Category: Seller Tips

An on going discussion on tips for our Sellers as they prepare and sell their home.

5 Tips For Pricing Your Home

Delighted at having sold

The price of your home is the aspect that you, as a seller, have the most control over.  Even though the right pricing strategy can take a home off the market quickly, it’s amazing how many people still make mistakes when pricing their home.  Here are five tips for pricing your home right the first time!

Find an agent you trust:  Don’t just hire the agent that quotes you the highest list price for your home.  If they quote you a high price to insure that they get your listing, but then your home sits on the market forever because the price is too high, that’s counterproductive and you end up having to slash your price anyway.  The best idea is to interview several agents and choose someone who can back up their suggested list price with recent comps.  Which brings me to point number two…

Get the comps:  Once you have an agent you trust, ask them to prepare a comparative market analysis of similar homes that have sold recently in your area.  This is more important than looking at the list price of other homes for sale in your area, because the comps will tell you what the home actually sold for, which is often quite a bit lower than the original list price.

Pick the correct price:  Pricing your home correctly right out of the gate will gain the attention of serious buyers and sell your home faster.  If you have to list your home for less than you’d like to make this happen, think of it this way… it will cost you more in the long run to pay the costs associated with owning your home if it sits on the market for several months while you’re dreaming about an unrealistic asking price.  Then you’ll have to lower the price anyway, so wouldn’t you rather just price it right from the get go?

Price with the market:  If your house is priced to high from the start, you will most likely find yourself making price drops after several months on the market with no interest.  Dropping your price is a good strategy, but everyone else (whose homes were priced more reasonably to begin with) is dropping their prices too, meaning that your home is still the highest priced home on the market and will never catch up with the competition.  Instead of dropping the price several times causing buyers to wonder what’s wrong with your property, price it competitively from the start, rather than holding out for the high end of the market.  Remember, the more competitive the price you start with, the better the chance you will sell quickly for a higher price than if you wait it out and negotiate 6 months down the road.

Don’t balk at lowball offers:  When selling your home it’s hard not to be emotionally attached, but buyers most likely aren’t feeling the same way, so don’t be offended by lowball offers.  Use them as a jumping off point for negotiation and let it drop only if the buyer makes it clear they are not serious about buying.

Looking for a real estate agent you can trust to help you through the whole process of pricing and selling your home?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and let us show you why we’re the best – 302-629-6693.

Boosting Curb Appeal

curb-appeal-landscaping-1

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and first impressions are lasting.  We know this, yet when many people put their home on the market they don’t take the time to make sure that the first impression is a good one.  When you’re trying to sell your home, you want buyers to fall in love at first sight!

Here are a few tips to boost your property’s curb appeal:

  1. Take a picture.  You’re so use to seeing the outside of your house that you might not notice it anymore.  If you take a photo (or several photos) you may be able to see the property with new eyes.  Show the photos to friends, family, neighbors, etc. and ask them to point out any concerns they would have if they were thinking about buying the place.  Make a list and address as many of the concerns as you can, especially recurring concerns.
  2. Paint – It’s amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do for the exterior of a home.  If the entire home doesn’t need to be painted, consider freshening the trim, doors, shutters, and/or garage door.
  3. Clean & repair the driveway – Take the time to repair small cracks and rent a power washer to get that driveway clean.  If your drive way is a major mess, think about getting it redone.
  4. Spruce up landscaping – Keep your grass mowed and fertilized.  Rake your yard.  Edge along your sidewalks.  Plant some bright, low maintenance flowers – marigolds are a good choice!
  5. Replace your door – If your front door has seen better days, consider replacing it.  Remember, the door is what will welcome potential buyers into your home.  Make it a nice welcome!
  6. Clean – Wash your windows and doors (including screens), rent a power washer and spray down the deck, driveway, sidewalks, consider power washing the exterior of your home if you aren’t going to paint.
  7. Replace light bulbs – check the view of your home at night and replace any burned-out bulbs.  Consider adding lights if the property is in need of better lighting.

