Tip #23: Tame wild jungles
An empty yard sells better than an overgrown yard, probably because an empty yard looks larger. When trimming back your shrubbery and trees as you're getting ready to sell your house, don't be timid. Trees and shrubbery should not hide the house itself. Again, less is more.
Tip #24: Water the lawn
Use your sprinklers as much as possible to ensure everything in your yard is green. Turn on your sprinklers' manual start button whenever a Realtor is bringing a potential buyer to view the home. Newly-watered landscaping has a fresh, clean scent and a shimmer that makes it look much better than when it's dry. By leaving them on, you can also discourage any backyard exploring in the event you have unsightly areas there.
Tip #25: Park down the street
Extra parking outside your house will give your property a spacious appearance. Park cars down the street so the Realtor has the most convenient parking. Also, be sure to remove children's toys, garbage cans, or any other unnecessary items from your front yard. All the buyer should see is a well-groomed property.
Tip #26: Get out of the house
Tip #27: Take the dog for a walk
Tip #28: Create an experience
Try writing a letter explaining some of the features of your home. Talk about the schools, good neighbors, malls and shopping centers in the area, perhaps even a little history about the home. Write it in a very personal fashion, as if you were writing to a close friend. Try to create images in the potential buyer's mind of how great it is to live there. Finally, type this letter and make copies, but sign each one by hand. Put the letter in a nice stationery envelope and leave it out where anyone viewing the house couldn't miss it.
Tip #29: Scope out new developments
When you're selling your home, one of the biggest competitors is the new home development in the area. Visit these developments to size up your competition and get ideas on how to beat them at their own game! Make sure your home has the same appeal as the new homes by accenting similar attributes, while pointing out benefits your home may have that the new homes do not.
Tip #30: Check the price
Price may be a sensitive issue, but it is the one thing that will sell your house faster than anything else. If you price your house right in line with the market, it's not likely to sell quickly. That's because only the 10% or 20% of houses with the best prices are selling each month. If the price of your house isn't in that lower 20%, then it isn't likely to sell as quickly. It's not what your house is worth, but what someone is willing to pay. Every shopper is bound and determined to get the best deal in town. Do you honestly feel your price makes your house one of the best deals in town? Now is a good time to compare your house with others on the market in the same area.
Tip #31: Offer to make payments*
Offer to make the buyer's first 3 mortgage payments. This looks very attractive in your advertising. Many people like the idea of having a little grace period after moving into a new home, but usually when it gets down to negotiating, a lower price seems to prevail. Be sure you (or the buyer) are using an experienced lender, since seller concessions seem to confuse many less experienced lenders.
Tip #32: Carry back a second mortgage*
Carrying back a second mortgage on your house can help some people qualify who may not have been able to otherwise. (If you need all of the proceeds from the sale of your house, this method may not work for you.) You carry back a note for, let's say $40,000, but you offer the note to the buyer for only $35,000 providing the note will be paid off within a few months of ownership. The buyer will now need to get approval for an equity line or second mortgage, which can close in 30 days after the buyer takes possession of the home. Realize that even though the buyer agrees verbally to this agreement, they aren't obligated to retire your note any sooner than the note itself states. The motivation to retire your note quickly has to come from the discount incentive.
Tip #33: Pay down the principal*
Seller concessions can attract buyers as well. Offer to pay 1 to 3 years of principal on the buyer's new mortgage (based on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage) if the house is purchased by a certain date. Your Realtor or lender can give you precise figures, but a 3-year principal prepayment usually costs about 1.5% to 2.5% of the loan total amount. This is a small price to pay to sell your house quickly, but to the buyer, it's like getting 3 years of their 30-year mortgage wiped out. Generally, the buyer will attempt to negotiate a price concession in lieu of a seller's concession, but this will increase the readership of your advertising and get people in the door.
*These suggestions may not work for every seller and not all programs will qualify for all buyers. Call us if you have questions.
