August 20, 2009

The Front Porch Swing is Back

The front porch swing is one of the most undervalued items of a home. This is a shame because it can literally whisper the words 'relax' and 'home sweet home' to a buyer as they come up to your front door. Have you ever walked or driven by a home and witnessed front porch sitters having a horrible time? It just doesn't happen. More and more people are realzing the importance and benefits of relaxing in our busy busy world. When a buyer sees a quaint front porch swing, they will immediately have good feelings and naturally want to see the rest of the home.

There are few little known secrets of sellings houses... for example, planting yellow flowers by the front entrance, or changing out the address numbers with sharp, visible ones. One of the biggest secrets how extremely important it is to make the front porch look and feel welcoming. A porch swing is one of the easiest changes to make!

Installation is not that difficult and can be done in just a few hours. All you have to do first is find the swing that best suits your home.

The most popular types of swings are wicker and wooden ones. Both can be spray painted whatever color you'd like. Wicker will have a more timeless, old world feeling, while wooden could stretch from a country look to a modern sleek look. Adding cushions to your swing will make a world of difference in a fresh, clean, comfortable feeling to all who see it. The main thing to remember is to match the style of your porch swing to the style of your home.

August 13, 2009

Having a Hard Time Selling Your Home?

Biggest Mistakes Sellers Make

Bad Internet / MLS Photos
Over 85% of buyers are looking on the Internet first to find a house to buy. This has taken the place of a first showing and it is now the buyer's first impression. How do your photos look? Great photos are a critical marketing tool. Great photos will capture ALL of the room, have good color and clarity, and show everything in the room in one shot. Make sure you have at least 15 pictures advertising your house on the Internet/MLS. Buyers want to see as much of the house as possible.
Disappointing Curb Appeal
When selling your home, don't disappoint your buyers! When they pull up to the front of your house they carry with them their hopes and dreams that this home could be the one. You need to do whatever you can to impress those buyers so they will want to come inside and see more. Paint and plants are the cornerstones of curb appeal and will do the trick every time. Mow the lawn, add new mulch, switch out the old light fixture and mail box. And don't forget the two most overlooked items: a new welcome mat and doorbell.
A Dirty, Cluttered House
The way you live in your home and the way you live when you are selling your house are two different things. When you get ready to place a home on the market for sale it becomes a product and just like any product on the shelves at your local store it has features and benefits, pluses and minuses, and there are other products to compete with. You must look better than the competition. Buyers expect to see an immaculate house with no signs of dirt, dust or hair. Most likely your home is competing with a brand new very clean home. When you sell your home you're going to have to move. When you move, you're going to have to pack. De-cluttering means you're going to pack up some of your things early. Impress buyers with a clean, clutter-free house.

Making Your Buyers Feel Like Guests
Buyers only know what they SEE, not the way it's going TO BE. Pack up all personal collections, family pictures and taste specific decor. That includes religious items, personal awards and trophies, self-help books, bills and financial information sitting on the desk or kitchen counter, the family portrait on the wall and everything stuck on the fridge. If your family's personality is in every room, buyers can't imagine living there and they will feel like guests. It is vital to neutralize each room to appeal to the broadest range of buyers.

Decor that Fails to Connect with Your Buyers
You've lived in your home for the past 15 years and the last time it was decorated was back in 1995. Brass fixtures, verticle blinds, faux paint treatments, wallpaper, and builder grade bathroom mirrors all look tired, dated and old, and yet they are all simple and relatively inexpensive to fix or replace. Slipcovers on worn couches, new light fixtures and hardware, paint , new bedding and a few new accessories can transform your house into a space buyers will love and connect to.