November Seller's Tip-Don't Forget Curb Appeal!!!

I know, I know. Why am I blogging while I'm out of town? Isn't a vacation for PLAY, not for work? Easy answer-this stuff is fun and I like what I do. Plus, while I'm waiting for the Bonine to kick in I'd rather have something to focus on...

Like the basics of home selling.

Look, it's not particularly novel or even very rebellious, but it seems that in this market people have moved away from even the basics of putting a home on the market. Even if you're in default and you're hoping for a quick sale to get out from under your mortgage but don't have a lot of cash, you can still do the basics and keep your house in tidy shape.

So do this-

Step outside and go to the other side of the street, and look at your house. Imagine that you DO NOT KNOW anything about the place other than what you see, right there and then. Forget that the lawn is a little shaggy because the kid who mows it is down with swine flu, or that the reason the plants are a little bedraggled is because budgets are tight and you understandably don't have the time to just blow time and money at Orchard Supply any more. Just look at what you see-and really really SEE it from a stranger's eye.

Now, if the first few things you see are negatives (lawn, plants, dirty windows, etc), then I guarantee you that the first thing a potential buyer will see is one of those exact same things, and there are good odds they will go from a potential buyer to a definite NOT-buyer. Even if they overlook a few small things and consider making an offer, you can bet that any deferred maintenance will be brought up as a reason for a lower-than-expected offer amount.

Understand that I'm NOT saying you have to put a lot of money into your place in order for it to sell. If you had a lot of money for a remodel, you wouldn't be looking at a possible foreclosure-it's a catch-22 that I understand well. What I AM saying is take a good hard look and make sure that what CAN be done HAS been done. Is the yard tidy? Is the fence in decent repair? Are the windows clean? Are the blinds open/closed/clean looking?

All of these things can make a huge difference in the initial impression a potential buyer will have of your property. And every one of them can be done without a huge investment in landscaping, painting, or remodelling.

Do what you can, my rebellious readers!!!
-LARRY