When you are ready, I highly recommend using a Realtor.  There is no better way to get the job done when trying to maximize the value of your property and get the experience and knowledge of a reliable source and negotiator.  If you are in the Houston area, I recommend one of Register Real Estate Advisors experienced and trained Realtors.  Below are a few things to get you started in the right direction before contacting your agent.  Remember, your Realtor only gets paid when the deal closes, so they are doing everything they can to get you to the closing table as soon as possible.  They have a lot of people to work with to facilitate the transaction – the other Realtor in the deal, the title company, the lender, the appraiser, the surveyor, the inspector, and more.  They get paid on a percentage of the sales price.  So it’s a good incentive for Realtors to get the maximum amount of money for your home.

1. PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR SALE

If you don’t correct the minor things around the home like blown light bulbs and dirty air filters, potential buyers will wonder about the things that they cannot see.  In contrast, when all the little cosmetic things are taken care of, the buyers overall perception of your property is positive.

2.  STAGE YOUR HOME TO MAKE IT APPEALING TO BUYERS

In many cases, sellers continue to live in the home while it is for sale.  If you are going to do that, understand that you can’t live like you normally do.  You will need to keep your home ready to show.  Keep it clean, organized, smelling nice, and at a good temperature.  You will need to keep the blinds open even when you are at work.  You may need to leave lights on in certain areas of the house so that if it shows while you are out, it will appear bright and welcoming.  You need to store all personal items around the sink, all the mail, the food and small appliances you like to keep handy on the counter, and your wall photos.  Family photos are wonderful, but if the buyer walks into your bedroom and there is a huge framed photo of you on your wedding day, they are going to talk about how pretty you are and what a great photo it is, instead of looking at the bedroom!  Here are a few reminders…

• Clean the blinds and dust the fans
• Paint
• Steam clean the carpets and stretch where needed
• Fix any leaky faucets
• Replace the cauking around the tub and sinks
• Pack up clothes you don’t wear to make the closet look bigger or donate those clothes to a good cause
• Pack up everything you don’t need (you’re moving anyway!) and stack the boxes along the wall of the garage or in a rented storage unit
• Wash the Windows

3.  CURB APPEAL

Seems like everyone should know about curb appeal since there have been so many HGTV shows about it.  And yet, we get so comfortable with our own homes that we don’t notice things that buyers see.  Make sure you are not just cutting the lawn and planting flowers.  Go ahead and blow off the patio, power wash it, edge the lawn, trim the shrubs, fertalize, restaing the front door, and paint where necessary.

4.  EMOTIONAL APPEAL

When you are selling a home, remember that the buyers are making an emotional decision that will affect their family.  Make sure your home gives buyers a good feeling.  They have to picture, in their mind, their family living happily in that home.  The house has to leave them feeling like this is the place they want to live.  So open the drapes, turn on the lights, and keep the house at a refreshing temperature.  Make sure it smells nice.

Using this list and the help of your experienced real estate agent, you will help your home to sell quickly at the maximum value.  Buyers aren’t looking for a handout – they want the house perfect for move in.  So if you know it needs repairs, do them.  Don’t offer them money at closing or come down on the price.  Get your home ready and you will get it sold!  Call RREA today for more information 281.288.3500.

"Selling Your Home" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

"WBM #60 – Curb Appeal" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

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We all know that when you renevate a bathroom or kitchen you add value to a home. But what about just adding some decorative knobs to the cabinets or restaining the front of your current cabinets? You can replace laminate countertops with corian without spending the amount of money you would spend on granite. Some corian countertops even look like granite. Adding under the counter lighting and over the counter lighting can change the ambiance in the room, but using rope lights, it won’t cost you that much. They will be hidden, so who cares what they look like! New faucets are always nice. Did you know that some name brand faucets offer lifetime warranties? So if yours has simply rusted out or is leaking, you may be able to get a free one from the manufacturer and just pay for the labor to install it.

Outside it’s much easier to repaint the garage door instead of replacing it. Same goes for restaining the front door. Planting some inexpensive annuals can really increase the curb appeal and spruce up the landscaping. Fresh mulch is another that helps sparse flower beds.

Inside the home it doesn’t cost anything for you to declutter. If you know you will be moving, why not start packing and make the home mmore appealing to buyers? You can add inexpensive shelving to the laundry room for easy buyer appeal. Everyone wants more space for stacking laundry, storing the iron, and containing that laundry detergent. The Container Store offers many organizational items that help the home to function better and appear more organized and less cluttered.

If your home needs more space, consider building out some of the attic space, instead of adding on to the home. This can be much more cost effective.