Of course the front of your house will offer the first impression to potential buyers, but don’t forget the back and side views as well!

Considering putting your home on the market?  Let us help.  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

Best Tips for Painting

 paint-finish

Everyone knows that a fresh coat of paint goes a long way to improving just about any surface, but a fresh coat of paint and a good coat of paint are two entirely different things.  Here are some great painting tips to help you make the most of a coat of paint!

Buy Good Quality:  You might try to save a couple bucks by buying the cheapest gallon of paint you can, but if you put out the cash for high quality paint and it will go on smoother, cover more, splatter less, and will be less likely to fade.  Trust me, it’s worth the extra money!

Choose Your Gloss Wisely:  Remember that the flatter the finish, the harder the paint is to clean.  Flat paint is a good choice for ceilings, but be sure to use an eggshell for walls and semigloss in rooms that are cleaned more often.

Test It:  The pros know that testing a paint out on a wide surface of wall is key to choosing the ride shade.  The best way to do this is to buy sample sizes (or quarts if they aren’t available) of a few different colors and paint several chunks of wall.  Make sure you leave the paint there for a few days so you can see it in all different lighting and then make your final choice.

Work Your Way Down:  Begin painting at the ceiling and work down the wall for the smoothest results.

Mix It Together:  If you’re using more than one gallon of the same color paint, mix all the gallons together in a bucket to guarantee a uniform color throughout the whole room.

Wrap Up Brushes:  If you’re going to take a break wrap any brushes and rollers in plastic bags.  Be sure there is no air in the bag and close it with a rubber band or twist tie.  If you’re planning on taking a long break, like overnight, seal all the tools up and store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

With tips like these, you can turn any paint project into a success story!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266!

5 Ways To Provide Easy Access For Showings

images

Selling a home is not necessarily a convenient prospect.  The best sellers keep their homes neat, clean, organized and smelling fresh and are also willing to vacate the property at a moment’s notice.  Here are some tips to help you, as a seller, be a dream to work with:

1.  Keep off hours.  Remember that most potential buyers have to work, so if your home is only available to show during “business hours” you are cutting out a lot of potential buyers.  Consider extending your hours until 8pm or so at least a couple of times a week.

2.  Allow a lock box.  If you insist that your home not have a lock box, many agents will forgo your home altogether to show more convenient homes to their clients.

3.  Consider the details.  The details count.  For example, if you live on a road where street parking is difficult, make sure your driveway is clear so that potential buyers and their agents can park there.  You don’t want potential buyers to be thinking of the downsides of purchasing your home before they even walk in the door.

4.  Don’t be too restrictive.  It’s a pain when buyers want to see your home on short notice, and it is within your rights as the seller to say no or ask to reschedule, but keep in mind that some of the most motivated buyers are moving from out of town and may not have too much flexibility.  Try to accommodate potential buyers as often as possible.

5.  Take care of your pets.  Just because you love your pets doesn’t mean a prospective buyer will.  In fact there’s a good chance a prospective buyer might be allergic, so having your furry friend roaming free is not going to help the home appeal to them.  If at all possible, make arrangements for your pets to leave your home during showings too.  If that’s simply not feasible ask your agent for suggestions.  Chances are they’ve shown lots of pet friendly homes in their career, so they can give you more tips.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

What To Do If Your House Won’t Sell

house-for-sale

Typically, Wednesday is our Weekend Update, but this week we’re doing something a little bit different and will post the weekend update tomorrow.  For today, here are some tips if your home has been on the market for awhile:

Assuming that your home is in saleable condition, if your home is still on the market, it is most likely priced too high for the area.  Luckily for you, of the three basic elements that sell a home (location, condition & price), price is the one you, as a seller, can control!

