selling a home
 

I watch way too much HGTV! I've seen all the house selling shows and was really working to incorporate all the tips I've seen as we get ready to put our house on the market in less than 2 weeks. It's been about 2 months of hard labor. Ack.

That's all out the window now. I interviewed my first agent on Friday. What a hoot. He told me to quit worrying about stuff, stop taking down family photos, and not to worry so much about the dogs. I have 4 more to interview next week (I don't imagine they'll all be so laid back!)

Well, the agent I interviewed popped into the back yard today (he lives right up the street) and laughed at me when he saw me with the shop vac - asked if I was vacumming the back yard....very funny! (just the shed...:p)

So he asked if he could bring a buyer by tomorrow. House is a wreck after my efforts to declutter - everything is in a pile in the corner waiting for us to take it to the storage unit tomorrow.

DH is gone so it's up to me to get this wreck back into some semblance of a house by tomorrow. Oh and did I mention that I'm petsitting for a friend, so I have 3 greyhounds and a pug?!

I think I'm going to have to choose this agent - he's keeping me sane and not letting me get spun up. I'll do what I can, and the buyer will have to use her imagination ;)

The fact that my house is not on the market yet, I don't have an agent, and my house is a wreck makes no difference - I have my first person coming to view tomorrow! Wish me luck!

I am glad you posted this! :hug: We are thinking about selling our house at some point. We watch way too much HGTV and TLC house flipping shows.

My husband is convinced we MUST update and upgrade and he is driving me nuts. We fight about it!

He is sure we need to replace our kitchen flooring. The floor is fine. There are a couple of tiles that need to be replaced, but other than that it is ok. The shine is gone but it is clean and very presentable.

He is also sure we need to remodel our kitchen. We have nice oak cubboards. We do need to replace the counter top because there are a couple of areas that are chipped, but it is NOT going to be granite.


What he wants to do will price us out of our neighborhood. I told him we need to repair what is broken, paint, and clean the carpets. I can not see doing much more.

Very timely post!!

LA

Leave Yodda and take the Greyhounds for a walk!

Put a pot of warm water in the oven with some cinnamon in it and you will be fine!

Good luck tomorrow!!! You have a great house, Gretata!!! Love the kitchen! :hug:

Good luck Greta! We are flipping our house as we speak. We plan to sell in three years. It's never ending but sounds like you have a great agent. Chery's idea is great, I have smelled it done before. lol

Placing cookies out helps too! ;-)

Italy or bust! It'll be great, Gret!! I remember the pics, the kitchen is awesome, don't worry, it's a home, not a showcase.

The people who bought my parents' 40 yr. old house were most impressed by the "family tracks" as they called them, the wall with our ages and heights, the handprints in the sidewalk, the carvings we did in the fenceposts, etc. Relax!

LA -
If I've learned anything - just make repairs and make sure it's clean. We did gut our kitchen and replace our floors throughout - but it was because we really wanted to (and the floors were shot completely).

My (potential future) agent's motto is price it right, and market the hell out of it and it will sell. He sold the house across the street on the same day that it went on the market for 55K more than we thought we'd get. And it's about the same as ours. I'm amazed that even in this stinky market, houses can still move quickly.

C-
He actually mentioned featuring Yoda in the online home show. He thinks cute pets work to make people view the shows. Whooda thunk? He cracks me up because he's so irreverant, offbeat, and kooky. I thought he was a joke until I started seeing him sell houses fast. The kitchen looks even better now that Jim finished the trim work. It's really, finally done!

Sandy - We've been here just since 2004. I think we'll do great for a first house. I'm really optimistic. I would call this a flip too. Every room had to be painted and/or redone. Outside was done too. Unfortunately, I didn't know Cheryl when we did the outside....;)

Good luck Greta, and Cindy's right....your house needs to be lived in to look attractive. Who wants to buy a showcase anyway?


Sounds just like me. When we sold our last house, DH and I had decided to talk to an agent about selling it, which we did ..... but we did it about 3 months before we had any intention of selling.

The very next morning at 9am, that Real Estate agent brought a lady to our house because he thought she might be interested. By 9:30 she had signed on the dotted line and the house was sold. We could not believe it. The faster than lightening sale sent us into a spin seeing we hadn't even planned on moving for at least another 3 months.


