Listing and Selling Your Green Home

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  If you want to get the full value for your green home when it comes time to sell, use a green real estate agent and a green MLS. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers

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  Don’t let pet odors derail your home sale. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

Selling a Home? It’s the Little Things that Matter!

If you are considering selling your home, this posting is written for you. The real estate market in Baton Rouge is a rather tough one right now. There is a lot of inventory available, so it’s important to make your home stand out above the rest lest you shall be doomed to many, many months of waiting for a buyer. As your REALTOR, we do all that we can to advertise your home and help get people there. Once the buyer is there in your home, it’s all about the little things you have already done (or not done as the case may be) that will sell your home. So here are a few suggestions.

1. Keep the yard cut, edged, and blown. Hedges trim. The exterior of the home, the curb appeal, is the reason why someone will or won’t go inside. I’ve seen it happen before. We drive up to view a home and the buyer is instantly turned off and says, “Nevermind, I don’t really want to see this one.” If that’s the image that the home buyer has before entering we’ll all be hard-pressed to change their mind. First impressions are everything, so keep the outside looking nice. This time of year, that probably means cutting the grass once a week. As the temperature warms and the rain gushes down, the grass will grow fast.

2. Carport facing the street? If you have a carport that faces the street, you’ll want to keep it neat and clean too. In fact, if you can get your neighbors to clean up their carports near you, that can help.  A buyer is impressed not only by your home but also by the homes around you. So get out there and offer a helping hand to your neighbor’s messy carport. This is time well spent that will definitly help you sell your home.

3. Light Bulbs! Inside the home, be sure that all of the light fixtures have light bulbs that are the highest rating for the light fixture. (Be sure not to put a bulb that is over the rating for the fixture as this can be a fire hazard.) And, try to stay away from the CFL’s (Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs or what some of us refer to as the curly flourescent light bulbs). These sometimes take a few seconds to get bright. When a buyer comes inside your home, we want the light to come ON when the switch is flipped. This is especially true during the summer in Baton Rouge. These blistery hot days the sun is very bright and it may take the buyer and agent time for their eyes to adjust to the lighting in your home. The best way to be prepared is to have the lights lit and the curtains open!

4. Bathtubs are the “little places” that buyers look. This is where the buyer looks to see how clean your home is. A clean bathtub is a sign that the rest of the home is clean as well. Make your bathtubs shine. Use bleach or mold remover to clean out the corners of an old tub where mold and mildew tend to collect. Get some fresh white caulking to recaulk around the tub. These little things will make a big difference in the over appearance of the bathroom and the impression of cleanliness in your home!

5. Sweep every day. It’s just a good idea (especially if you have a pet) to pass the broom every morning before you leave for work. This extra special detail keeps your home fresh and clean for any prospective buyers that may come through that day.

6. Air Fresherners are the best thing since fresh baked cookies! All of our homes have a scent… it’s our scent. You probably won’t notice the smell of your own home. Maybe when you spend a week away on vacation and then you come home you might be reminded of the scent that is yours. But when we are selling our homes we want the smell to be enticing and inviting. This becomes particularly important if you have any pets. If you have a cat or a dog or a ferret or a bird, then your home most likely has a smell. I suggest plug-in air fresheners. Keep one nearest the door a buyer will enter through and scatter them throughout the home. Some sort of generic smell like vanilla is probably best. If the plug-in you are using has a dial, dial the scent down so that it’s not too strong. Just enough to lightly greet the buyer with freshness!

Or, if you are able to be there in the moments leading up to the buyer arriving, it’s never hurt a sale to “happen to be” pulling fresh baked cookies out of the oven! In fact, I’ve seen this instantly grab a buyer’s attention.

7. Finally, go around your home, yourself, or with your REALTOR and look at the details – the small details. There may be some simple improvements that you can make to help your home stand out above the rest.

These small details can help you get your home sold sooner rather than later. It’s important that when we get a buyer to view your home, your home captures their mind and their attention. This is a key ingredient to getting your home sold in the least amount of time.

Home Improvement Apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry: Your Digital Toolbox

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  (New!)

  Downloadable iPhone and Android apps offer ways to maintain, improve, and save money on your home. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

How to Assess the Real Cost of a Fixer Upper House

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  When you buy a fixer-upper house, you can save a ton of money, or get yourself in a financial fix. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

7 Tips for Staging Your Home

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  Make your home warm and inviting to boost your home’s value and speed up the sale process. Read

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Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®