Selling in a Tough Market!

Recently I read a great article published by CNBC online about selling homes in a tough real estate market.  While we have seen some of the points in other articles, they drive home the fact that there is a strategy in selling a home.  Below I have listed some suggestions, and kept them simple and easy to follow in developing your selling plan.  These are proven techniques, and if you ask any seller who sold quickly, they most likely followed these basic suggestions, and have moved on with their lives rather than thinking about the what they could have done from the begining and still waiting for a interested buyer.

1.  Opportunity Knocks-   First impressions are critical, and guess what they see first...The front door!  Keep it freshly painted and if you have a screen door or storm door ensure its in great condition and clean.

2.  Curb Appeal-  Mow lawn, prune bushes, and plant inexpensive flowers.  Keep driveways/walkways clean of debris and leaves, and toys

3.  Eliminate Clutter-  Lighten the amount of furniture, clothes in closets, toys, magazines, newspapers, and general clutter.  Remove excess furniture and make rooms look simple to make them look bigger.  On any surface, keep the items to a limit of three or it becomes a distraction.

4.  Go General-  Remove personal photos, and keep your artwork generic in nature.  The more personal your home looks, the less the buyer can see themselves living in your space.  Buyers dont want to have  to imagine what your home could look like...they will move on to the other homes on their list.

5.  Rent a Storage Unit-  Yes, just do it!   A great temporary solution to finding a place to store your excess furniture and clothes, personal items, and knick knacks from every surface of your home.  Save it there for your next home, and dont confuse the potential buyers.

6.  Fixer Upper-  Ok, the word "as is" doesn't work in this market.  Take the time to make the repairs, and not provide the buyers with a laundry list of items that need to be attended to before they close.  It complicates the decision making process for the buyers, and they dont want to take on projects in this market the day after closing.  Finish them ahead of time, and avoid having interested buyers adding them to a closing list that eventually come out of your  pocket.

7.  Price it Right!  Price your home correctly from day one to avoid endless reductions down the road and create a impression that something is wrong with your home and cant sell.  If priced right, you should see positive feedback and attention within 30 days.  Leave out your emotion, and look at the local statistics...they tell you what is happening in the market, and dont pretend they apply to others homes and not your own.

8.  On and Off Approach-  Consider taking your home off the market if the response is slow, and attracting little attention.  With the help of your qualified realtor, they will advise you of correct days on the market, and when the subject needs to be addressed.  Sometimes re-listing a few months later is a good approach especially based on the time of the year for your local market.

9.  Flexible..Dont Haggle-  If your price is realistic, be flexible a little with your asking price.  Dont let a buyer escape or have second thoughts if your rigid and hard in your price.  A simple price reduction may be more than you get several months down the road, so keep the buyer interested, and allow them to feel in control.  They have to many options in this market to move on to!