Spring Has Sprung! Home Tips

Spring is a good time to do some maintenance to your home.  Here are some things I recommend you do at least once per year and Spring is a good time to do them.

1. Have your furnace and air conditioning serviced.  This once or twice a year task will save you money in the long run. Plus, a well running system is more efficient thus saving you energy costs.

2.  Clean the windows, window sills and window treatments.  You'll enjoy the view so much more and you'll be able to inspect the windows and make repairs as needed.

3.  If you don't like going in your crawl space, hire someone to do it.  Look for signs of moisture intrusion.  Catching this early saves time and money.

4.  Clean all the ceiling fans.  Wash all the globes for the lights.

5.  Clean the carpets.  It makes your home look and smell clean.

6.  Deep clean the kitchen including the appliances.  If you have that little dust shelf above your upper cabinets, be sure to clean that too.  A tip I learned from someone was to place wax paper up there.  Then you just have to remove it and replace it with new each time you clean.

7. Outside, you'll want to trim the bushes, apply fresh mulch and clean away all the signs of winter.

Who Should I Hire to Be My Agent?

That is a tricky question.  Why?  Because the truth of the matter is that we like to work with people who are like us and who like us.

So how do you know if an agent is someone who is like you and who would like you?  Since the first place you are going to look is online, check out the agents profile or website.  Do you have common interests or similar backgrounds?  Maybe you have a friend who is an agent.  You already like them because you are friends so why not hire them?

What I think is that is a good place to start, but that might not be enough of a reason to employ a particular person to be your agent.  You should also look at their online presence.  Are they professional?  Do they have a proven track record?

First, experienced agents hold professional designations.  This shows their commitment to training which will allow them to better represent you.

Second, good agents use professional services to help market your property.  They use professional quality photos, tours and print brochures when they market a home.  They do not use their cell phone to take pictures and they know how to properly load them onto the websites.

Finally, great agents pay attention to market trends and can help you position your property to sell within the average market time for your area.  They should be able to tell you approximately the amount of time it should take to sell at market value.

But remember, it is a partnership.  No matter how good an agent is, they cannot sell overpriced, poorly maintained homes in bad locations.  So make sure you have done all the maintenance needed and cleaned your home thoroughly before you put it out there for buyers to see.  You'll be happy you did.

TIPS FOR SELLING YOUR HOME

Last weekend I spent showing properties to a lovely family from New York.  They are relocating here for a job and our days were spent in several different communities around the Nashville area.  Most of the homes were lovely and in great condition.  However, there were a few that I don't think were really ready to be shown to potential buyers.  So here are my tips to sellers to make your home more appealing to buyers.

TOO MUCH STUFF - Ok, so I understand if you are an avid cook and love kitchen gadgets.  But three free standing racks full of cookware is too much.  It says to the buyer that you don't have enough storage in your kitchen.  The same goes for dolls, hockey pucks, whatever it is you are into.  Box it up and put it in storage.  You're moving anyway.

SMELLY DIRTY HOMES - I haven't yet had a buyer walk into one of these and say "Gee this is fantastic! When can I write an offer."  Ok so maybe you aren't a great house keeper and you have a busy life.  That's okay.  We can't all be good at everything.  Hire someone to help you out.  It will be a lot less costly than sitting on the market day after day with no offers.

TOO MANY RULES - One seller in particular had lots of instructions for me, the buyers agent.  Take off your shoes but don't go barefoot; don't turn on the lights, if you do turn on the lights, turn them off; stay with all your clients all the time; don't touch anything; etc.  By the time we got there, the buyer already knew they weren't welcome.  There was no way they were going to buy that home.

DISREPAIR -  If you are selling your home and you know there are things that need to be fixed, fix them.  Don't expect the buyer to overlook rotten wood, damaged flooring, broken windows or a house that is too hot or too cold because the HVAC system isn't working properly.  That says to the buyer that you don't care about this home so why should they.