FIRST IMPRESSIONS LAST
Ever noticed how other people’s mess always looks worse than your own. From the moment prospective buyers arrive, everything they see makes an impact on their assessment of your home. Gardens and lawns should be well presented; rubbish should be disposed of, paths kept clean, toys and garden tools stored away.
MAXIMISING SPACE
Remove all clutter and watch your house expand in size. Neat, well ordered cupboards, wardrobes and pantry show that space is ample.
DON’T WASTE MONEY
If you spend a lot of money painting, carpeting or adding a patio, you will want to add this to the price. Buyers, on the other hand, may not share your taste, even though what they are getting is like new. Be guided by your agent as to what is necessary and what is not.
LITTLE THINGS – BIG DIFFERENCE
On the other hand, complete all minor repairs. Sticking doors and windows, loose door knobs, dripping taps or peeling paint may affect the speed and value of your sale.
HIGHLIGHT YOUR HOME
Nothing improves the atmosphere of a home more than brightness. Open all the curtains and switch on strategic lights to brighten up gloomy spots prior to the arrival of prospective purchasers.
WORKING WITH KIDS & ANIMALS
When buyers are there, keep children and pets right out of the way. Taking them for a walk is often a great idea.
THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
Smokers and dog owners beware: nothing makes a buyer want to get out of a property quicker than stale air. Room deodorisers, a bowl of pot pourri and open windows will all help. Any home will be enhanced by the smell of a cake baking, or freshly brewed coffee. Often the effect is subliminal; days later purchasers don’t always realise exactly why they got such good vibes from your home.
A WARM WELCOME
A warm, comfortably heated home has a real feeling of cosiness on a cold day. Alternatively, make sure your home is well ventilated on hot days.
TAKE A BACK SEAT
Don’t have too many people present during inspections and avoid trying to “help the agent out”. Your sales consultant knows the buyer’s requirements and knows which features of your home to emphasise to different purchasers.Never apologise for the condition or appearance of your home. This only emphasises the faults.Never discuss the details of the transaction such as price or terms. Leave this to your agent. Remember, their experience and training enables them to better qualify purchasers and negotiate the best price. Furthermore, negotiations can be kept on a businesslike level when emotions are not involved.
PRICE
What’s a house worth?
A home ultimately is worth what someone will pay for it. Everything else is an estimate of value. To determine a property’s value, most people turn to an appraisal. An appraisal is a real estate agent’s informal estimate of a home’s market value, based on sales of comparable homes in an area. At Arthur Real Estate we provide this as a complimentary service when you list your property exclusively with us for sale.
Can I find out the value of my home through the Internet?
You can get some idea of your home’s value by searching the Internet. A number of Web sites and services crunch the numbers from historic public records of home sales to produce the statistics. Some services offer an estimate of value based on acceptable software appraisal standards. They also depend on historic home sales records to calculate the estimate. They don’t factor in local market nuances or other issues a real estate professional like the Arthur Real Estate team might in assessing the value of your home.
What is the difference between list price and sales price?
The list price is a vendor advertised price, a figure that usually is an estimate of what the seller wants to get. Sellers can price high, low or close to what they hope to get. The sales price is the amount of money you as a buyer would pay for a property.
How do you determine the value of an auction property?
Buyers considering an auction property should obtain as much information about the property as possible. It also is important to examine the property at the open days or contact Arthur Real Estate to make an inspection appointment.