Looking to sell your Rock Hill SC or Fort Mill SC area home quickly? Keep these 10 critical ‘sell your home fast’ tips in mind as you prepare to put your house on the real estate market:
- Price it right. This one can’t be emphasised enough. Especially in today’s tough real estate market, pricing your home correctly is the #1 most important thing you can do to guarnatee a quick sale.
- De-clutter your closets. Storage is an important feature of any house so if your closets are stuffed to the gills, it could be HUGE turn-off for potential buyers. Take out at least 1/2 the stuff to show off the storage space your home offers.
- Maximize the lighting in your home. No one wants to live in a dungeon so you want to maximize your home’s lighting. Don’t be afraid to turn on all the lights when you have showings as this will help highlight all the great benefits your home has to offer.
- Choose the right agent. If you want your home to sell quickly, it’s important that you find the right agent for the job. Don’t be afraid to interview several agents to find the one that fits you best. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for references and go ahead and check with them.
- Hide the pets. Sorry, but not everyone’s a pet lover so be sure to hide as much of their stuff as you can. Food bowls, toys, beds, and anything else that might tip off a potential buyer to the fact you have pets should be hidden as much as possible because even though it may not be true, it might give buyers the impression your house isn’t clean!
- Don’t overdue the upgrades. Doing some quick fixes before putting your home on the market are certainly advisable, but there’s no need to sink thousands of dollars into serious upgrades if you’re only going to put the house on the market. If you have problems areas, go ahead and spend a little bit of money to minimize the problem as much as possible, but chances are you’ll never get your investment back if you go overboard
- De-personalize your home. You want potential buyers to envision themselves living in your home, but it’s difficult to do if you have too many personal items lying around or if the decor is too individualized for your tastes. It’s okay to reflect your personality, but the more neutral you can make everything, the easier it will be for people to see themselves enjoying your house as much as you do.
- The kitchen is the one room where you can break the rules. Lets face it, a great kitchen can sell a house, just as quickly as a bad kitchen can keep it on the market longer than it should. So if you’re going to spend a little money upgrading your home, the kitchen is the one room you can do it in. Spending a little more in the kitchen may guarantee a full-price offer, or at the very least will help ensure potential buyers don’t ask for a serious discount because they think the house is ‘dated’.
- Be ‘show-ready’ at all times. Yes, having your house on the market can be a chore, but if you want it to sell quickly you really do need to keep it in tip-top shape at all times. You never know when the ideal buyers might be minutes away from stopping by for a ‘surprise’ visit and you certainly wouldn’t want them to see it in any state other than it’s best.
- First impressions are really the lasting impression. If you want potential buyers to remember your home in a positive light, then it’s imperative that they’re first impression is a good one. Invest a little money and sweat equity into making sure the outside of your home is inviting, otherwise it may not matter what potential buyers see on the inside because they can’t get the horrendous image of the outside out of their heads!
If you’re thinking about selling your Rock Hill SC, Fort Mill SC, or surrounding area home, I’d love an opportunity to share with you the various ways I work to ensure you get top dollar for your home!
Filed under Capital Improvements, Decorating Ideas, Fort Mill SC, Hiring An Agent, Home Sellers, Rock Hill SC, Sharon's Top 10 Lists by 
The first thing you, your guests or a prospective buyer sees when arriving at your house is your front yard. If your front yard is slovenly and unkempt, the first impression your home gives is one of carelessness, no matter how nice the rest of your house is, inside or out.
Creating an appealing front yard through the use of landscaping can alter the overall impression given by your home, making it more inviting and comfortable for your visitors and your family. Even in tough economic conditions, a pretty, well-tended front yard can push the price of your house upwards. When prospective buyers arrive at your home for a viewing, the sight of a delightful front yard will automatically set them to thinking about ‘coming home’ to your house.
Check the internet and bookshops to get ideas for your front yard. If you want to talk to someone who knows about landscaping, you can go to your local garden center to speak to a knowledgeable member of staff or ask a professional gardener or landscaper to help.
Things you need to bear in mind are the amount of space available, the height of walls or fences and keeping pathways and window areas clear, as well as the time of year, weather conditions and color combinations.
No matter what plants or flower you decide to put in, whether it is flowers to cover ground, foliage to fill space or vines to climb walls, it will almost certainly increase the value of your home by far more than the cost of the landscaping itself.
