Home Selling: Communication Is Essential
In the game of selling real estate there are few things that are more important that efficient and effective communication between all parties concerned. When a breakdown in communication happens it can easily result in missed shows, improper advertised pricing, and the home staying on the market for longer than necessary. The process of communication begins early on when the seller and the realtor come together for the first time and begin to formulate a game plan for the sale of the home. Usually what is discussed at this point is the sale price and what aspects of the home may need to be improved upon to realize the best profit possible from the sale. This is also the time where the advertising campaign may be laid out to show the seller what kind of coverage the home will get.

As the process progresses, effective communication becomes even more important as there are usually several parties involved and things can get somewhat complicated as offers have to be coordinated along with the whirlwind of paperwork that is associated with every offer and inspection. It is essential the the realtor and seller are in constant communication, shows must be scheduled so the seller has the appropriate amount of time available to clean the home and prepare for the show. The responsibility falls upon the realtor at this time to ensure that the seller knows about shows before hand. There is nothing worse then having a prospective buyer show up unannounced.

Once the offers start rolling in there is a lot of action that takes place fairly quickly. This is even more so if there are competing offers on the home. As the sale approaches completion there are a number of things that must be taken care of and many documents that need attending to. There will also have to be either seller or realtor available to allow access to the home to inspectors and other professionals that have business before the sale of the home is complete. Streamlined communication is really the only way to avoid massive headaches that come with not knowing what is happening with the sale of a home. Make sure that you choose a realtor who is always ready to go the extra mile to ensure that communications are on time and accurate.

Virginia Wherland is a REALTOR as well as the founder and broker of Associates Realty. Associates Realty is proud to specialize in Edina, Minneapolis real estate. For access to the beautiful homes and properties in Minneapolis, contact Associates Realty today or visit us online at www.associatesrealty.net

Seller Responsibilities
In the event of selling a home for the first time, many sellers may not know entirely what their responsibilities are in terms of the things that need to be done. Much of what goes on, goes on behind the scenes and is conducted between the agents or realtors that are representing the involved parties. The sellers responsibilities begin and end with what is happening inside the home itself. Let’s get started here, are there any fixes or renovations that the realtor has recommended? If so then this is the best place to start. Hopefully we are not talking large-scale renovations here, ideally there would be little that needs to be done aside from perhaps a few cosmetic upgrades. If this is not the case then you may want to reconsider the time line for the home sale.

It is the sellers primary responsibility to ensure that everything that is in the house works, and works well. Buyers don’t like to see fixtures that don’t work, like leaky faucets, light switches that don’t work and so on. Also try to think about what needs to be replaced. If there is anything that looks as though it was installed in the 70’s then that may be a good place to start. Old light fixtures should be replaced with nice looking new ones that suit the style of the home. This same practice is important for many aspects of the home that may seem a bit out-of-date. These things can quickly drag down the offers that you will receive. It is also the responsibility of the seller to maintain the home in spotless condition so that the realtor can do their job and get as many qualified buyers through the home as possible. Homes really need to be in top condition to garner the kind of interest necessary for a quick sale. The realtor can always give some pointers as to what could help the home sell better but it is the choice of the seller as to whether or not they take that advice. Remember that the real estate market is a fast moving and sometimes tricky game. Your home is competing with many others and it is up to you to distinguish it from the others. Do you have a game plan of what to do to make this happen? If you stay focused on making your home as appealing as possible then you realtor can concentrate on their job, the selling of the home.

Virginia Wherland is a REALTOR as well as the founder and broker of Associates Realty. Associates Realty is proud to specialize in Edina, Minneapolis real estate. For access to the beautiful homes and properties in Minneapolis, contact Associates Realty today or visit us online at www.associatesrealty.net

Secondary Home Renovations: Pre-Sale
The art of selling a home has definitely evolved over the past years. Sellers are now willing to do much more to have their home noticed by the right buyer. Home staging has helped to evolve the attitude of both buyers and sellers and it has almost become necessary to stage a home in order to have it sell quickly. There is also the seller’s idea of maximizing the value of their properties by renovating the home prior to selling. This is partially inspired by the famous home flipping shows on television. Sellers are seeing people renovate and increase their intake on the sale of homes, and who doesn’t want more money? So people have learned to offer more and expect more from home sales. So after the major changes have been made to a home what are the secondary things that a seller should look into fixing up before listing the home?

With the major renovations out of the way, things like the kitchen and bathrooms; the seller now has the opportunity to put some extra work into the home and go that much further to creating the ideal home for buyers to enjoy. This is where taking care of the small things comes into play and believe me buyers will notice the small details. Is there a fireplace in the home? Is it somewhat lacking in style? Fireplaces are really centerpieces of any room and should be treated as such. Replacing a tired old brick fireplace and mantel with a new modern wood or stone piece will do wonders for a room. Another thing that many people overlook is the floor moldings and crown moldings (if any.) Removing the old floor moldings and replacing them with something that matches the theme that you have set out for the room is a great design bonus and it is something that will definitely get noticed. In fact this might be a great time to replace the flooring itself. This especially applies to old and damaged floors. New floors have a way of impressing buyers like few other things can. Essentially this is your chance as a seller to finish off all those last minute cosmetic things that really dictate the mood of a home show. With everything matching, new, and painted the show should be much more impressive and you should realize a better value from your home sale.

Lou Lynch is an associate broker with Nutshell Realty, the premier source for Ulster County real estate. For excellent service and information regarding homes and properties in Ulster County, contact Nutshell Realty soon or visit us online at www.nutshellrealty.com