local property transfer tax, country transfer tax, state transfer tax, and state capital gains tax are the charges that you'll pay for the privilege of selling your home. Credit to the buyer of unpaid real estate taxes for the prior or current year are variable and depend on when you close and when your taxes are due.
- FHA fees and costs are all fees are now negotiable between an FHA buyer and seller.
- Home inspections fees are in some circumstances paid for by the seller and include pest, radon and other inspections.
- Miscellaneous fees can accrue from correcting problems noticed during the home inspection.
Find out how much your closing costs could be.
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