Presenting Your Home & Working Together

Your home as a showplace

     Creating Curb Appeal    Paint a Picture with the Interior              Showing Your Home    Working Together      Pricing Your Home               Back to "The Selling Process"    My Seller Services

The aim is to sell your home for the highest price possible with terms and time frame acceptable to you.

The beginning of this process is making your home as appealing as possible to the buyers you want to impress. This requires an honest assessment both by you and your agent.  Together we will view your home through the eyes of a buyer and assess it as if you have never seen it before.   Without proper attention, large and sometimes seemingly small problems with your home may decrease the perceived value of your home, and/or increase the time it takes to sell.  Please scroll down to to review items of interest below. However, before rushing into sale preparations by yourself, please call me for a free consultation at 661.645.5556. Each home is unique in it's needs.

Creating Curb Appeal

We will make sure your home looks it's best.  If buyers are unimpressed with the upkeep and look of the outside of your home, they often will not even go inside! 

Make potential buyers feel welcome at the curb by creating an atmosphere that invites them to look at the rest of the home.  To do that, most homes need a little extra attention to detail, some require larger projects to be addressed.

Some larger projects may cost you money upfront, but save you money in the long run by helping to raise the offering price.  I can help you decide which of these larger projects are absolutely necessary to close escrow, those that will add value to your home, and those which are not cost effective. 

The following items brighten up your home and create impressions in the mind of the buyer that (a) the home has been well maintained overall,  (b) the home will not be a money sink after escrow closes and (c) that there are no lurking or hidden deferred maintenance items which could cost thousands.  You cannot expect a buyer to pay top dollar for a home that will need lots of dollars to fix it up.

• Paint the exterior or touch up shutters, doors and eaves if needed.

• Re roof when necessary. Fix smaller roofing problems before they create bigger problems in the future and in the interior.

• Fix dry rot problems - take care of termites before putting the home on the market if at all possible.

• Fix garage doors and hardware, and paint, or change to overhead doors if you know you have serious problems. Make sure the automatic garage door hardware works smoothly

• Fix the doorbell if it doesn't work.

• Polish door hardware and change door mats.

• Clean windows and repair screens.

• Improve landscaping - repair sprinkler valves and heads, repair lighting, make sure pathways are clear of overgrown shrubs and have no trip points. Weed all planted areas and keep your lawn freshly cut and fertilized. 

• Invest in "color bowls" of flowers in season at the front door and add potted plants to liven entries and doorways (you can always take these with you to your new home).

• Make sure plants do not cover windows blocking light to the interior.  Remove dead plants. Trim trees.

• Hide all garbage cans.  Remove children's toys and bicycles and adult toys as well.  Invest in storage if you have a boat, RV or "project" in the driveway, for the time period your home is on the market.

• Clean barbeque areas thoroughly.  If it is possible and practical, decorate your patio area as if waiting for guests to arrive.

• Keep pools and spas sparkling. Leave waterfalls running if you know someone is coming to see the home.

• Keep animals contained at all times, and keep animal areas clean.

• Mend fences and paint if necessary.

• Clean driveways and fix excessive cracking.

• Stucco water stains can be repaired using a mild bleaching agent.

Paint a Picture with the Interior

Most of us are familiar with visiting model homes in new home tracts for sale.  What we often are not aware of, is just how "staged" these homes are.  Each one still has "character" but little feel of who might be living there.  Each one paints a picture of a lifestyle that might be appealing to a particular buyer profile, but always have the following in common.

• Everything is sparkling clean, neat and tidy.

• Very few "personal" items are usually displayed - the occasional family picture, wedding pictures.  There are no "collections" all over the house. Children's toys are always "neatly" stashed or out of sight.

• Appliances are clean.

• Lights are on in every room - darker corners are lit with lamps, window coverings are open.

• Soft music is playing.

• Dining room tables are set as though guests are about to arrive.

• Kitchens have cookbooks, jars of pasta, fake fruit, bread etc

• The TV is usually on, only with a children's movie playing.