So, how do you know if you need to lower the price of your home?  Ask your real estate agent what the average time is for houses to be on the market in your area.  If your house has been on the market for longer than that, then you should consider lowering your price.  Another indicator that you may need to lower the price is if your house has been on the market for several months with low to no interest.  In many areas, home prices are continuing to fall, so even if your home was pried well when you first listed it, if it’s been sitting on the market for awhile, you may need to adjust it.

Once you decide that you need to lower the price of your home, you need to decide how low to go.  That decision should be based on local market research.  Again, to make the best decision you need to have a real estate agent that you trust and seek out their advice.  Ask your agent for a new comparative market analysis (comps), and be sure that the comps are recent.  If you put your home on the market without having it appraised, having it done now could help you even more.

Trying to sell your home?  Looking for an agent you can trust?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty and let us help you sell your home – 302-856-6434.

Home Features That Always Catch A Buyer’s Attention

01-hardwood-floors

There are a few features that will almost always catch a buyer’s attention.  Of course, your home may not have all of these, but a few of them are easy to “fake” and others are affordable to update!  So go on, catch the attention of your potential buyers!

A Nice Entryway – fake it with a fresh coat of paint on the front door and clever furniture placement.  A table or chest of drawers added near the front door can create the illusion of an entryway in a home that doesn’t necessarily have one.

Hardwood Floors – there really isn’t an easy way to fake this, but an affordable wood laminate can still make a big difference in selling your home if your carpet has been a turn-off to buyers.

Nice Countertops – It doesn’t have to be granite, but if your kitchen currently has tile or laminate counter tops, consider replacing them if you’d like to appeal to more buyers.  Any kind of slab countertop is appealing to buyers, but of course granite is the favorite!  Other options are butcher block, marble, Corian, concrete, and many other stone slabs.

Organized Closets/Cabinets – Spaces that are pre-organized suggest to the buyer that they too will be nicely organized if they moved into this home.  If you have closet organizers, be sure they aren’t dated.

Landscaping – Simple, clean landscaping with nice open lawn space is universally appealing.  Remember, massive landscaping projects might look beautiful, but when buyers see that they see maintenance.  If your yard space is a lot of dirt, growing some grass will help a lot!

Of course, other features like lovely bathrooms, and gorgeous kitchen appliances always catch a buyer’s attention too, but it is difficult to “fake” or cheaply upgrade those.  Of course, if you can figure out a way to do it, it will help your house sell all the more!

Looking to buy or sell a house in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and let us help you make your dream a reality – 302-644-2266.

Understanding Contingencies

 images

Whether you are buying or selling a home, you will most likely have to deal with contingencies during contract negotiation.  Contingencies are conditions placed on the contract that, if not met, allow the buyer to either back out of the deal.  Of course in the case of an unmet contingency, buyer & seller can always renegotiate, if they would prefer.  If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home contingencies may seem a little overwhelming, so here’s some help explaining some of the most common:

  • Contingent on appraisal means that the home must be appraised and its appraised value must meet or exceed the offer price on the contract.
  • Contingent on inspection means that the house must pass any professional inspections that the buyer desires.  In addition to a general home inspection, this might also include specific inspections such as structural engineering, termites/pests, radon, mold, electrical, plumbing, roof, etc.  If any inspections turn up any problems that could be potential problems for the buyer or problems that would impact the price of the home the buyer may wish to renegotiate or to back out altogether.
  • Contingent on financing means that the buyer must secure a loan for the specified amount of the offer price.
  • Contingent on repairs means that the seller must repair any evident issues or issued turned up by the home inspection up to the agreed upon amount.
  • Contingent on closing costs means that the seller must pay the specified amount (up to 100%) of the closing costs.

There are many other contingencies that can be written into real estate contracts, but these are just some of the most common.

