Smart Selling Column

This is a series of columns written for the Hendersonville Times-News Real Estate section. Read the columns for tips on smart selling practices.

Selling Property in a Planned Community - Pricing Strategy

 When you sell property in a planned community, you must prepare it correctly and you must price it right after a realistic look at the competition. You can influence where your property falls in its price range by its condition and cosmetic appeal.

SELLING IN A PLANNED COMMUNITY- PRESENTATION

To compete successfully, sellers in a planned community must create a “wow” factor that sets their unit apart. How well the unit is presented has a major effect on how quickly and profitably it sells.

SELLING IN A PLANNED COMMUNITY-OVERVIEW

When you sell property in a planned community, there are special considerations and some extra work. Selling the community helps sell your unit. Before meeting with your agent, gather general information about the development, as well as any special required items for the MLS listing.

  “Why Your House Isn’t Selling” Course

Learn why your house isn’t selling and how to make the necessary changes to prepare for peak selling season. Attend our new three-part course at Blue Ridge Community College, “Why Your House Isn’t Selling…and What You Can Do”, beginning March 9, 2010.

Helping Children Cope With Selling

Children can feel overwhelmed and anxious at the thought of selling and leaving their home. To help them cope, prove age-appropriate information about what to expect, and encourage them to express their concerns. Be alert to behavioral changes and get outside support, as needed.

BASIC FURNITURE ARRANGEMENT FOR SELLERS

Strategic furniture placement is an effective smart selling tool because it costs nothing, yet makes a dramatic improvement in “curb appeal”. Well-placed furniture welcomes visitors, inspires them to see more and emphasizes the best features of your house.

MANAGING YOUR BELONGINGS: A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH

A systematic approach to organizing and editing your belongings simplifies the work, helps you sell faster and makes moving much easier. 

MANAGING YOUR BELONGINGS: PLANNING PHASE

Allowing time to organize and edit your belongings before listing your house is essential to smart selling. Plan the project, set priorities, establish a timetable and consult with family members about key decisions.

MANAGING YOUR BELONGINGS - PERSONAL ISSUES

Personal issues can make it difficult for some sellers to organize and edit their belongings, but the work must be done to sell effectively.  Involve key family members when possible and ask for help finding solutions. Resolve to complete the project yourself, if necessary.

Managing Your Belongings – Part 1

Failing to manage your belongings before you list your house costs you time and money.  Smart sellers get help as needed and transform their house from a personal space into a product, before it goes on the market.

Use Winter Wisely

Winter is the perfect time to evaluate the condition and appearance of your house. Get professional help and make changes. Use Winter wisely so your house looks its best when prime selling time begins in the Spring.

Holiday Strategies for Home Sellers

 Decorate for the holidays in a way that’s warm and inviting, without obscuring the features of the house. Buyers who are looking now are motivated and you need to be ready for them.

AVOIDABLE SELLING MISTAKES

Some sellers make avoidable mistakes that could be even more detrimental to a successful sale than a slow economy.

WHY YOUR HOUSE ISN’T SELLING – MARKETING

 If your house has been on the market a long time, re-evaluate the marketing strategy with your agent, and be willing to make adjustments.

WHY YOUR HOUSE ISN’T SELLING – PRICE

Setting an appropriate listing price is the most important decision you’ll make, but many sellers let pride and desire for profit get in the way, and insist on a higher price than research supports. This is a serious  mistake.

WHY YOUR HOUSE ISN'T SELLING– PRESENTATION

Unless your house is attractively presented, with its best features highlighted, it can’t compete effectively. A professional stager can suggest economical ways to create a dynamic new impression and re-kindle the marketing effort, even when a house has been on the market a long time.

WHY YOUR HOUSE ISN’T SELLING – CONDITION

If your house hasn’t sold, review its condition and maintenance, inside and outside. Don’t sell “as is” or plan to give an allowance. The house should be updated, clean and move-in ready.

WHY YOUR HOUSE ISN'T SELLING - PART ONE

 Difficulty selling your house could result from factors beyond your control, but the causes often include factors that sellers do control, even in difficult market conditions.

MOLDY MATTERS

If mold issues are discovered when you’re selling, correct the source of the problem and thoroughly clean the affected areas. If you don’t, you are required by law to fully disclose it. Don’t hesitate to get professional help, if needed.

