The 3 P’s of Preparing a Home for Sale

I receive many calls from people saying something like, “My great aunt just died, and we need to sell her home. We don’t have a bunch of money to spend on it, so what are the least expensive things we can do?” Whether it’s your property or someone else’s you’re selling, to prepare it for the market, all you have to do is remember the three p’s:

  1. Powerwash. Sometimes a home that’s been lived in for years needs a good washing. Power wash the siding, sidewalks, windows. You’ll be surprised by how wonderful the house can look afterward.
  2. Paint. Paint is easy, both inside and outside, and will refresh the home. You’ll be surprised by how wonderful the house can look after power washing.
  3. Plant. Plant some lovely flowers in the front yard to give the house great curb appeal.

Bonus P: Purge. Sometimes people like to collect things, and there will be more of them if they’ve lived in the home for a long time. They might be quaint and full of memories, but remove them from the house so that buyers can see the size of the house and imagine themselves living there.

If you find yourself in this situation or have any questions, call or email me. I’d love to help you through the process. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

3 Mistakes From Selling Your House

The main reason I don’t wear a tie is because it reminds me of having a noose around my neck and selling your home can be one of the most stressful times in your life. Although San Antonio has fewer homes available for sale than the last few years, your home will not sell quickly if you make some or all of the following blunders:

  1. It’s Not Your Home Anymore. You still believe it’s your home. The truth is: it’s not your home anymore. It’s a house, a commodity that must be sold, so remove everything that looks like you live there.
  2. It’s Overpriced. The biggest reason your house won’t sell quickly is you price according to what you need or what you’ve invested to update the home. Important Note: You made the updates for your needs. The new owner may like the floor plan but may want to change the carpet or other flooring to reflect his or her personal style because it’s not your home anymore. Unfortunately, while a contract may take a meeting of the minds between or among the parties of the contract, if the buyer uses a mortgage to purchase the home, the appraiser determines the value of the home and this is the maximum value the lender will lend to the buyer
  3. Photos. Buyers go to the internet 92% of the time when starting their home search. It’s imperative to hire a professional photographer to prepare photographs of the features and benefits of the most important rooms in the house so potential home buyers get a feel for the home before they visit in person. One of my clients wanted to live in a specific neighborhood a while back; very few homes were listed there but one stayed on the market for nearly 6 months so I previewed it. Come to find out, one of the pictures had a window unit in a home with central air conditioning. However, the window unit was gone so I took my clients and we were under contract that night.

The Point: If you want to sell quickly, listen to your professional realtor who will guide you through the home selling process.