Selling – Farmington valley real estate, Farmington valley realtor, top realtor Farmington valley

At Santa Realty we offer a comprehensive list of options to choose from when listing your home with us.

We are a full service Farmington Valley real estate company, but have the flexibility to offer a la carte contracts as well. Please inquire within to discuss some of the options that might fit with your specific needs.

Preparing to Sell Your Home – Farmington valley real estate, Farmington valley realtor, top realtor Farmington valley

When preparing to put your house on the market there are several items think about.  First item it to take the time to do a visual inspection of both the interior and the exterior of your home.  Depending on your level of knowledge with general household repairs and experience in some of the trades, it might benefit you to do this walk through with a contractor if you know of several items that may need to be handled by someone other than yourself.  Depending on the current market conditions, there may be items that are fairly easy and not too expensive enhancements you can make that will bring your house to life.  Some examples would be replacing an older vanity in a bathroom, updating lighting fixtures, or even a fresh coat of paint.  There are times when as a realtor, we advise our clients not to make a correction because of the lack of return on investment in doing so.  One example might be to put in or replace something that will last 15-20 years for the next homeowner.  Most of the time, over investing prior to listing can create a negative return.  With our guidance and knowledge of the market climate, we can help you determine what items should be handled and provide you with the greatest return on your investment.

Suggestions for creating “curb appeal”

The very first thing an agent tells their buyer clients prior to scheduling a showing on a house is to do a”drive-by,” to see the exterior of the home, the plot, neighborhood, and other amenities to the surrounding area.  This is the very first chance to get a prospective buyer to step into your home and you certainly want to make a good first impression.

• Lawn:  Your lawn should look well maintained, trimmed, and free of debris, toys, and items that should be brought to the dump.  Applying fertilizer based on the season can improve the look of your lawn and also show your buyer that you put that extra effort in maintaining the yard.  Buyers can envision themselves picking up where you left off when the job was done well by you.

• Paint/Power washing:  The exterior of your home should not have chipped paint,broken siding, or be dirty.  If you have vinyl siding, a good power washing will suffice.  If your house is painted and hasn’t been done in several years, it might be a good idea to have that done.

• Windows:  Keeping windows clean inside and out is not a difficult task, yet so many of us just don’t like to do them.  Window washing companies are fairly inexpensive if do not want to take the job on, otherwise, schedule a half-day to get the entire interior and exterior glass spotless.  Buyers notice windows and if they are dirty, they may not be as attracted to the exterior of the home.

• Flowers:  If you are listing your home in the spring and/or summer, it makes great sense to fill in any beds you have with some nice seasonal flowers.   Keeping beds free of weeds and other debris, along with keeping all shrubs trimmed and well manicured is also visually appealing to a future purchaser.

• Remove Debris, junk, clutter:  Make a trip to the dump eliminating all debris and junk.  This is one of the most important items that some sellers neglect.  We are all not perfectly neat and tidy all of the time, but when you are trying to sell your home, you need to take it seriously.  If a future purchaser sees that you have clutter and junk stashed throughout your yard, they can have a hard time seeing the positive.  Rule of thumb:  If it is not supposed to be there permanently, find a spot for the item that is out of the way.(this should be a new page called”Interior Preparations,” which will be the second page within the”preparing to sell your home page” under the sellers tab.
  

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  Suggestions for interior improvements

  Now that you have managed to get the future purchaser into your home based on our previous suggestions, the interior has become the focal point of the purchase, and most people in New England do spend the majority of their time indoors.  You do not need to spend a lot of money doing some of these simple tasks.

• Odors:  This is one of the most difficult items to discuss, yet is so important.  In our own homes we become accustomed to its scents and smells.  Other people, on the other hand, can pick up on smells that you might not even think about.  Clear out fireplace and have chimney professionally cleaned.  Keep toilets spotless and always disinfect around the bowls and the floor surrounding the toilet.  If you are a smoker, do not smoke in the house.   In fact, if you are an indoor smoker, we recommend having all ceilings and walls washed and painted and carpets extracted and deodorized.  The smell of cigarettes to a prospective purchaser can force them to walk out of the house without even looking. Pet odor can also be offensive to some people.  If possible, try and keep pets in one area of the house and clean and deodorize as often as possible.  Give pets baths regularly and leave doors and windows open for at least ten minutes per day to let fresh air into the area where pets stay.

• Clean, polish and seal:  All appliances should be cleaned thoroughly inside and out.All areas that are sometimes missed when cleaning should be cleaned, like the backsplash in your kitchen.  If you have chairs or fixtures that need polishing, do it.  It makes the home look cleaner and more attractive.  Seal up any cracks in grout, tubs,windows, etc.

• Check plumbing for leaks:  Fix any leaky faucets and toilets that may run too long. Sometimes, just moving the chain in your toilet flushing mechanism can eliminate the problem and a plumber isn’t even required.  Check under sinks in vanities to ensure there are no leaks that you wouldn’t see every day either.

• Painting:  Painting is a fairly easy task to have done and can reap great rewards.  A freshly painted room is highly appealing to the consumer and makes a room even look larger.  We caution the use of bold colors.  Remember, you are painting to sell,not painting for your tastes.  Earth colors are usually pretty safe, but attractive.

Clutter/Junk:  This can be difficult for some of us, but we have a simple theory:  If you haven’t used it in a year and don’t plan on using it within the next year, then you should find another home for it.  It sounds easy, but sometimes it is not.  There are charities that accept all types of items and there are even items that you can sell or give away through web sites or through your network of friends.  Have a tag sale with the neighbors.  Clean out closets.