Fall often brings an increase in buyer activity, so it’s important to keep the inside and outside of your house looking their best. Buyers form opinions about a house within seconds, based on how it looks from the street. Fall is no time to relax your efforts.

Radon issues are a fact of life in our area. Before putting your house on the market, consider having it tested by a qualified individual or company and install a mitigation system, when needed. If you don’t test, the buyer likely will. Use a clean radon report as a marketing and negotiating tool.

REMEMBER THE GARAGE!

Like the inside of a house, the inside of the garage needs to look clean, light, spacious and well organized.  Smart sellers create an asset by organizing and staging the garage for maximum appeal to both male and female buyers.

a hOME wARRANTY - iS iT rIGHT fOR yOU?

 A home warranty is a service contract that covers breakdown due to wear and tear of certain systems and appliances. In addition to peace of mind, the major benefit to sellers and buyers is the reduced likelihood of an unanticipated major expense if a covered loss occurs.

Consider A Seller's Home Inspection

Even if the house is in superb condition and has been diligently maintained, smart sellers consider the benefits of a seller’s home inspection as a powerful competitive and negotiating tool.

Is Your House "Picture Perfect?"

Photographs are an essential marketing tool, and each image must be simple, free of clutter and showcase the most attractive features of your house. Smart sellers take an active role in creating “picture perfect” photographs.

 Smart Selling is an additional Regular Job

Smart selling means adding another job to your already busy life because it requires a commitment to keep your house in an unnaturally clean and tidy state at all times. Protect your sanity and share the work.

CURB APPEAL CHECK LIST

 Creating and maintaining curb appeal is essential to smart selling because it makes buyers enthusiastic about your house and helps them begin to imagine living there. Use a checklist and pictures to analyze the impression your house creates and pay attention to the details.

It's Showtime!

Showings are a necessary part of the selling process, and your cooperation is essential. Be prepared that things won't always go as planned, and be flexible. Make the house look its best, then leave so that buyers can take their time to look around.

The Listing Contract - basics

 Your agent will review the entire listing contract with you in detail and obtain your signature on this and other mandatory documents. Selling is a complex legal process, so ask questions and be certain you understand the answers.

A High Listing Price Could Be The Wrong Price

 A smart seller doesn’t insist on an unreasonably high initial listing price. He and his agent weigh the values in a CMA, the appraised value and the assessed tax value of the house to suggest a range of listing prices. Working together the seller and agent can have a positive influence, but the final selling price is determined by the market.

CHOOSING A REAL ESTATE AGENT- THE INITIAL LISTING APPOINTMENT

 The goal of your initial appointment with prospective agents is to become acquainted with them in order to make a final choice.  A smart seller is prepared and the house is staged before making the appointments.

Choosing A Real Estate Agent-Part I

A smart seller doesn’t let personal relationships get in the way of sound business judgment when choosing an agent to market his house.  He chooses an agent through a process that weighs personal qualities and professional expertise.

MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT STAGING

 Don’t be deterred by misconceptions about staging.  Staging is not decorating, it's a crucial real estate marketing tool for all homes. Stagers are not critics; they're allies who help you protect your equity.

WORKING WITH A PROFESSIONAL HOME STAGER

 Home staging in the real world is different from what you see on television. Professional home stagers are trained to apply interior design principles to real estate marketing to create a desirable product. Staging makes your house more competitive, increases profit potential and costs less than an average price reduction.

EVALUATING THE CONDITION OF YOUR HOUSE -

 COSMETICS

The appearance of your house is just as important as its condition, so evaluate the inside and outside before listing. Smart sellers rely on the objectivity and expertise of a professional home stager to identify cosmetic issues and suggest cost-effective solutions to present a house for maximum appeal.

EVALUATING THE CONDITION OF YOUR HOUSE - REPAIRS

Before listing your house for sale, evaluate its condition and make any needed repairs. Don’t plan to lower the price and skip doing the work because it will cost you time and money.

TAKING THE RIGHT STEPS IN THE RIGHT ORDER

By taking the right steps in the right order and properly preparing your house for sale, you can increase profit potential and decrease time on the market.

Smart Selling is a Team Effort

The smart seller's ideal marketing team includes a home stager and a real estate agent, both of whom work with you for best results.

A Look at the Local REAL ESTATE Market

Introduction of the Smart Selling column and a look at the local real estate market.