REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

Home Selling Secrets

10 ITEMS TO FIX BEFORE YOU SELL

By Bob Easter
Author of The Numbers Game, The 14 Home Selling Secrets, and Home Buying Power!

Nothing in the world is so devastating as to put your home on the market and have it not sell. Our homes are where we feel safe, our fortress, our castle away from danger and protection from the elements. Letting complete strangers into our home to see how we live can be a scary issue, especially if we are not ready, both emotionally and physically. It takes time to get a home ready to be placed on the market. Repairs have to be made, closets straighten, excess furniture stored away and the garage cleaned are only a few of the items that must be done. Before we start with the cleaning let’s talk about some other important details.

In this special report, I will give you 10 Profit making Tips to help make the process of selling your home much easier. As a bonus I also have included four additional items. While these tips are important to the success of selling your home, you will need the complete details along with the ways to accomplish the tasks. Both of my real estate books The 14 Home-Selling Secrets, The Mistakes Everyone Makes and Home Buying Power, Inside Tips, Tricks and Trends for Buying the Home of Your Dreams are crammed full of consumer friendly tips. They are easy to read and easy to understand, without having to know real estate jargon. They give you the insider details you can‘t find anywhere else and that‘s a promise.

1) Notify your Mortgage Company. Some loans have interest penalties or a percentage surcharge if you fail to notify the Lender in advance of a payoff. Avoid this costly error and save money. Learn the procedure and when to notify the lender. Did you know it has to be done in writing.? The 14 Home-Selling Secrets lets you in on these type of money saving tips. You can save up to one month’s interest charge if your loan carries such a penalty. Another expensive mistake is failing to pay your mortgage off on the right date, which can result in another big penalty. But, you can avoid all of these simple mistakes by knowing how and when to act.

2) Price your home to sell. Pricing is everything in today’s market! Every seller wants top dollar for their property; yet they fail to realize who determines the value of their home. Buyers can spot value and bargains quickly. Learn how to sell your home fast for top dollar. The 14 Home-Selling Secrets explains in great detail how to price your home and how to attract the most buyers in the least amount of time. If you fail to learn how to observe these crucial tips your home could sit on the market forever or bring a lot less money than it should. You deserve to get top dollar for your home. Find out how by taking advantage of my 24 years of experience.

3) Choose the right real estate Broker or company. The biggest company or a national franchise may be the wrong move for you. Learn to ask the four questions that penetrate their carefully prepared brochures. These four critical questions will produce results for you quickly by making the real estate company you choose live up to their promises. Don’t sign a listing agreement before you know the critical questions to ask. Learn what to do if you have already listed your home .

4) Offer a home warranty to cover appliances, electrical and plumbing. A one year home warranty improves your chance of attracting a buyer and reduces legal problems after the sale. All warranties are not the same. Each company offers different coverage on the appliances and other items. Allow the buyer to choose the company and coverage may be your best move. If future problems arise with payment for repairs you may be out of the loop, since the buyer chose the coverage.

5) Hire a professional yard maintenance crew during the listing period to keep your lawn and landscaping in perfect order. If you have a pool, have a pool company inspect and clean your pool during the listing period. Make a great first impression on the buyers with this one tip.

6) Fix any problems with foundations, roof or appliances. If you have latent defects in your home, have a professional qualified engineer inspect your property and then fix the problems before you put it on the market. Major repairs scare buyers.

7) Paint the exterior if needed. Light color paints make your home seem larger and will give your home a better appearance. Learn which paint color is best.

8) Replace carpet and wall covering if necessary. Be careful! You can over-improve a property very quickly; however, worn or dirty carpet and outdated wall coverings make you home look tired and unattractive. Stay away from bold colors. See the exclusive interior checklist on pages 92-96 in my book The 14 Home Selling Secrets.

9) Remove unnecessary furniture. A neat and orderly home sells better and quicker. Enlarge your rooms by removing excess furniture and clutter. Box up all unnecessary items and store them in a friends garage or local storage unit for a couple of months. Make sure your garage is clean and ready for the new buyer to see . See chapter 12, “ Looking Your Best”, for details.

10) The Multiple Listing Service increases your chance of selling your home because of the large numbers of other agents who share and participate in the service can sell your home. When an agent is showing your home remember they may be representing the buyer, so be careful what you say. The agent may be looking for an anxious owner to lower your selling price.