For help through the whole buying or selling process, including help through any and all possible contingencies, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Quick Updates To Sell Your Home

Renovation

If you’re in the process of selling your home (or thinking about it), you might be thinking about what kind of remodeling you should do to put your home in the best light.  As a rule, you should never undertake any big remodeling projects before putting your home up for sale, but there are a few things you can do with just a little bit of money to make your house more appealing on the market.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, one of the least expensive ways to increase your property value is to paint the walls!  Neutrals are key, but don’t just buy a bucket of white and paint everything… that’s boring!  Browns/beiges, grays, and even some shades of blue and green can be considered neutral.  The idea is to get rid of any extremely personal colors in the house – you might love your red living room, but chances are most of your potential buyers won’t.  Another relatively easy fix that will attract buyers is nice flooring.  If you’re lucky enough to have hardwood under your carpeting, rip it up and have the floors refinished.  If hardwood isn’t an option, consider replacing your carpeting for a fresh look that will attract buyers.  To save money, go for a mid-range carpet, but put the best padding you can afford underneath… this cushiony layer really affects the look and feel of the carpet.  Updating your light fixtures can also really improve your home’s salability.  Replace any dated fixtures with something more classic for an instant pick-me-up.  Pay special attention to the lighting in your kitchen, bathrooms, and hallway.  You want your home to be well lit so that buyers can see it, don’t’ you?  And while we’re discussing fixtures, if your bathroom or kitchen seem dated, changing out the hardware for something new can make a big impact for not much cash.  If you can swing it, switching your old faucets with something newer can give new life to a room.  My final budget suggestion is another one I’ve mentioned several times before… check your curb appeal!  Most potential buyers will judge your house on their first impression, which is the outside!  So be sure your home is putting its best foot forward by trimming any hedges/bushes and trees in the yard, mowing the grass, trimming any weeds, and edging your driveway and sidewalks.  Power washing your side walks can make a surprisingly big impact too.  Finally, invest a little cash by painting the front door and placing some potted flowers by it.  For maximum impact, change out the hardware on your door with something new and think about getting a new mailbox.  Finally, be sure that your house number is visible.  If it isn’t, buy some new numbers and hang them immediately!

Since none of these projects cost all that much, the best part about them is that you’re pretty much guaranteed to recoup your cash when your home sells, which will probably be a whole lot sooner than if you hadn’t made the changes in the first place!

Looking for an agent who can help you with more great tips?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Tips For Selling Your Home During The Summer

newport-beach-home-for-sale

If your home is on the market during the summer months, the outdoor space takes a larger stage for potential buyers than it does at colder times of year.  To take advantage of this, add a pop of color to your outdoor areas by planting flowers.  Additionally, do your best to keep your grass green by watering it often.  Clean up your yard as well as any porch or deck areas that you have.  Be sure to keep your yard neat and all toys, BBQ equipment, and other outdoor paraphernalia cleaned up.  Do your best to clear out any gnats, mosquitoes, and other bugs so that they don’t distract potential buyers.  Finally, really inspect your outdoor areas and do any general maintenance that is lacking.  This might include painting your front door or trim, filling holes in the yard, fixing broken screens, or anything else that will help the exterior of your home shine and sell.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Keep Your Sale On Track

House-for-Sale1

Selling your home can be a stressful experience, especially if you’ve had offers fall through in the past.  However, there are some things you can do as a seller to do your best to insure a successful sale the first time.  The most common reasons for an offer to fall through is because of the buyer’s financing, appraisal issues, title issues and inspection issues, so the best way to protect your sale is to deal with these issues up front.

Buyer’s financing is to blame for a majority of home sales that fall through, so first you should educate yourself about financing and know what kind of financing your buyer has.  Concentrate on buyers who have been preapproved and if possible, focus on those with conventional loans versus FHA loans.  And if you get a cash offer, seriously consider it.  Even if it is a lesser offer, cash sales do not have to go through appraisal and can move much more quickly and fall through less often than buyers who have to work with a lender.

Title and inspection issues should be dealt with as early as possible.  Instead of waiting for the buyer’s inspection or title search to turn up problems, sellers should prepare themselves ahead of time.  It is smart to get your own inspection before listing.  Many of the repairs that turn up on inspections can be simple fixes that you can do yourself before sellers are scared off or request more off the price than it would cost to fix.

