YOU REALLY DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ REALTOR!!
By
Shiloh Sacks
Copyright 2011 Shiloh Sacks
Smashwords
Edition
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE
WAY YOU LIVE IN A HOME AND THE WAY YOU SELL A HOME ARE NOT THE
SAME
“Many receive advice…only the wise profit
from it”
SIX PROBLEMS YOUR HOME MAY HAVE THAT INSTANTLY TURN BUYERS OFF
PRICING
YOUR HOME
“Properly Priced is Practically Sold”
MARKETING
“Without
marketing, a terrible thing happens - nothing!”
QUALIFY
CALLERS
“Lost time is never found again”
HOW TO SHOW YOUR HOME FOR MAXIMUM PROFIT
THE
WAIT
“There’s many a slip between the cup and
the lip”
A
FINAL WORD
“The greatest reward for doing is the
opportunity to do more”
OK. You’ve made the decision to take on the job of selling your own home and you now have a title, “FSBO” (For Sale By Owner). That’s what people will call you. I applaud your courage and congratulate your decision.
As a successful real estate professional for more than 30 years, I have sold several of my own homes and I have assisted many buyers and sellers realize their dream. My expertise has included transactions in the $30,000 range, the million dollar plus range and everything in between. The one thing each and every transaction had in common – my determination to make it happen.
Success in selling your own home comes through action (you’re already reading this guide), information from someone who knows what it takes (that would be me) and commitment (that comes from you).
So now that you’ve decided to enlist in that small but committed army of FSBO’s and be one of the few, the proud and the rich, let’s get started on your way to selling your home and putting money in YOUR pocket!
THE WAY YOU LIVE IN A HOME AND THE WAY YOU SELL A
HOME ARE NOT THE SAME!
“Many
receive advice, only the wise profit from it”
If you hope to sell your home for top dollar and in the shortest amount of time, you need to do three things:
1. Take control of your personal emotions about your home.
2. Place yourself in the shoes of potential buyers by looking at it the way they would.
3. Make your home appealing in the right areas.
There’s a little known secret about homebuyers that you need to know. People buy homes based on the emotional FEELINGS they get from a home. They fall in love, for example, with the kitchen or the master bedroom. Or perhaps the roaring fire in the family room fireplace touches off an old memory. And while they’re viewing your home, they’re visualizing in their minds what it would be like to live there. The back-yard barbecues they’ll host…Sunday dinners with the family…college graduation celebrations, or simply relaxing in the backyard hammock.
It’s all about emotions. And if your home doesn’t feel right, buyers will quickly lose interest. So remember this: Purchase decisions are EMOTIONAL. Once a decision to buy is made, we then justify our purchase with LOGICAL reasons.
SIX PROBLEMS YOUR HOME MAY HAVE THAT CAN INSTANTLY TURN BUYERS OFF
Potential buyers are much more likely to return to a home that impresses them at first glance, while homes that appear disorderly or poorly maintained seldom sustain buyer interest. Consider the following:
PHEW! Home Odors. Because homeowners become desensitized to the odors in their homes, they rarely realize how obvious odors can be to visitors. This is particularly true of homes occupied by pets and smokers. Pay special attention to this. One thing I used to tell my clients: “If you can smell it, I can’t sell it”.
UGH! Carpet & Flooring. One of the most visible areas of your home is the flooring. If your carpet is worn or dirty, get it replaced or cleaned. Don’t underestimate the value of used carpeting – check your yellow pages for a used carpet store and see what they have. You’ll usually find quality, clean carpet they remove from large, expensive homes. I once was able to re-carpet a 1200 square foot rental house for $800 by using used carpet! It looked great and only I knew it was used.
If you have vinyl flooring with corners coming up, get it glued down. Special note: Replacing dated or worn flooring in smaller areas, such as kitchens or baths, with high-quality flooring can create premiums in the selling price.
If your home already had carpet installed when you moved in you might be in for a great surprise. Many older homes have gorgeous hardwood underneath. Pick up a corner of your carpet and take a peek.
ICK! Paint & Walls. Paint is one of the least expensive ways to “spruce up” your home. Consider painting outside trim and interior walls and doors. You may be a wild and whacky person who really likes color but please refrain from showing it. Stick with neutral, warm colors that are pleasing to the majority.
YUCK! Clutter. Clutter isn’t just your average mess. Clutter is “visual dandruff” such as newspapers, mail, laundry, nick knacks, etc., that has accumulated in a well lived in house. Excess clutter is a BIG buyer turn-off! You are moving anyway, so you might as well pack up items that make your home feel good to you, but may turn off potential buyers. This includes nick-knacks, excess furniture, family pictures, wall hangings, etc. Keep in mind the golden rule, “clutter eats up equity”.
EEEEK! Sign of Pests. If you have any sign of mice, rats, roaches, spiders, termites or bees, you should immediately contact a local pest control company and have them eliminated. There’s no better way to show your home is dirty than by infestations. Remove all spider webs or wasp nests on a regular basis.
