Everyone knows first impressions mean a lot. When it comes to selling your home the first thing potential buyers see is the front of your house. For some this begins at the curb and for others it's the front door. For this reason it is incredibly important to remember these areas when getting your house ready to sell.

In fact having a terrific entry is so important Anita Cooper of Realty Biz News recently listed replacing the front entry door as one of the top three home improvement projects which "mostly pay for themselves."

2 Reasons the front door is so important when selling your home.

1. Most home owners begin their search either by looking online themselves or reviewing listings online sent to them by their realtors. The thumbnail accompanying the listing is generally a shot of the front of the house with the focal point of the photo being the front door. If potential buyers are not impressed with this first photo they often won't bother to look at the home any further.
2. Potential buyers spend a good amount of time at the front door waiting for their realtor to open the lock box and unlock the door. This gives them ample time to notice even small things, such as peeling paint, a broken door bell or the worn finish of the door hardware. This was just the case with a home I recently staged in Leander, Texas. Take a look.

When potential buyers see neglected repairs such as a broken door bell or peeling paint they start wondering what else needs repaired. Even minor things such as these will have the buyer keeping a mental tally of how much less they plan to offer.

While replacing a front door may be the optimal solution it often doesn't fit into the budget. But there are plenty of other ways to add appeal to your entry.

How to stage your front door.

• Repaint. Paint is a home sellers best friend. It is inexpensive, DIY friendly and makes a huge difference.
• Add a potted plant or flowers.
• Change the door hardware.
• Put out a new welcome mat.

See what a difference these simple changes made to this front door.

First a complimentary shade of green paint was applied to the door along with a vining plant attached to a topiary trellace. Then door hardware was replaced with a new set in an oil rubbed bronze finish. Last a door mat was added.

Now that the home has a welcoming entry buyers will be imagining themselves welcoming their guests through the door. This is exactly what home staging is designed to do. Make potential buyers begin to see themselves living in your house. This helps them form an emotional attachment to the house and emotions equal offers.

Boomers Top 10 Tips To Let It Go! 

 

Larry and Sheila do a considerable amount of business working with seniors who are either downsizing or thinking about it.

 

When deciding if it's time for Baby Boomers to leave their family home for a smaller place, there are many things to think about. Of course, for most, it is never an easy choice to make.

 

You don't need your large house anymore.

 

You don't want to clean your large house anymore.

 

You don't want the financial burdens that are attached to owning a large house.

 

You also don't want to think about how difficult it might be to sort through everything in your large house to get ready for the move.

 

However, Larry and Sheila are finding that many consumers do want to simplify their lifestyles, less maintenance, more travel, more leisure time. In other words, they want to free up their time and energy for more creative pursuits.

 

To help Baby Boomers prepare for the downsizing move, here are 10 Tips to help de-clutter your home. By the way, for those of you "youngsters" who don't know who the "Baby Boomers" are, they are those who were born just after World War II and are called so because of the boom in the number of babies born during that period.

 

1. Start Slow ~  Start with a room that is not often used anymore, like a basement, a formal dining room, or those extra spare bedrooms. This way you avoid cluttering the areas of the home that are used regularly.

 

2. Sort Everything ~ While still in your current residence, sort through everything. Look around the house and toss everything away that you genuinely don't need. Put aside the items that you can sell or donate and take care of those before you move.

 

3. Closets ~ Assort your clothes and really look at the things that you haven't worn in a long time, or don't even fit you anymore. If you haven't worn something in a couple of years, it's time to let go.

 

4. Furniture ~ Really look at all your furniture and think about the space you will have in your new place. When you start with the large items like furniture, you will feel you are  more progressive. Then you can move towards the smallest items like knick-knacks or collectibles.

 

 

5. Let The Family Have Stuff ~ If you still have things that belong to your children or other family members, see it they want them. Otherwise get rid of it. If they don't want it, why are you holding onto it?

 

6. Storage/Attics/Garages ~ Look at your tools, mowers, storage, outdated anything, or whatever else is stored in your garage and get rid of what you don't need. If you move into a condo, chances are they provide all the yard maintenance for you, so do you really need this stuff? There’s usually good items to sell in a garage sale. Why not make extra money, while cleaning out the home.

 

7. Personal Papers And Photographs ~ These often take the most time to go through. Take your time and decide whether to keep, save for your children, or shred. You don’t need to discard photos, but you do need to consider how to organize and store them.

 

8. Gifts And Sentimental Items ~ If you're still hanging onto your children's school papers, and old clothes, ask yourself why? Also as to those gifts that you have received for all kinds of occasions, it’s okay to let go of well-intended but not-quite-on-the-mark gifts. Maybe keep a clear plastic “memory box” for the very special items you want to keep.

 

9. Keep, Sell, Donate, Or Trash ~ Although it maybe difficult to part with possessions, doing so is often a must for anyone planning to downsize. Begin by dividing belongings into keep, sell, donate, and trash categories.  Knowing that others will appreciate these things might make parting with the items a bit easier.