Whether you’re planning on selling your house or not, everybody loves plants and flowers, so let them add value to your home and your life.
This article is courtesy of EzineArticles.com and Castle Rock Landscaping
Let us help you plan your front yard!
Filed under Capital Improvements, Home Decorating by
Anytime you purchase a new house, it’s important to perform your own inspections before signing on the dotted line. By carefully checking the main systems of any house, you can save yourself countless hours and headaches down the road.
Here’s are some great tips about how to check the plumbing of any home before you buy it:
* Find where the water meter is and determine if the shut off valve is working. If the water comes from a well the shut off valve should be inside the house.
* Check the size of the water pipes in and around the house. In order to have adequate water pressure when there are a few water lines open in the house there should be a three quarter of an inch to 1-inch line directly from the main water source. Inside the house the diameter of the pipes is generally a half-inch in diameter.
* Determine if the plumbing has any lead pipes. Typically homes that were constructed before 1986 tend to have plumbing that is lead or galvanized. This is not always the case though as newer homes can have a lead pipe leading to the water meter.
* Be sure the plumbing has protection for freezing weather. The protection can be things such as wrapped pipes and vents, which will close off in the winter when the weather gets extremely cold. If the home uses well water the well should be protected from freezing weather as well.
* Inspect the hot water heater. You should check the water heater’s capacity, location, and how old it is. Some areas in the home can have high levels of mineral deposits that are in the water that can settle at the bottom of the water heater. When these deposits build up in the water heater tank there will be less room for hot water. If you check the water heater and there is a large build up of deposits you may want to ask for a new water heater.
* Find out what type of sewer system the house uses. If the house uses a septic tank find out where it is located, the capacity of the tank, and where the lateral lines are located.* Check all the faucets around the house and make sure they do not drip. This
can seem like a minor thing but a dripping faucet can end up costing you a lot of money on the long run.
* Go to all the bathrooms and flush all the toilets. Make sure they empty and fill correctly.Source: www.handyhouseholdhints.com
So, take the time to check all these things BEFORE you buy and you’ll thank yourself after you’re enjoying your new home!
Sharon’s Top 10 reason’s why it’s a great time to buy real estate
1. Choices, Choices, Choices. No matter what your price range is, this is a time where there are plenty of houses to choose from. Only a few years ago, the buyer was forced to make compromises in a very selective market, not always finding the home of their dreams. With the home inventory growing, this is the buyer’s time to buy and be selective.
2. Love, Not War. When you find the house you love, the last thing you want to happen is a bidding war. The buyer has more negotiating power when they are the only bidder, and time, money and sanity is saved. Bidding wars can cause complicated clauses and can drive up the properties listing price.
3. You can make an offer. Today the sell price list vs. price ration is about 96%. A seller will not be insulted if you ‘make them an offer they can’t refuse’.
4. Take Your Time. In the hot seller’s market that existed everything was rushed. Find a house before other buyers did. Hurry up and make the offer. Today a buyer can take their time. Look at several homes and think about your decision for a few hours.
5. Do Your Due diligence. In this market a buyer is encouraged to obtain a home inspection, termite inspection, and appraisal. In 2005 many buyers waived these contingencies in order gain an advantage with multiple offers.
6. There are plenty of specs. Now that the market has turned, there are several specs sitting on inventory. Builders offer incentives, and are now more flexible.
7. Repair requests are welcomed. After a buyer completes a home inspection, they are allowed to submit a repair request to the seller. In the past a seller might insist the home was sold ‘as is’. Many times, there were back-up buyers waiting for a primary buyer to upset the seller whose home was increasing in value almost daily.
8. Few Investors. It is estimated that one third of all sales in 2005 were to investors. These non-owner occupied buyer caused the market to inflate and affordability to decline. Mortgage fraud became commonplace. It’s a great time to buy without having to compete with hundreds of prospective landlords.
9. Real Financing is available. The ‘wink, wink’ zero down, no doc, adjustable, sub-prime loans are gone. Fixed rates are back. FHA financing, first time homeowner bond programs, special loans for teachers, and police officers are back in business. It’s a great time to buy real estate!
10. Location, Location, Location. Today’s buyers can find homes closer to work. In this market, reasonably priced homes are within biking or walking distance to schools, rapid transit lines, and relatives.
Source: Paul Pastore: Broker Agent News