• Have you noticed that there are NO interior doors hung?  That's even better than open doors.......but, the "doors" are open to all rooms.

• Rooms appear spacious, just enough furniture to make the room comfortable..........sometimes they use 3/4 size furnishings to more fully achieve this effect in a small room.

• Countertops are clutter and paper free.

• Fireplaces have logs, ready for lighting.

• In festive seasons, the added decorations are present.

• Colorful potted plants are strategically placed and taller ferns and the like are seen in places where accents are necessary to hide an ugly wall.

• Bathrooms are spotless (of course) and towels are new and neatly arranged.

The interior of your home usually reflects who you are and what your daily life and routines are.  It defines who you are.  That is why it is called "home".  However, when you are selling your home, it becomes more important to create a setting so that the potential buyer mentally moves in.  This is difficult for a buyer to do when the buyer is overwhelmed by your presence, even if you are away when the buyer visits.

You will get your best results if you duplicate a lot of what you learn from model homes - the more your home shows like a model, the quicker it will sell and the higher the price you will get!

The following small details will require time on your part with very little or no expense involved.

• Clean all appliances thoroughly, replace worn out or broken parts.

• Clean refrigerators and clear the refrigerator doors of messages, pictures and magnets.

• Clear all countertops, desktops, cabinet tops of all unnecessary clutter, most of all, things such as bills and personal correspondence. Store large collections, unless contained in cabinetry.  Do not overpower the potential buyer with your personality by forcing the buyer to walk through your collection.  The buyer may hate what you love.

• Empty cabinets of clutter to make them look more spacious (store items till you sell your home).

• Clean drapes, blinds, carpets, wax wood floors.

• Lubricate squeaking doors, windows and cabinets.

• Replace all burned out bulbs and make sure lights are easy to turn on and off.

• Remove extra furniture, children's toys, adult toys to give the feeling of space in all rooms.

• Make kitchens and bathrooms sparkle. Clean or replace grout, caulking or broken tile. Clean sliders. Clean exhaust vents.

• Replace or thoroughly clean shower curtains or glass enclosures.  Remove water stains and droplets from mirrors.

• Fix leaking faucets.

• Make sure your home smells "good".  Try to avoid cooking with grease and heavy spices and herbs while your home is on the market.

• Replace air conditioner/heater filters and clean around intake and other openings.

• Remove all cobwebs.

• Clean your fireplace and hearth - put in new logs and pine cones.

• Fresh paint makes a BIG difference, fix the dings of outside corners and paint out hand marks in stairwells and high traffic areas if nothing else - don't forget shiny floors and clean carpets, make a big difference as well.  Don't forget to touch up moldings and baseboards. Buyers tend to be very critical of these things.

• Rearrange your closets, hang clothes neatly, fold linens and neatly store shoes.  If your closets smell, find cedar wood chips.

• Donate items you do not need to charity.

• Pack out of season clothes into storage or pack as though you are moving today and place items you will not need for a month or so, in storage.

Showing Your Home

The most important thing that you can do to help your home get sold is to not be there when the buyer is walking through!  The greatest mistake made by many anxious home sellers, is to try to "sell" the home.  If you are home when the buyer arrives with an agent to see the home, make your apologies and leave.  Let the buyer's agent do their job.

Making your home as warmly inviting as possible once the buyer is inside, is as important as completing repairs mentioned earlier.  Buyers are affected by such things as lighting, smells, general tidiness and cleanliness.  However, even more importantly, they also want to take their time with the home, get a feel for the home.  Let them do so with their real estate agent.  DO NOT follow or lead them around in an attempt to show the buyers every last detail of every last upgrade, storage facility etc.  You may in fact inadvertently "show" them something that will disqualify your home. Worse still, your constant interruptions will make them want to get out as fast as possible, just to get away from you, no matter how well meaning you are.

Please, let the buyer's agent do their job - they know what the buyer is looking for, and has selected your home for a particular reason.  The following are things you can do to help make your home as attractive as possible.