Finally, to keep your sale moving in the right direction you should prepare for the appraisal before you list by getting a professional opinion and pricing your home in line with the comparables in your area.  Even then you can still run into problems, but at least you will be more prepared.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Contingencies in a Real Estate Contract

Foreclosures-101-Limiting-Contingencies

Whether you are buying or selling a home, you will most likely have to deal with contingencies during contract negotiation.  Contingencies are conditions placed on the contract that, if not met, allow the buyer to either back out of the deal.  Of course in the case of an unmet contingency, buyer & seller can always renegotiate, if they would prefer.  If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home contingencies may seem a little overwhelming, so here’s some help explaining some of the most common:

  • Contingent on appraisal means that the home must be appraised and its appraised value must meet or exceed the offer price on the contract.
  • Contingent on inspection means that the house must pass any professional inspections that the buyer desires.  In addition to a general home inspection, this might also include specific inspections such as structural engineering, termites/pests, radon, mold, electrical, plumbing, roof, etc.  If any inspections turn up any problems that could be potential problems for the buyer or problems that would impact the price of the home the buyer may wish to renegotiate or to back out altogether.
  • Contingent on financing means that the buyer must secure a loan for the specified amount of the offer price.
  • Contingent on repairs means that the seller must repair any evident issues or issued turned up by the home inspection up to the agreed upon amount.
  • Contingent on closing costs means that the seller must pay the specified amount (up to 100%) of the closing costs.

There are many other contingencies that can be written into real estate contracts, but these are just some of the most common.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?   Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Tips To Sell Your Home Faster

selling-your-home

If your home has been sitting on the market for longer than you’d like, or if you’d like to put your home on the market and have it sell quickly, consider that you might need to get creative!  One way to help your home sell quickly is to help it make an incredible first impression.  Some of the best ways to do this are to update things like carpeting, appliances, and wall coverings (strip wall paper, cover unique paint colors in a soothing neutral) just to name a few of the things that make a huge impression on buyers.

A good impression starts before the buyers even get in your front door.  If you want your home to sell quickly, you should start with curb appeal.  Try power washing the exterior and driveway, mulching flower beds, adding a fresh coat of paint to your door and freshening up your house number so that it’s easily visible.

You might also consider staging your home or having it professionally staged.  This includes de-cluttering, rearranging furniture, and more.  The point of staging is to attract as many potential buyers as possible by appealing to wide variety of people.  A professional stager can help your home sell more quickly by creating an inviting atmosphere that potential buyers can picture themselves in, as opposed to the personal space that they may be seeing by viewing your home as you live in it.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Keep Up Curb Appeal

Curb Appeal

Whether you’re putting your home on the market or just looking to enjoy your home’s curb appeal yourself, there is more to it than just landscaping your property and maintaining your lawn.  To really up your curb appeal be sure to maintain your home’s paint and siding by periodically checking for damage, mold growth, or peeling paint and fixing it.  In addition, you should regularly check your roof and gutters for damage and debris as well.  Keep windows and doors clean and fix any broken screens and shutters to prevent eyesores.  Finally, clean up your driveway and sidewalks by weeding the cracks, sealing any cracks, and keeping them clean.  By maintaining your home’s curb appeal you will cut down on the possibility of any of these problems becoming more dangerous or expensive to fix later on down the road, which is well worth the time and effort now.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Garage Sale Tips

