Preparing to Sell

In today's housing market, there are fewer people using a formal dining room and more people demanding a home office or home theatre in their "dream home." This is especially true if your kitchen has a breakfast nook, kitchen bar or is big enough to add a kitchen table. Gen Y buyers (those born from the late 1970s to early 2000s)  are just now coming of age and many are buying their first houses. These buyers, in particular, deem technology and entertainment a priority in their homes. Many of these buyers spend more of their disposable income on eating out and fewer of them cook at home. If you have a traditional house and you want to update it for showing, you may be able to accomplish that goal with a little creative staging.

Dining Room

Even if your…

One of the most difficult aspects of putting your home up for sale is enduring the parade of people through your home who are on a mission to find fault with it. Before you become emotionally involved with the sales process, remember exactly what is happening when you put your home up for sale:

1. You are liquidating one of your biggest financial assets (probably THE biggest). 2. Buyers are investing their money in what will probably be their biggest financial asset. You can't afford to consider the house your "home" during the sales process - it is a product for sale. Expect buyers to be looking for any problems they can find. Identifying problems before making the decision to buy is a wise move. It's what you would do in the same situation. It makes…

If you are preparing to put your house on the market these days, you can't afford to overlook the details. The market is flooded with options for any qualified buyer -- you need to ensure that YOUR house is the most attractive option at the best possible price. Your Real Estate Agent will assist you with pricing. Only he/she knows the pricing criteria for houses similar to yours, in your area, that are receiving bids.

As far as the other things you can do, decluttering and ororganizing always improves home sales. Once that's complete, you will need to get down to the nitty-gritty of ensuring the best possible first impression.

Clean, Clean, Clean... then Clean Some More

Cleaning is one of those things that you don't notice if it's done, but you…

Even in today's sluggish market there are some things you can do NOW to help your home sell while the others in your neighborhood or city sit stagnant. The trick is to make YOUR house show better than the others flooding the market. You can even sell your house in a market overwhelmed with foreclosure "deals" by making it speak, in a personal way, to the potential buyer. Below are some great tips to get you started.

Exteriors: First Impressions

Make sure that the first glimpse of your house is a flattering one. From the street to the threshold, everything needs to be properly maintained. While the yards of other "for sale" homes might look o.k., yours should look perfect. If you don't have the time or energy to do these tasks yourself, hire in a lawn…