 

10. Let Things Go ~  Don't be afraid to let things go. After all, they are just material things and you might feel a little better living a little lighter. Start to de-clutter your home ahead of the move, you will be able to move into a smaller home easier, lighter and ready for the new excitement ahead!

 

And, of course, #11 would be to call Larry and Sheila, Realtors with Charles Rutenberg Realty at 631-805-4400, if you are downsizing on The North Shore Of Long Island!

 

http://www.suffolkexperts.com

Email: sheila@suffolkexperts.com

 

All content, including text, photographs and images, remains the exclusive property of Suffolk Experts.  Only with written permission of Larry & Sheila may anything be used by others. All information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Suffolk Experts and Larry & Sheila make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, delays in information, any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.   

If you or anyone you know is considering to sell their existing home on The North Shore Of Long Island, or is purchasing their first home, dream home, step-up home, or retirement residence, we would appreciate the opportunity to serve them, and we can also recommend a relocation professional in the destination of choice outside our Long Island area! 

                    

 

  

Listing Agent's first mistake in regards to the home buyer.                                                 

They do little in regards to make sure the lender chosen by the home buyer can perform in a 30 day period. Many big retail banks like Wells Fargo and BoA  take 45-60 days to close and that is if everything goes smoothly.

The listing agent needs to have a lender that can do specialty lending in case the home buyer can not get a traditional loan.

In most cases this deals with properties that have damage. Or there are condos that are considered non-warrantable. They do not qualify for Fannie/ Freddie /FHA loans. The home buyer needs to have options. Have this conversation up front, otherwise it may kill the deal at the end.

THE LISTING AGENT & HOME BUYER NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT FINANCING OPTIONS

Many lenders have overlays above the seller guidelines from Freddie/Fannie etc. They need to know more than Direct Lending vs brokering. I guarantee the home buyer will not know the difference.  A good listing agent is more than someone who can talk short sales. Understanding the home buyer and their lending situation will definitely keep the red flags emerging at the end.

What should the home buyer do upfront to avoid these issues down the road?

A conversation of what lending programs on the property are potentially available. The home buyer needs to have some flexibility with the type of program they want. Home buyers need to understand the collateral (house) needs to qualify for the loan , as well as the buyer.

The first thing most people notice about a home is usually referred to as the curb appeal. An integral part of the appeal is the landscaping. Beautiful blooms and striking shrubs intertwined with walks and accents draws one in like a moth to a flame.

Looking with an inspector’s eye I often see landscaping gone amok. Bushes bursting onto the house, ivies entangled with wires and snaking under siding, it all begins to look ugly to me. As delicate as plants look, they are incredibly strong. Left alone plants will cover a property in little time, soon obscuring the house working to turn it back into soil. The very thing plants need. One could say they are purposeful as well as beautiful.

On a bright brisk morning not long ago I was reminded of the humble plants strength. Walking around the exterior of this neglected home I saw numerous over grown plants. A large vine meandered its way up the side of the home, reaching around the chimney.

Walking the roof I noticed the vine was well established up here where the light was better. It could be said plants are the ultimate sun worshipers.

Seeing branches tangled among the chimney is not all that unusual for me to find, but finding them growing through the flashing is a rare first. The sheer will and strength it took for these first tiny branches to find and exploit a weakness is amazing.

And a reminder to keep your landscaping in check.

 

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Learn more about our Infrared Thermal Imaging & Diagnostics services.

Learn more about our home energy audits, the Home Energy Tune uP®.

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

 

If you know exactly why you are selling then it is easier for you to follow the right plan of action for getting what you want.

If you are a seller who needs to close a sale as quickly as possible, then you should know that getting the highest price possible is not one of your priorities. It does not mean that you won’t or cannot get the highest price, but it means that the price is not the deciding factor. A buyer who can give you a quick closing time will appeal much more to you than a buyer who can offer you more money but the negotiation and closing time drag on.

It’s always good to know how low you will go, in terms of selling price. This will help to eliminate some of the offers that you find simply offensive or ridiculous. Even though you should consider all offers seriously and take into consideration the terms of each offer, sometimes, if you know the bottom line and are strict about it, you can save yourself time.

Once you know what your limits and reasons are, discuss them with your agent so that they can help you set your goals realistically. If you decide to list your home on your own, make sure you do research on the current market, and you get the proper advice you need in terms of legal issues, etc. The key is to be realistic and to know what your goals are so they can be met.

Kamal Salim
Team Kamal - 14 Agents for the price of 1
Keller Williams Properties
1625 N. Commerce Parkway, Suite 207
Weston, FL 33326

Cell:          954-297 3630
Office:      800-962-0574
E-Mail:     info@kamalsalim.com
Website:  www.eleganthomesforsale.com 


Find out how much your home is worth

 

In Staging we talk a lot about de-personalizing a home. We talk about creating a neutral envelope and about helping the buyer focus on their lifestyle while they view the home.

That's all true, but we never forget to leave in the warmth. It can be a fine line and if you cross it, you lose that 'feeling'.... the feeling of 'home'.

So don't forget that lov'n feeling when you prepare your home for sale. Your home should look and feel like a home that is working for the present owner.

