If you need
to sell your home.... ..

Sign up now for
your free CMA!
(Comparative Market Analysis)

Including the most
current sales information
in your neighborhood

If you need
to buy a home....

Set up your personal
custom OrangeCounty
web page totrack homes, save favorites, and make
property notes..

You will Receive:

Sign UP Now!!

GETTING YOUR HOME READY FOR SALE

1.  Take a New Look!Your home looks good to you, but you will need to take a fresh look at your home... First, consider what's called "curb appeal". The outside of your home is the first to be seen. Does it need painting?  Does the driveway need repair work? Is the roof in good shape? How about the driveway? Is the yard neat and trimmed? What about the view from the front yard?  Be very critical; your buyer will be. Then, walk inside and size up the interior as though seeing it for the first time; Imagine your home in a Virtual Tour and what a real estate agent might say about each room. Llook into cabinets, open doors, check out the bathroom. Make a list of the things that might put off potential buyers, along with another list of the things that first attracted you to the dwelling and upgrades/ improvements you have made. Remember, the home's become a great place for you, but a new buyer will see things that you don't.

2.  Clear Out the Clutter!!!!Before putting your home on the market, get rid of clutter in every area -- closets, attic storage, kitchen cabinets, drawers, bath vanities, shelves – everywhere. You will pack up when you move anyway so just think of it as starting early. Potential buyers are seriously put off by clutter. Don't forget the furniture  when getting rid of clutter – Bulky furniture and too much furniture makes rooms look too small, which makes a prospect think your home is too small. Have a moving sale!  If you just can't bear to part with some possessions, store them in the attic or some other place that's out of sight to a potential buyer.

3.  Clean, Clean, Clean! Clean everything - carpets professionally cleaned, scour the bathrooms, go over the laundry room, polish the furniture, wash   the cabinets, windows and coverings, ceiling fans and kitchen appliances. Don't forget the exterior; paint or pressure wash everything that needs the work.

4.  Repairs Pay Off ! Do what your home needs before the first buyer appears at you door! Patch the roof, touch up the paint, repair the screens, mow the lawn, trim the edges, weed and water. Inside, regrout in the bathrooms and on tile floors, patch & repair scratches or holes in the walls, and be sure to fix any plumbing problems..It's a good idea to do this before listing the home, but if in doubt as to what is important call your agent early to help you make the important decisions and avoid costly mistakes. An "as-is" sale can save you from all this work, but a buyer will probably assess about twice the price you would have paid for the repairs and deduct that amount from your asking price.

5. Show It to Sell It  To attract buyers, follow some simple tips. Open the blinds and turn on the lights. Open all the interior doors, light the fireplace, play soft music, keep cat litter clean, and if possible remove your self, kids and pets. A potential buyer needs to see the home without distractions.  Make sure your home is available to be seen with as little notice as possible. This can be hard as agents often show up with very little notice, so be prepared. If possible avoid appointment only as you will miss a very large percentage of potential buyers.

6. Get a Sense of the Market   Before you put your home on the market, have your realtor prepare a home market evaluation. This will tell you what homes have been selling for with similar prices and in similar neighborhoods. It is also helpful to tour open homes in your neighborhood to get a sense of the competition. Remember, you don't have to go out and buy new furniture just to look like a beautiful new model -- what you want is the feel of that new model -- clean, uncluttered, and fresh. Ask your realtor about Home Staging. This can be an inexpensive way of giving your home a new look without buying new furnishings.After location, the most important item a buyer is a well-maintained home. Many flaws can be overlooked if the buyer knows he can move in without a lot of trouble and expense.

7. Time your sale! The best selling season is  Spring! Summer is the next best time. The hot summer months help sell homes with pools. Many buyers with school age children will want to settle in their new homes early in the summer to give thier children time to get used to the change before school starts. By early fall many buyers have left the market.Often we will see a resurgence in October and November but mostly this is the best time to buy a home! Many homes will be reduced in this time period so don't let this happen to you.  Always sell based on supply and demand: When there are more buyers than homes for sale (sellers market), sellers are able to obtain better prices and terms; when there are more homes for sale than there are buyers, sellers may have to reduce their price and perhaps make other concessions to sell their home. Also, keep in mind that it is easier to sell in a low interest rate environment when more buyers can qualify for a home loan

Nothing can take the place of direct contact so please feel free to contact me either by phone or e-mail with any questions you have about the community of Irvine, Orange County Real Estate or to schedule an appointment to discuss your real estate buying/selling plans...