• Dust and vacuum the whole house thoroughly.

• Remove all valuables and place in a safe place.

• Place all bills and personal correspondence in drawers or other safe place.

• Turn on lamps and other lighting and open drapes to brighten up rooms as necessary.

• If you are doing an "open house", bake cookies or bake other pleasant smelling holiday aromas just before.  These aromas mean "home" to many people.

• Turn on soft unobtrusive music as "background".  Turn on waterfalls or fountains.

• Remove all toys, clothing, washing.  Put up bikes and skateboards.

• Pets should be kept away from potential buyers, and pet areas clean.

• If you must remain at home, allow the buyer to look through the house without your obvious presence.  Answer questions the buyer may have, but refer as much as possible to your agent who will be able to answer questions in the most positive manner.

• Keep children quiet while the home is being shown.

• Save visiting agents' business cards and inform your agent when the home was shown.  If you are going to be out of town, let your agent know where and when.

If you follow the above recommendations you will have done all you can do to sell your home.  Remember however, that although your home may not have the configuration or appeal to one set of buyers, there is always someone for whom it will become "home".  Do not get discouraged if it does not sell to the first viewer.  If the home has been well presented and is priced correctly for the market, it will sell.

Working Together

Once you have selected your real estate professional, it is essential that you work as a team.  Your involvement and co-operation in the sales process is as important as the marketing activities which your agent has outlined for you.  The two must work hand in hand for the highest price to be attained in the shortest possible time period. 

Compiling Information    

When a home is of interest to a buyer for whatever reason, they usually look for more details.  For the marketing activities to work in the best way possible, knowledge about details of your home will be necessary.  All the important details of your home will be available through my 24-hour-a-day-marketing system.  I will help you gather and compile these details. This includes, but is not limited to the following:

• The square footage of the home.

• Tract or custom, condominium, townhouse or single family residence.

• A legal description of your property.

• Property profile indicating ownership of title.

• A list of easements across or near the property.

• Number of floors, bedrooms, bathrooms, garage size, lot size.

• Utilities available e.g. cable, satellite T.V., house wiring etc.

• Natural gas, Propane, Electric appliances.

• Public or private water sources.

• Homeowner's Association Fees, what they cover and include.

• Copies of Association by laws, financial statements, any lawsuits pending, and special assessments.

• Mello Roos Taxes still left to be paid, if applicable.

• School District and school reports, if available.

• Special Hazards Report.

• A list of desirable aspects of your neighborhood such as proximity to services, shopping, schools as well as other demographic information.

• A list of special added upgrades and/or recent improvements that have been made to the home or property.

• A list of items that are not fixtures that will be included with the sale.

• A list of what you have enjoyed about living in the home.

• A list of any defects which are not apparent.

• A list of defects which are apparent and you do not intend to repair.

• A list of incentives to purchase.  For example, a carpet allowance, or financing assistance you are willing to give.

• A set of disclosures about the property, required by law to be given to the buyer.

The following information will also be be essential, but not necessarily made publicly available.  Some of the items can seriously affect the closing of an escrow.  If known up front, they can be dealt with effectively without the buyer having to be involved.  Other items may or may not affect the perceived value of your home to the buyer, but may need to be disclosed none the less.

• Information about your mortgage/s, including outstanding balance/s.

• Information as to whether mortgages are current or in arrears.

• Past utility bills, property taxes and insurance.

• Whether you have made an insurance claim in the recent past.

• Whether property taxes are current or in arrears.

• Any liens against the property.

• Any IRS liens against your person.

• Any law suits against your person or the property.

• Defects in the home that you intend to have repaired prior to close of escrow.

Give additional or changing Information to Your Real Estate Professional

• If material changes occur to any of the above, make sure your agent is aware of the changes.

• If the home is shown by an agent, make sure you inform your agent

• Let your agent know of any information/comments gleaned from an agent or potential buyer, whether good or bad.

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