I certainly do wish you luck! If it's a quick sale you want, then I wish you one as fast as our own. If not, then whatever you want, I wish it for you. :hug:

Good luck Greta!!! Say hello to Italy soon! A coworker of hubbys had his house on the market and sold in York County in 3 days the girl across the street from us house has been on the market almost 3 months with no offers ( but it needs work and the outside is not appealing) I'm jelous ya'll going to Italy...2 friends to Hawaii...one to Alaska....we get South carolina! LOL

Good luck! Fingers, eyes, and all other possible body parts crossed!

good luck on the viewing, and in some regards the agents right dont fret, most of the folks will come in with plans to change things the way they want it, cause they also saw it on hgtv :)

subliminal suggestions boils some garlic in water the night b4 not over do it just enough to throw a good taste aroma to the air, lavender is good too, and a very good vanilla candle can leave them desiring cakes and baked goods by time they leave lol( my wife burns too many of the vanillas) i end up baking cakes

Good Luck

Well, I need to kill about an hour here so I’ll tell u why I bought my last 2 homes and a couple major tips – some already said – I know one not – time out. get back to u on my story – it is interesting at the least – till then I wish u well. here are the tips

1- your agent will give u a paper with the bottom and top price he expects – remove it from your house – this is the 1st thing my agent looked for and found in several homes we viewed – so put it in the car glove box… just get it out for good so you don’t forget
2- street appeal – you know the deal - well-manicured lawn, neatly trimmed shrubs and a clutter free yard
3- no burned-out bulbs in house
4- Let the sun shine in
5- bathroom sparkle – 5 min job if u keep in good shape – also no drips
6- organized closet – everyone is looking for storage space
7- get rid of excess furniture – sale or store – we want space
8- Get rid of pets, dishes... and smells for viewing. If u have pets… take viewing by appointment only. Yes, it cuts down on walk in, but if they like the out side enough they will be back – hence – you are down to the real interested buyer. JMO – also exit the home – I don’t care if u are beauty or beast – get out.
9- right smell – hit google or good tips here now – give it the just baked cake smell – can’t go wrong there. I know 1 woman who really did this every morning. Don’t ask me about taste, but I hear the smell was great. This is real and it sold good.
10- Family pic – it can sell it or it can’t sell it. 99 to 1 it will kill it IMO. I would keep the sweet kid pics and store the rest – can’t go wrong there-we all love kids and it gives a nice family atmosphere.

another HGTV junkie here.....and althought I love most of the shows I dont always agree with thier tactics....
I agree that when I see family and pet pics It reminds me this is a "family friendly" place to live.....
also You said you had a storage ...thats great....like already said...keep things to a minimal....you want the "buyer" to see thier things in that house...not be so over taken by yours....keep walk ways open and kitchens and front doors inviting....
"CLEAN BATHROOMS" is a must!!!! no one wants to see "left over" dirt from the person before them......
Play up the good stuff......and down play the flaws.....if your kitchen rocks....put in a sweet smelling boquet of flowers on the counter or dinning table.....or a basket of fruit....
its spring...bring in the beauty.....a new set of hand towels and decorative soaps in the bathroom adds a special fresh touch. (get rid of personal items from the sinks and counter tops) Buyers dont wanna see your makeup and deo....lol...
I think You have a great grasp on the way this all works.....You know as much as we do and you know YOUR house...

I also agree in the "be gone" part. I have been in homes where the selers are present. Its pressuring and I felt very uncomfortable as well......let the agent do his/her job...

I am sure your pets are sweet and loving as you are...but not ALL people are comfortable with them....it would be best if they are not there at time of showing.....never know when some buyers lil kid has been mauled by a NOT SO LOVING dog and the very sight of one makes them cringe......ya know

I wish you the nest Greta....You will do fine....You got a great commong sence with this stuff and you realy want it to happen...you wil go the extra mile to see that it does....just dont make yourself crazy in the meantime......
God Bless ya girl!!!!

How'd it go Greta????? Tapping foot here waiting for the report....


How'd it go, how'd it go, how'd it go :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Well, my house is just about as clean as it can be. Dogs are on the deck for today. Once the garage is cleaned out, they will be corralled in there.

By appt would be nice, but not terribly realistic since I work 30 minutes away. Dogs in the garage will have to do.;)

I think I've got about 75% of the suggestions already in place. There's still work to be done since the house doesn't really go on the market for a couple more weeks.

We'll see if he calls. No word yet. I'm not concerned but the housecleaners are going to be wondering what they need to be there for this week - it looks better now than it does after they leave!

LOL...LOL...well at least they can KEEP it that way for ya Greta....

No one can clean your own house better then you can yourself....
I often wont even let others help me with the dishes...cuz I love it MY way lol....

Ya Kay, but I'll take mediocre house cleaners over doing it myself any day! I can learn to live with disappointment!!