{69C1A719-A230-4653-9B4C-5A0476B2103E}

‘Tis the season of garage sale-ing!  Garage sales are an awesome way to get rid of clutter around your house when you are preparing to sell, but you can also use them to raise money for a good cause, or just because.  No matter why you’re planning a garage sale, start by collecting items to sell.  The best thing to do is methodically go through each room of your home and put anything unused in a box to sell later.  Once you’ve got your goods for sale, put a price on everything, or if you want to save time, price it when you put it in the box.  Once you’re ready to sell you need to advertise.  The best way to do this is to place a free ad through craigslist.  Post your ad a few days before the sale and keep it bumped.  Include the address, times, and a list of items for sale.  You can also call your local newspaper and ask about ad space, but often it is too expensive to be worth it.  In addition to your ads, create several signs with large bold letters that advertise your sale.  For best results stick to the basics – the words “Garage Sale”, address, date & time.  You can even advertise your sale through your personal Facebook and Twitter account and other social media sites.  Ask your friends to share the info for even greater word-of-mouth!  For the best success make sure to set up your display neatly and in an area that is easy to find.  If you live in a difficult to find neighborhood, consider teaming up with a friend in a better location or purchasing a spot at a community sale.  Price everything, but be sure you don’t overprice it.  Garage sale pricing is significantly below retail value.  Your goal should be to earn a few bucks on something you would otherwise throw away or give away, not to recoup the price you paid for an item, even if it is still brand new.  Finally, consider teaming up with your friends or neighbors for a neighborhood-wide yard sale.  This will generate more traffic and create better success.  And don’t forget, the purpose of a garage sale is to clear clutter, so as soon as the sale is over box up anything that’s left and donate it to a local thrift store or non-profit organization.  Many will gladly take your leftovers and even give you a donation receipt that you can use as a tax write-off next year.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Three Reasons to List Your Home Now

home-for-sale-sign

If you’re thinking of selling, this is the perfect time to list your home for many reasons.  Here are three:

1.  Demand is up.  Nationally, the number of houses on the market has been dropping consistently over the past year.  When inventory is down, like now, buyers have less options, making it a seller’s market.  If you have a nice home in good condition, it is likely your home will show well among the competition.

2.  Prices are stabilizing.  After years of low and dropping home prices, home prices are on the rise across the country, making it a perfect time to list your home if you need to sell.

3.  Serious buyers lead to quick sales.  With mortgage rates still low, but mortgage qualifications tight, lenders are cautious about who they are pre-approving.  This means that a buyer with a pre-approval letter in hand is serious, and serious buyer will offer more quickly than those who are “just looking.”

If you’re thinking of listing your home, give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and let us put our expertise to work to help you – 302-856-6434.

Improve Curb Appeal to Help Your Home to Sell

house_curb_appeal

Selling your home can be a stressful experience, but you can make it easier on yourself with a few easy improvements to make your home stand out in the market.  The first thing to do is to up your curb appeal.  Curb appeal is the first impression potential buyers get of your home, so make it the best impression possible by improving your landscaping.  Keep the lawn mowed, prune your bushes and trees, weed the garden, and plant flowers.  In addition to landscaping, pressure wash your home’s exterior, clean the gutters and shutters and clean up any clutter in your yard as well.  To really help your home’s curb appeal pop, give your front door a fresh coat of paint in a color that contrasts with your home and add new house numbers that are easily visible.  Finally, add a new welcome mat to send the subliminal message that your home is open and inviting and that they are welcome.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Best Bathroom Upgrades For Your Money

corstone-bathroom-sink-anderson-90

According to several surveys updating a tired bathroom is the single best project to undertake before selling your home.  But all updates are not considered equal… some updates have a better return on investment than others.  If you can’t afford an entire room make-over you definitely want to replace the sink and faucet.  This sets the tone for the rest of the room, and although it can be costly, it also returns the entire investment plus some upon sale.  After the sink and faucet, changing out the counters and vanity for something function but stylish and replacing the flooring both offer a good return on investment.  If you still have some room in the budget, replacing your current toilet with a water saving model and replacing a worn tub/shower with something is also a good idea, but if you can’t do it all these are the two areas you will want to skip for sure.  It is often said that buyers make offers based on the kitchen and bathrooms, so if you have the budget for a project, making your bathroom a buyer’s dream before you sell is well worth it!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-629-6693.

