1. Photography matters.

   Honestly evaluate the quality of your photos. Lighting and composition are key. If you truly believe you can take best-selling photos, go for it. If not, bring in a pro for those listings that languish. Lastly, to appeal to frequent browsers, change up your featured photo daily.^Footnote1

2. Buyers read property listings.

   Start with a strong headline to draw in the reader. Tell a story, letting the prospect know what it’s like to live in this exceptional house. Tap into the prospect’s emotions. Be descriptive but concise.^Footnote2 Don’t just list features, take them on a tour through the house.

3. Sprucing up MLS features.

   It’s easy to take these reports for granted. In comparison to the standard, lifeless listing, expressive writing goes a long way to promote the home.^Footnote3 An inviting account of the property can easily differentiate your offering and attract agent attention.

4. Virtual tours work.

   A virtual tour allows the prospect to take a walk through the home from almost anywhere. This technology lets the viewer step in a room and look around, zoom in on charming details and get a realistic feel for the layout. You can create your own virtual tour or opt to hire a video producer at a reasonable price.^Footnote4

5. Floor plans increase interest.

   Few listings include a floor plan. By adding this feature, you’re providing valuable information. A floor plan furnishes a layout of the number of rooms, their dimensions and their relationships to each other.^Footnote1 It’s a technique that advertisers frequently use to sell New York City’s most expensive high-rise condos.

6. The art of successful staging.

   If the look of the furnishings and decor are drab or wrong for your intended buyer, consider restaging. Freshen up the premises, remove clutter and add accessories. Lighting and plants can reenergize. A few simple steps can transform a tired property into a welcoming one.^Footnote1

7. A last resort, lowering the price.

   Only after exhausting other approaches should you consider reducing the sales price. If you choose to, do so deliberately. Rather than frequently dropping the price by small amounts, which could send a message of desperation, lower the price just once by a dramatic, noticeable amount.^Footnote3 This should bring in more potential buyers and diminish the tendency to negotiate downward.

Putting a few of these techniques into practice should help you get your listing sold and your client the best possible price for their home.
Then call Jack McSweeney!  310 346-0391

 

Your home is your castle. Sometimes, however, it can feel a little less regal than you’d like it to.

Outdated fixtures or not having enough space or light, among other things, can make a home feel tired and old. For about $100 or less, many features of a home can be improved to help add value to a home when selling it.

You won’t be able to expand the dining room on the cheap, but there are some simple improvements that can spruce up a house cheaply and quickly:

Update fixtures
Start in the kitchen, which is one of the first areas home buyers look at. Replace the kitchen sink faucet, replace cabinet door handles or install a new sink if you can find a deal on one.

Bathroom fixtures such as towel racks and toilet paper holders can be easily replaced, and a new toilet seat is cheap.

Lights, air
Replace old lights with a ceiling fan/light combo, or install a nice chandelier in the dining room, for example. These can cost $300 or so, but if you only need to make one change, this is the one that can pay off.

Add storage
Old homes often don’t have much closet space. Buy $100 worth of wire shelves and install them yourself and you’ve got a closet that at least makes the space look organized.

Check leaks and electrical
Hire a plumber or electrician for an hour to check your electrical services and plumbing. They can make sure everything is safe and working properly so that a potential buyer doesn’t find a leaking faucet or broken light switch or faulty outlet.

Carpet
Buying new carpet can be expensive, but an area rug can be just enough to cover an area showing serious wear. Even if you can afford it, installing wall-to-wall carpeting before selling your house isn’t recommended by most real estate agents because the new owners may want to choose their own style.

You can get your carpet professionally cleaned for a few hundred dollars, or maybe less if you can find a coupon. If your carpet is in good shape, a professional cleaning may be all it needs to look in top shape.

Curb appeal
Plant flowers, mow the lawn, pull weeds and sweep the walkway in front of your house. It will give viewers a strong first impression and can be done for much less than $100.

If all of that doesn’t work, bake cookies at home on the day of the home showing.

Hope you found this helpful! Contact me for more insights and info.     310 346-0391

Buying a home is likely the most expensive purchase you’ll ever make. From the down payment to moving costs and insurance, the entire process is likely to take a large bite out of your bank account. That’s why it’ll pay to try and cut costs during the process wherever you can, and one expense you could save on is the closing costs.

Closing, or settlement, costs are expenses over and above the price of the property. Both the buyer and seller incur some of these expenses when transferring ownership of a property. Who actually pays, however, often depends on local custom and what the buyer or seller negotiates.

Closing costs typically range between 2 and 5 percent of the total home purchase price, which adds up to thousands of dollars. These costs normally cover title insurance, loan points, escrow or closing day charges, property taxes and document fees, among other expenses.

So, how can you save on closing costs? Below are five quick tips:

1. Haggle with the seller. He or she may be willing to pay all or part of the closing costs. A real estate agent can help negotiate and will work hard for you.

2. Nab a no-point loan. You may have to pay a higher interest rate, but if you are strapped for cash and can qualify for a higher interest rate, you may find this type of loan can significantly reduce your closing costs.

3. Grab a no-fee loan. Although the fee is usually wrapped into a higher rate loan, it does offer one advantage–you get to save on the amount of cash you would need up-front.

4. Secure seller financing. These loans typically avoid the traditional fees or charges imposed by lenders.

5. Shop ’til you drop for the best deal. Every lender has its own unique fee structure; you are bound to find one that works for you.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or legal advice.