Got everything extraneous moved out and into storage. Yea - now I can go kayaking again!!

They came around 4 pm. He took some pics to show another buyer who wants into our neighborhood then turned them into a show. I thought it looked pretty good. Only 4 more agents to interview and then we can decide! PM me if you want to see the show. It's not final, but it's a start.

I agree with you on that note Greta! I don't have the energy anymore to clean my house. The housekeeper I have now does a great job and she even plays with Holly! Can't beat that!

Gee, I have some pictures to add to your slide show! Hmmm...think they would help sell your house???? Hmmmm maybe not! :eek::D

OMG - I am stressing out about realtor selection right now. We have one more coming tonight (who I have no intention of hiring but am only meeting to humor DH). Each is different and has strengths and weaknesses - three of them we are friendly with. This sucks!

Oh, just pick the best-looking one if it's a guy!

You'll do fine, Gret, besides, if it doesn't sell before your transfer, doesn' Uncle Sam step in with FMV?

Nope - if it doesn't sell, we just pay a mortgage until it does....or we rent it:( No transfer buy outs.

AMN is real funny isn't she!!! This is the military...if they wanted you to have a house or a spouse, they would have issued it with your dog tags and duffle bag!!! LOL!

Greta, hire the first guy. You know you will...so stop stressing and just do it!

You didn't answer me about those pictures...I think the one with Laurel dancing in her PJs with the bottle of Guinness is an especially good one...don't you? Shows that the kitchen is great for parties!!! LOL!..



good thing she doesn't read this board...I'd be dead!! :eek:

Ah yes, but the first guy has the least amount of experience. Ack!!!

Ummm, no. Pics of you and Laurel dancing in my kitchen are about as appealing as the ones of my dogs that he used in his presentation!....:p

greta, it isn't your realtor that will sell your house. he/she usually won't even show it. 99% of them won't represent the client and the buyer. so it is really how your house is marketed. if they take pictures you don't like...make them take over and over.

what to look for is the company they work for. do they run newspaper ads? if so, when and how often will YOUR house be listed. does the realtor place their own ads in the home for sale magazines. when will your house be listed. most times they have already submitted the homes 30 -60 days in advance.

does the realtor have their own web page? how many home sales web sites will they post your house? are they willing to place "unconventional " ads in places like craiglist?

do they make cd's for people to take?

how often can you have an open house? can you hold your own? if so and you find a a buyer...how much will they cut their commission.

commission structure IS negotiable.

do take down your personal pictures. box them all up and take them out of the house. pediphiles target homes where they see pictures of kids of online. also, do not let pictures of the kids rooms be used online.

all meds even otc need to be in a box that you take with you when you leave.

if you have a lock box on the door and you are not home when the booking company calls, they will come right in. you may not get any notice. i had them walk in and NEVER call.

i have more...can you tell i went through this? :(

Curious- obviously you don't have monkey brains! Excellent advice.

No kiddos so we're ok, just three dog monsters. Based on what you said, I know exactly which realtor to choose. The big one. She advertises everywhere in print and online (too many places to count), sending flyers to other agents, and flyers on the sign in the yard. She said that she never knows where her buyers will come from so she has to cover it all. She blows away everyone else and she does seem like a marketing genius. Not terrifically personable, but I don't want a friend - I want a shark. Now I just have to convince DH. He just doesn't like her. It's a personal thing - not an issue of capability.

I guess I knew this already, I just kinda wanted to be able to use one of my neighbors. I think they'd do a great job too. Very motivated since they want more neighborhood listings, but they're both in a much different class than the big agent with the team to assist her.

None of the agents are proponents of open houses (except for one) indicating that they rarely bring in clients who want to buy, but were great tools for getting new clients who want them to list their homes.

One bonus to using the big agent is that someone always answers the phone so if they call me to let me know (and they tell me that people are actually making appointments now!) I'll know someone's on the way. I'm not fond of the thought of walking out of the shower to a family ogling my house!:eek: My cell phone will be my new best friend. Odd for me since most of the time it's uncharged...

Thanks for the insight. We'll have a decision this weekend. I think when I write it out with pros and cons - it'll be easier to handle.

:hug: we talked to a friend/neighbor too. but advice i got made the choice for me.

people who know you or the neighborhood on a personal level might just say something they shouldn't. :o

you can have agent open houses. not ones for people just driving around looking for decorating ideas. :wink:

dont worry about your husband or you liking her or not. it's if other agents and her BUYers like her. :D yeppers...go with the shark.