 

A child's room should be tidy and uncluttered but still have that 'cute' appealing look that makes a buyer imagine how pleased their child would be in the room.

 A Kitchen should be spotlessly clean and ready for the closest of inspections but not stripped completely. Here we walk a fine line between looking like a model home and looking like a kitchen that is functioning well for the owner.

If the style of your home means you entertain in the kitchen, add some 'dining' touches to elevate the space. Upgrade the chandelier and the table and chairs.

 

 

 

Make sure the Great Room looks spacious with good traffic flow but don't make it cold.

Show them where they can relax and watch a game or a movie with friends and family.

Turn on the fireplace if it's cold outside.

 

Master Bedrooms, no matter what the size, need to show the buyer their retreat from the world. Don't crowd it with excess furniture. Make sure the closet shows it holds a couples clothes.

If your bedding is tired, use the new bedding now. It will help you sell. Add touches of romance with candles.

Get the kids toys or the office area out of the room.

Yes, do remove family pictures, religious items and used soaps or tooth brushes.

Show the buyers a home you find comfortable, a home that works for you. Just don't show them those dirty sneakers, over flowing hampers, wet towels or make them smell last nights dinner. Leave the warmth but not the drudgery.

Leave that lov'n feeling.

 

 

 

Serving Burlington,Oakville, Milton, Hamilton & surrounding areas.     905-467-5353

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to get found on page one of Google

 

I learned some new SEO tricks from Active Rain University!

The name of the class was “How to get found on page one of Google,” taught by Bob Stewart.

A few days ago, before I took this class, I posted some things that I knew about SEO (search engine optimization).  It was pretty basic, but since I am not a high level techie, it was just about the extent of my knowledge on the subject.

This class gave me some different ideas.  The focus of the class wasn’t exactly what I expected, but for me I think it was better.

The premise of the class was that our goal perhaps should not be simply to get a lot of eyes on our posts, but to get potential clients and referral sources to see them by narrowing our focus.  In other words, we can catch those people who are interested in a certain neighborhood or condo community and who use a long tail search.

So if your keyword phrase matches their long tail search phrase, you will come up as an agent with expertise in that specific area.  You might not get as many calls, but you will get calls from people more interested in buying sooner and who know what they want.

Since Google uses the first 160 characters of your post as its description, your keyword phrase should be there, as well as later and/or at the end of the post, so that Google will even notice it.

I also learned how to insert an <h1> header to reinforce Google’s search, and I tried it out on a post I wrote last July.  Within 24 hours, that post was clicked on dozens of times – even though it was posted 6 months ago!

These are only a few of the things covered, but I took a lot of notes and will be incorporating my new info into my posts right away.  If you want to learn some new SEO tricks from Active Rain University and get a chance to take the class, do it.  It’s called: ”How to get found on page one of Google.”

And I will probably write another post about the subject too, because I found it very exciting and easy to put into action!

******************

Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

 

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

 

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

ActiveRain has many SEO experts who train and teach members SEO.  Many do this via their blog posts and some teach classes for a fee.  It’s all good from my perspective. I learn so much here in the Rain. I have connected with some awesome people who I have hired to teach me on SEO. 

They also work on my sites and do the things that I do not want to spend time on.  I prefer to simply spend my time blogging and let others do the rest.  I also prefer to pay someone for one on one SEO training because for me, it is faster and I can ask all the questions I want!

At our recent Bay Area MeetUp the topic of Re-Blogging was discussed among several other members who mentioned they noticed that I did things like change the title and add my contact information.  I literally just started doing this days before the MeetUp. As I explained why I did that and the value of doing so, eyes popped and jaws dropped! 

I learned this technique from reading Debbie Gartner’s post – Reblogging to Maximize SEO and Your Impact. It's only fair that I give credit where credit is due. This SEO tip is Debbie's.  I have summarized below.  I suggest you read, bookmark and follow Debbie Gartner's post on Reblogging. 

In your re-blog introduction give the original author a link back to their profile page.  Use tags/keywords about that they do and the area they serve. The link back to the author helps strengthen the search-ability of their profile and strengthens their page rank.  In other words – it creates more Google Juice for the original author.

How to create more Google Juice for You – the Re-Blogger?

• Change the title and add your geography - real Localism!! More Google Juice. 

• Add your geographic location in the first line of the re-blog. Add your comments about why you are re-blogging. 

• Add your contact information at the end.  I do not recommend adding a link back to your site unless you have the express permission from the author.  Your contact information should be done in a way that does not take away from the original post/author. 

See my most recent reblog to see how this is done. 

Please refer to Debbie’s post for details. 

 

Recommended ActiveRain Members and SEO Experts:

Dave Keys - Real Estate SEO Expert - Dave's focus is more high-end brokerage level SEO versus individual agents.

Tammy Emineth - Personal SEO - Website SEO and Real Estate Marketing

 

Kathleen Daniels, Broker Associate, Short Sale Agent, Certified HAFA Specialist (CHS), and Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), Certified Short Sale Negotiator (CSSN), and REO Default Certified Professional (RDCPro), serving San Jose and surrounding San Jose Communities.

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