Top 5 Tips to Selling Your Home Fast with a Realtor

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Anyone who wants to sell their house prefers a quick sale so they can get their money and be done with the whole transaction. Some families may not be able to move to a new home until their current home sells. If you’re in this situation, the best way to sell your home fast is to engage the services of a professional College Station, TX realtor. She’ll be able to help you through the process from start to finish. These five top tips I have provided below can help.

#1 – Be Honest and Direct With your College Station Realtor

Your realtor can help you better if she knows everything about the home, property and your goals for selling it. It’s important to reveal all paperwork for upgrades or renovations that have been done over the years.

#2 – Always Start at the Right Price

You’ll want the highest price possible when you sell your home, but be realistic. Do some research online to see what nearby houses have sold for. The realtor's experience, her knowledge of the general area and knowing the details of your home and property will help her determine the best price that can lead to a fast sale.

Starting at a lower price that suits the market usually results in a faster home sale than starting high and negotiating.

#3 – Invest Money Where Buyers Look First

Older homes may sell more quickly with some updates or renovations. This is especially true for kitchens and bathrooms. Other things you might want to consider investing money in are up-to-date flooring, paint for the walls, and appliances or fixtures.

If you don’t want to invest any money prior to the sale of your home, I think you should be aware that the price will have to come down in most cases. For example, if potential buyers see a pink tub from the 1970s, they’ll want a discount so they can afford to buy a newer tub.

#4 – Clean Up and Clear Out

Clean up and clear out the house as much as possible. Buyers need to be able to see the rooms, not the things in them. Clutter and personal items make it difficult for them to imagine living in the house.

If you wish to sell your home quickly, make everything as empty as possible. This provides your realtor the opportunity to stage the house with attractive decor items if a potential buyer is coming to look.

#5 – Make the House Easy to Show Well

Besides clearing everything out and keeping everything clean, make your house easy to show in other ways. Make sure curtains, blinds, or shades can open for natural lighting. Always be on hand if your College Station, TX realtor calls and wants to show your house to someone interested in buying. The easier you make it to get house shoppers through the door, the more likely you are to sell your home quickly.

As a realtor, my goal is to help you sell your home as quickly as possible. Honesty, strategic pricing and accepting professional advice from your realtor will often provide the fast sell you want. 

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

Home Buyers - 5 Things You Should Bring to an Open House

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You want to find the perfect home to buy with the help of your College Station, TX realtor. Part of the process includes visiting several open houses to check out properties in the area you want to live in. This is not only a great idea for looking at particular homes but also for getting a feel for the neighborhoods. While some people go to an open house just for curiosity’s sake, serious shoppers should prepare.

Here is a list of five things I think you should bring to every open house you attend:

1 – A Smart List of Questions

Do some homework for each property before you attend an open house. Jot down a list of intelligent questions to ask that aren’t covered somewhere else. Although, agents usually give out a data sheet of the home’s details when you walk through the door, it’s perfectly acceptable to ask questions of the real estate agent hosting the open house.

2 – A Tape Measure and a Notebook

While the total dimensions of each room should be listed in an info sheet, some areas may need measuring to see if your furniture will fit. You shouldn’t spend two hours crawling around the house measuring each doorway and windowsill; however, it’s perfectly acceptable to measure and make notes about closet size, door clearance, and ceiling height. A small notebook or a notes feature on your smartphone can be very useful for remembering details.

3 – A Camera-Equipped Phone or a Digital Camera

Taking pictures of things that weren’t included in the real estate listing might be a good idea. However, I recommend that you always ask permission to take photos or video before you do so. This is especially important if the homeowner is still residing there.

4 – Comfortable Shoes and Appropriate Clothing

An open house requires walking around the property and climbing up and down stairs. You might even get down on the floor to look at things. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing that won’t reveal too much as you bend and stretch. Let me suggest that you leave the ripped jeans and joke T-shirts at home, though.

5 – Good Listening Skills

Not only should you listen to the realtor hosting the open house, the other people viewing it may give you some interesting information as well. You can gauge their interest and try to figure out if they’re going to make an offer or not. Also, they might have some details about the neighborhood that you’re unaware of. For example, if you hear another viewer talk about a barking dog or nonstop basketball in the street, it can help you make your decision about the property.

Real estate open houses provide the opportunity to really experience a property. You can imagine living in a house much better when you’re walking around in it than if you only view photos on a computer screen. With the proper planning, tools, and a bit of investigative work, you can make an open house much more helpful when it comes time for finding your dream home.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!

Stay or Go? What Fixtures Come With the Home You Buy?

When you visit open houses or your College Station, TX realtor takes you to view homes, most will have some furniture and décor inside. The houses may be staged to look their absolute best so you can imagine living in them if you choose to buy. 

It’s important to remember that many of the things you see will not be sold with the house. Most people understand that the furniture, vases and art on the walls are not part of the property, but they might be surprised to learn that there are other things that may be gone when they close on the house, get the keys and walk inside after the purchase.

Appliances

In general, any appliance that is built into the house stays with it. This usually includes ovens and stoves, built-in microwaves and dishwashers. Refrigerators, clothes washers and dryers may also stay behind, but I urge you to ask to make sure.

Even if you are told that appliances are included in the sale, you may not necessarily get the appliances you see. The high-end stainless steel kitchen set may be replaced by less expensive options, so I encourage you to always read the fine print and ask questions.

Fixtures and Hardware

Things like light fixtures, sink faucets and flat screen TV mounting brackets may or may not be included in the sale. That beautiful chandelier in the hall, the electric sconces in the bedroom and the stained glass pendant light in the kitchen could be taken by the people who are selling the house. Likewise, while sinks and bathtubs need to have faucets, they do not necessarily have to be the fancy ones on display.

If you want to keep any of these things, ask if they are included in the sale. If a family plans to remove some, you might be able to negotiate a price and buy them before they take out their screwdrivers.

Building Materials

Everything that is essentially part of the house or property should stay during the sale. This includes things like floor tiles, crown molding, fence posts and rails and ceiling medallions. Although you should check the MLS sheet to make sure before finalizing the purchase, it is pretty safe to assume that the previous owner is not going to rip up the kitchen floor to take the tile with him.

Furniture and Décor

On the other hand, you should assume that all freestanding personal property goes with the previous owner. This includes all furniture, throw and area rugs, art on the walls, lamps and all decorations. It may also include window treatments such as shades, blinds and curtains; although, whatever is on the windows is the most likely to be left behind. Again, ask your realtor if such things are included or if you can negotiate to buy them while you’re buying the house.

Your College Station, TX realtor should lead you through the entire process and reveal everything so there are no surprises or questions once you finally close on your new home. Then you can move in with a positive attitude and not feel shocked or disappointed because you assumed something would be included in the sale and it wasn’t.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor bryan-college station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable sale of your home. Call Sarah Miller at 979-255-1904 for your real estate needs in Bryan-College Station and the entire Brazos Valley!