Preparing for the Fall Real Estate Market

Now that it’s hot and humid, it's officially Summer and the long anticipated Spring Real Estate market frenzy is over.  So what should you do now? Now is still a great time to think about selling; properties that are priced right and staged properly are moving quickly.

Here is a short list of some items you can do to get you ready for the next step. 

• Disassociate Yourself With Your Home – this is quite a challenge for some people when selling a house. This is important to do before you even sign a contract to sell. Say to yourself, "This is not my home; it is a house -- a product to be sold much like a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop.
• De-Personalize and De-Clutter! You want buyers to imagine themselves in your house and they can’t do that if it’s full of your personal items and clutter. You don't want to make any buyer ask, "I wonder what kind of people live in this home?" You want buyers to say, "I can see myself living here."
• Make Minor Repairs – this is important as some people can’t see past them and you don’t want to become known as the house with the squeaky door.
• Check for curb appeal – stand outside your house and really look at it. Make sure the sidewalks are cleared, paint the faded window trim, trim the bushes. Some interesting information to note is that the color yellow evokes a buying emotion, so go ahead and plant yellow flowers! Also, make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

This is just a short list, your local real estate professional can help you with more detailed information to help you prior to putting your house on the market.