Our RREA blog offers lots of tips to both buyers and sellers. We hope you will join us each week for our “White Board Monday” that gives you consumer real estate tips in the form of a video. As always, if our agents can help you with your buying or selling needs, please contact us at 281.288.3500.

"Deal With Your Design Problems Affordably!" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

Pick up. There is nothing that will reduce your home’s curb appeal more quickly than trash and toys thrown around. Remove any junk piles or trash bins that are visible outside the house. If you’ve got kids, make sure the toys are all put away—this means those big plastic toys and play sets as well (or at least place them neatly in a designated area). Even if storage is a problem, put away bikes and other equipment you may have leaning against the house.

Clean up. Stand out by your sidewalk or street curb and take a long, hard look at the front of your house. Does it look clean and inviting, or dingy and unloved? It’s called curb appeal for a reason. Start with a thorough cleaning of your windows and front door area with a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush. It’s amazing what a little hard work can do to neaten up your home’s exterior elements. Make the door hardware gleam and those windows sparkle. Since we mentioned windows, how do your curtains and blinds look from the outside of the house? Are your windows covered with knickknacks, stickers, and such? Take time to clean up the insides of your home’s window areas that are visible from the curb.

Paint. Is the paint peeling off the shutters or siding? Can you easily notice the front door? Paint is a wonderful thing. It can quickly bring any old object back to life, including shutters and trim on the outside of the house. For a relatively small investment, paint is one of the quickest ways to increase curb appeal. It’s important to do a good job when painting, however. Splotchy work will be immediately noticeable. If you’re not up to doing the painting yourself, consider hiring an expert to help. Also, choose neutral colors—this gives your house the best chance to sell.

Repair. Take time to repair missing siding, broken shutters, broken fence panels, and the like. Is your sidewalk in good condition? The path should be swept clean and cleared of obstacles that might trip someone on the way to the front door. Stare at your garage doors (if you have a garage). Is there a dent in the garage door from the time your teenager was learning to park the car? Does the garage door even work properly? Those things need fixing before you try to sell the house. Don’t forget the mailbox. Whether it’s on a post in the yard or up by the front door, make sure it’s painted or polished. Any numbers or letters on it should look neat and clean.

You can sell your home faster if you give your house lots of curb appeal. This is especially important during a down real estate market.

"Sell Your Home Faster by Adding Curb Appeal" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

Among the report’s findings:

• The steel entry door replacement is the project that returned the most money, with an estimated 102.1 percent of cost recouped when the home is sold.
• The midrange garage door replacement is expected to recoup 83.9 percent of costs.
• Upscale fiber-cement siding replacement was deemed the most cost-effective among siding projects, recouping 80 percent of costs.
• Upscale vinyl window replacements were expected to recoup the most among window replacement projects, at 72.6 percent.
• Wood decks tied with a minor kitchen remodel for the fourth most profitable project, recouping an estimated 72.8 percent of costs.

Meanwhile, here’s what the study found inside the house:

• An attic bedroom addition costs more than $51,000 and recoups an estimated 72.2 percent.
• A basement remodel costs more than $64,000 and recoups an estimated 70 percent.
• Improvement projects that are expected to return the least are a midrange home office remodel, recouping an estimated 45.8 percent; a backup power generator, recouping 48.5 percent; and a sunroom addition, recouping 48.6 percent of costs.

In addition, the study found that Texas was among the regions that were consistently estimated to return a higher percentage of remodeling costs when a home is sold.

"Curb Appeal is King, NAR Study Finds" was brought to you by the outstanding agents at Register Real Estate Advisors.

Forget wiring your new home for audio, video, and data.  Pass on the upgraded kitchen cabinets.  If you want to add lasting value, opt for landscaping.  Done correctly, the addition of trees, shrubs, plants, walks, lighting and patios can increase the value of your property by 20 percent – almost instantaneously.  Real estate professionals have known this.  A study by Arbor National Mortgage in Uniondale, N.Y., found 84% of the agents quaried believe a house on a treed lot would fetch at least that much more than one on a lot without trees. 

Landscaping practically is an afterthought for most builders.  A growing number are waking up to the fact landscaping pays.  For starters, nicely landscaped houses add curb appeal.  For another, there’s money to be made in landscaping.  There’s no record of how much people spend planting stuff after they move in.  It’s typically the next thing they do after unpacking and hanging curtains or blinds. 

Which begs the question:  How much should you spend?  The Washington, D.C.-based Americn Society of Lanscape Architects (ASLA) suggests “invest” 5 to 10% of your home’s value.  That rule of thumb can be expensive, and the good thing is, you don’t have to do it all at once.

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