How Should You Prepare Your Home When You Are Ready To Sell?

Once you have made up your mind to sell your home and found an agent to handle the transaction for you, there are a few important steps to take to make it look appealing to potential buyers who are looking to buy a home more than a simple house. Even though you may not realize it, the appearance of your home on the day a buyer looks at it can make or break the sale, so be diligent and create the perfect setting to influence their decision. Keep it clean – nothing can make a house more unappealing to a potential buyer than walking into a mess. Because of this it is important to keep your home clean at all times. Make sure the sink is free of dirty dishes and there are no dirt trails to be seen. This is extremely important, as your cleaning habits will speak volumes to a buyer about the way you’ve maintained the property. Make it look homely – a home is exactly that, a place for a family to get together in an environment of peace and love. One of the best ways to achieve this ambiance is to simmer some cinnamon sticks on the stove and set out a few plates of baked goodies for visitors in strategic areas of your house, including the kitchen, living room, dining room and hallway. Make sure you use pretty plates, and offer a cup of hot cocoa or tea during their visit. Decorations are the key to success – nothing can bring out the true spirit of a house as a few well-placed decorations. This is especially true during the holidays, so without running the risk of making the place look gaudy and overloaded, decorate with a few nice pieces and place the focus on them by using indirect lighting. During Christmas you can have your favorite carols playing softly in the background and a fire going in the chimney to ensure you add that special touch the season can provide. Keep your front yard in top shape – regardless of the season, the front yard should always be kept free of debris, garbage, and snow. The front yard will create the first and most important impression on a potential buyer, so make sure you make it the best one you possibly can. Even though winter snow and ice can be quite annoying, especially in the Grand Junction Colorado area, always keep the walkway shoveled and well salted, and you can add some sand to ensure your visitors have a secure footing as they walk to the door. Many times a sale will be more about the small details than the price, and providing a potential buyer with an environment that will give them a good idea of how pleasant their life will be if they purchase your property will go a longer way than lowering the asking price. No matter how you choose to prepare your home for selling, always put yourself in a buyer´s shoes and create an environment that is welcoming and friendly, as well as warm and comfortable, because that may help them decide they want your home to be theirs.

Should you remodel or move?

It can happen suddenly, when you least expect it, the realization that your current home is no longer adequate to your needs can come in a flash, or creep up on you over time. It may happen because you finally notice the clutter that’s been piling up in the middle of your living room, or you are planning on adding a new member to your family and need the extra room, or maybe you just realized your house is falling apart around you. But, do you really need a new place, or can you simply get an expert to remodel your house and convert it into the home of your dreams? The answer depends on a few very important points. 1. Taking a long, hard look at your reasons for wanting to expand. Regardless of the decision you ultimately reach, you must get to that point after pondering the reasons you have for wanting to make a change. Considering what the future holds for you can be a deciding factor in the case of wanting more space for your children. If you are starting to plan a baby, then a larger home may be the best choice, but if you have teenagers who will be leaving for college in a relatively short period of time, remodeling may be your best bet. 2. Consider your existing structure and the size of your land. In many cases, a house is already as big as it can be, and the structure may not be able to withstand another addition. If this is the case, a move will probably be beneficial, but if not, you may want to consider adding additional space. You should also determine whether the size of your land will be able to accommodate an expansion on your home, because in the end, you may not want to give up your garden for a new kitchen, in which case your best option would be to move to a larger home. 3. Keep the long term market value of your home in mind. In a recessive economy, investing money into remodeling your home may not be the most viable option, especially if the investment will be larger than the potential sale price of your home in 5 or 10 years. If this is the case, you may be better off finding a new property, but remember to consult an expert realtor for a realistic estimate on the viability of your project. 4. Moving can eat into your savings. Even though you may think that remodeling is more expensive than moving, in many cases this is not true, especially considering the cost of moving. When you move you have to pay a wide variety of fees and commissions, not counting the cost of the new property, which will not add any value to your finances, whereas remodeling will add value to your property and increase your equity, which can be a good move for a future sale. Regardless of whether you choose to move or decide to add to your existing property, always weigh your options carefully, and consider a future that may come faster than you think.