OMG! Landscaping. If your landscaping is messy, overgrown or looks cluttered in any way, you need to fix it. Buyers make positive or negative conclusions about your home within the first five minutes of seeing it. Often, if the exterior is unappealing, buyers won’t even go inside. Don’t lose the battle before you’ve even begun.
There is no doubt about it…first impressions are lasting ones. If the prospective buyer’s first impression is positive, then he or she will walk through your home looking for reasons to seal the deal. However, if it’s negative, that person will go through looking for reasons to avoid buying it.
That’s why I provide this check list of simple, quick and inexpensive things you can and should do to prepare your home for sale. Some of my tips require little time, yet will reap great rewards. Others require a greater investment of time and/or money. Do the easy things first.
Overall, buyers are looking for a home that looks clean, neat and well maintained. By addressing exterior issues, you immediately give buyers a positive first impression, making them want to see inside. So, let’s start with the…
EXTERIOR (Use checklist Exterior at end of this book)
Get into your car and drive away from your home. Then turn around and drive toward your home the way a potential buyer would. Notice your first impressions. Are they mostly positive? Is the landscaping well groomed? How about the driveway and curbs? Can you easily see the architecture of the home…or is it blocked by trees and bushes? Notice your roof…is it in good condition? Make a list of items that need attention.
Rake leaves, trim shrubbery and trees, cut the lawn and plant a few new, fresh flowers. Put down fresh mulch or peat moss around shrubs and flower beds.
Look for “bald spots” in your lawn and over-seed where necessary.
Make sure all sprinkler heads are intact and your watering system functions properly.
If you have any fencing around your property, check for missing or loose rails. Make sure it is straight and in good condition. If weathered or stained, consider painting it. Make sure gates open and close properly and all locks are functional.
Sweep and hose off the walkways and driveways.
Check for weeds and remove them. Pressure wash the exterior and decking, if necessary.
Coil hoses neatly or consider adding a hose rack or decorative boxed hose reel.
Clean up any clutter in the yard or walkways. Remove debris in the yard or on the walkways or driveway. Pay attention to toys, tricycles, etc. They should not be visible to a prospective buyer. Find a place to store them when not in use and give your kids a job – tell them it’s their job to make sure their toys are all stored away before a prospective buyer sees them.
Wash or thoroughly clean wood, aluminum and vinyl sided homes. You can rent a pressure washer or hire a contractor to pressure wash the house. Pressure washing can remove dirt, grime, peeling paint and mildew. You will see a remarkable improvement. Don’t believe me? Give it a try!
Touch up paint on the exterior of the home as necessary. In some cases, it pays to repaint the entire exterior if it hasn’t received a coat of paint in years. Painting hardwood trim on the exterior of the home can make or break its appearance. Make sure it looks clean and fresh.
Look for any cracks in exterior plaster or foundation and make sure they are filled and repainted to match the exterior paint.
Check your roof for missing shingles or tiles and replace them. Check flashing around chimneys.
Clean the gutters and extend downspouts where necessary to prevent flooding or pooling of water.
Paint your front door and/or mailbox. Avoid the “cute” mailboxes. You may live at the lake but having a mailbox shaped like a giant fish is not necessarily appealing to everyone. Pack it away for your next lake home and replace it with a traditional mailbox. Polish your door and entry hardware. Make sure your house numbers are visible from the street.
Your doorbell must be functional, if the chime is dull or perhaps just a buzz – replace it with something melodic that instantly conveys “welcome”.
Check the locks of your home at the entry, back door and garage. Faulty locks can give a first impression of a home in need of maintenance. A small dab of graphite will make them work like new.
If you have a porch, deck or veranda, consider adding functional but inexpensive out-door furniture to make it more inviting.
Look at all exterior windows. Those that open should operate effortlessly and have screens properly installed. Screens should be free of accumulated dust, dirt and rips or holes.
Organize the garage. Get rid of clutter by either putting it in boxes stacked neatly against a wall or pack ahead of time and rent a storage locker for your garage belongings. HINT: Make sure you wash your car! It’s a sign of pride of ownership. If prospective buyers see a dirty, grimy car in the garage, they will automatically start looking for the same inside your home. Make sure garage door opener functions properly.
Clean oil stains from your driveway and garage. Clean rust stains beneath rails with the commercial product, Zud. It works wonders! (I order it via the internet.)
Make certain all exterior lights are functioning. Often, buyers will take a run past a home after dark to see how it shows in a different setting. Replace any burned out exterior lights and clean the fixtures. After you’ve shown your home to a prospective buyer, leave the exterior lights on for the next few nights. Consider adding solar powered lights along driveway or walkway. Check motion sensing security lights for proper operation.
Avoid unnecessary lawsuits – make sure your driveway and walkway are free of snow accumulation and ice buildup. Shovel the snow and spread kitty litter over the ice. I strongly recommend you place nicely printed signs where necessary indicating “ICE”, “SLIPPERY” or “PLEASE WATCH YOUR STEP”. I once was showing a home to a couple when the wife suddenly was on the ground. Water dripping off the roof had turned to ice in front of the entrance and down she went. It could have been disastrous but fortunately, the lady was not serious hurt.