Thursday, January 10, 2008
Many homeowners have pets and consider them to be a part of the family. When it comes to selling you residence, however, pet issues can become a stumbling block.
Pets and Selling Your Property
As painful as this is to write, pets nearly always hurt your efforts to sell that home. I love animals as much as you, but they are red flag for most buyers. This is true even if the buyers have their own pets!
The first problem with pets has to do with odor. If you have a dog, there is a part of the carpet or home that smells like them. You may not notice it, but buyers will. Even if there is no spot, buyers will assume there is and you have just managed to cover the smell up. Potential buyers will also assume the pet has ?had problems? on the carpet one or more times. Fleas, ticks and bugs may also come to their mind. Essentially, the presence of a pet gives potential buyers the chance to add negative marks to the ledger when deciding whether to make an offer on your property. Obviously, you want to avoid that as much as possible.
A second problem with pets is personality. Every pet has a personality and we grow fond of it. Keep in mind, however, that potential buyers may not be so receptive. While you consider little fido to be active and talkative, all the barking may annoy a potential buyer. If you have a dog, there is the secondary problem that they naturally like to approach new people and sniff them often at crotch level. This is not a good way to score points with a potential buyer.
Finally, you may run into the situation where a potential buyer simply does not like animals. Yes, such people are out there.
When it comes time to list your property for sale, you need to address pet issues. If it is possible to have a friend watch them, do it. If not, it is important that you keep them outside as much as possible. Yes, even if they give you that forlorn look that they have mastered over the years. It is only until the home is sold, so you both will just have to tough it out.
At the end of the day, you have to decide how willing you are to lose a potential deal because of your pet. With a slowing real estate market, you should not be throwing wrenches into potential deals.
Raynor James is with the site - FSBO America - sell your own home.
Considering Paint Colors When Preparing Your Property for Sale
It is undisputed that the decision to purchase real estate is very much an emotional one. To spike the emotional interest, you need to consider the paint schemes of your property.
Considering Paint Colors When Preparing Your Property for Sale
A very odd thing seems to happen to people when they decide to sell their home. They immediately start doing all the improvements they meant to do all those years, but never got around to. When the home is ready to be listed, it is usually in the best condition it has ever been. Put another way, we clean it for someone else. Sprucing up a property prior to selling is definitely the right move, but it is odd that we make it nicer for someone else than we do for ourselves!
If you know the least thing about real estate, you understand the concept of curb appeal. Curb appeal is simply the appearance of the home from the street. The goal, of course, is to have great curb appeal so a potential buyer is hooked when they first drive up to the property. If they fall in love at the first glance, they will often overlook problem areas and make an offer.
A big part of curb appeal and the emotional hook in selling a home is the color. If you walk through any crowded area, you know humans have very different ideas on what constitutes good taste. Very different! In the case of your property, you must acknowledge this fact when considering the paint scheme. Just because you like deep burgundy does not mean most potential buyers will.
The first rule when discussing the color of a property is the clash rule. In this case, the key is to go with a color on the exterior of your home that does not clash with the other properties on your block. While a unique color may look good on the house in the abstract, it can make it an eyesore in the neighborhood as a whole.
The second rule with paint schemes it emphasis. The nature of most properties is they have appealing sections and utilitarian sections. If possible, the appealing sections such as trim around bay windows should be painted in a darker color. Conversely, utilitarian areas such as sizeable flat walls should be painted in a lighter color. This strategy will draw the eye of potential buyers to the appealing sections and away form the utilitarian areas.
Everyone has different tastes when it comes to clothes, cars, people and homes. Apply these rules to the color scheme of your home and you shouldn't have any problems. Now, about that tie?
Raynor James is with the site - FSBO America - sell my home.
Overcoming Hesitation as a FSBO Seller
One tends to hesitate when trying anything for the first time. In the case of selling a home by owner, overcoming this hesitation can save you a bundle of money.
Overcoming Hesitation as a FSBO Seller
If I asked you to go skydiving with me, you might be incredibly enthusiastic or look at me like I was insane. Skydiving is, of course, an extreme activity to say the least. Even if it were something you always wanted to do, you would certainly experience a bit of stress and hesitation when getting ready to leap out the door. What if the parachute doesn't open? What if you freeze up? What if you get struck by lightning!? Whether rational or not, these and other thoughts will go through your mind.
When it comes to selling a property by owner the first time, many people tend to hesitate as well. Selling a home by owner is hardly an extreme sport. In fact, thirty percent of homeowners tend to do so when it is time to move their property. Still, the thought of doing it can bring on stress. What if I sell to low? What if nobody comes to look at the home? What if I get the contract wrong? What if I get sued? The questions can pile up, but you should not make a mountain out of dramatic possibilities.
The simple fact is tons of people sell their home on their own every day. With the Internet evolution, you can find practically any information you need online. Worried about selling too low? Run a home property value report online to see what your property is worth. Worried about the contract? Nearly every residential real estate transaction now uses preprinted forms or you can retain a real estate attorney for a lot less than a realtor commission.
Ultimately, there is one definitive way to avoid hesitation ? calculate your savings. A real estate agent charges a 6 percent commission. If you have a $300,000 home, that is $18,000. If you have a $500,000 home, that equates to $30,000. How many mortgage payments did you have to make to build your equity in the property to the amount being charged by the real estate agent? Two years? Five years? Put in simple terms, the agent commission is a lot of money to leave on the table.
So much for hesitation!
Raynor James is with the site - FSBO America - FSBO homes for sale by owner.
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