Online Listing Advice

images

When you are working with your agent to write the listing for your home you should put more than a few moments of thought into it.  Your online listing is your advertisement to potential buyers.  If you want buyers to come and look then you will need to pique their interest.  The first and most important thing you should do is include a handful of pictures.  The second thing you need to do is write the description.  To help you, begin by avoiding general “filler” words.  Examples of such words are things like fantastic, gorgeous, spacious, charming, great, etc.  In addition to avoiding those types of filler terms, you should also avoid overly-common “code language” such as “cozy” and “up and coming.”  Buyers in today’s market know that those terms just mean “small” and “not a great neighborhood,” so it’s better to just avoid them entirely.  So, what should you say?  Think of your description as the best way to shine a light on the very best that your home has to offer.  If your home is in a desirable neighborhood, name it specifically.  If your home has top-notch finishes (marble, granite, etc.) name them specifically.  If your home has any largely desirable built-ins or custom work such as cabinets, bookshelves, etc. you should list them.  You should also take the time to list any little luxuries that your home includes that appeal to a wide range of buyers.  These types of luxuries include gourmet kitchens, spa-like showers, breakfast nooks, walk-in closets, etc.  If your home is in a walkable neighborhood, list nearby “walkable” places.  Really take the time to paint a picture of your home’s ideal location.  Additionally you will want to list anything that separates your home from the rest of the competition.  Use your listing to make potential buyers come to your home instead of the home next door, across the street, or around the block!  Lastly, no matter what you say in your description, make sure to prove it with pictures!  Whatever you do, be sure that your written description and your photos match.  Do not give potential buyers any reason to doubt your honesty or question your description.  Make them come check it out in person!

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County? Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

Aesthetic Issues That Affect A Sale

1107.h3

When you are selling a home there are a lot of details to pay attention to.  Buyers can be picky and many complain about a lot.  But there are several simple aesthetic fixes that can stop buyers from being turned-off from your home.  The first is overgrown and/or dead landscaping.  Pruning and raking only cost a bit of time and can add some serious curb appeal.  The next thing that you can easily fix to appeal to a wider variety of buyers is paint.  Painting is a relatively inexpensive and simple fix to make.  Ugly wallpaper and paneling can also turn-off buyers.  Although it’s more difficult to take care of, replacing unattractive wallpaper with paint will make a huge difference.  If you have options to remove your paneling and paint those walls too, you should take it, although removing paneling can be very tricky, so be sure to consult an expert before you begin any projects.  Although there are many more buyer turn-offs that sellers can easily take care of, the final one I am going to mention are doors.  Make sure all of your doors are on, hung straight, moving freely, and working properly before you begin showing your home.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.

All About Staging

homestaging

Staging your home is one of the best ways to help it sell.  Staging is about creating a mood giving the illusion that your home is brighter, warmer, and sometimes even larger than it might otherwise seem.  Done correctly, staging helps create an environment that makes potential buyers want to bite the bullet.  Staging is the final stage in prepping your home for sale.  It should follow de-cluttering, cleaning, painting, and making any necessary repairs.  To dress a room you can use a variety of items.  Some popular ones are mirrors, lamps, flowers and plants, area rugs, pillows, throw blankets, baskets, etc.  Most stager recommend using sparse furniture and accenting to make the room’s purpose apparent.  For example, in your kitchen you can rub orange oil into dry cabinets to revive them and make them shine and put out large bowls of bright, polished fruit such as apples and oranges.  It helps your bathroom to add spa baskets with towels tied with ribbon, scented soaps and lotions, etc.  Stagers also recommend that you stage your yard too.  Add plants and flowers as necessary, and remember that potted plants work too.  You can also dress any patio furniture that you have with a fun tablecloth or other bright solution.

Thinking of buying or selling a home in Sussex County?  Give us a call at Cooper Realty Associates and put us to work for you – 302-644-2266.