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| | Listing Agent John-Robin Middlebrook Sells in 4 Months at the Price You Expect. |
Avoiding Pitfalls When Selling California Homes.
Myth #1: I can smell it but the buyers probably won't.
Truth: Nope, it's just the opposite. If you are living in the house even if you don't smell a bad smell and there is a smell the buyers will definitely try a free sample of it as they walk through your front door in a hurry to leave your list your California home for sale early. Try not to let this happen by putting your dogs and cats somewhere else like outside or with a friend and drop the smoking habits indoors during the California house sale or at least do a major overhaul cleaning job on the house inside and out to get rid of the smell. Buy or lease an air purifier. Put in air fresheners. If your house has mold and you know it contact a mold redemiation company to see what they would do about it.
Myth #2: The green 1960's stove looks good.
Truth: Old appliances give the impression that the whole house is old and not maintained. When a buyer sees old appliances the first thing in their mind is I'm going to need more money than I pay for this house to replace that. Then once they start to think that way they look at everything else with the same mindset. You don't want that. Remember California residential home sales are emotion based. You want the buyer to catch an eye for how aesthetically pleasing the house looks, you want them to think how beautiful and comfortable it is, but once they start thinking about the economical costs to live in California houses they never go back.
Myth #3: I'll get A maximum return if I remodel everything.
Truth: Most remodels and repairs do not even return three quarters of your time and money. The truth is you may want to remodel a few things, but not pay to rip up floors, walls, and other fixtures unless they look so trashy your children are embarrassed. Get a second opinion on this. The items that will give you a real return for your money and help sell the home are new carpeting, painting, cleaning, and airing out the home by giving away and selling old furniture and whatever's in those boxes piled 8 ft high in your closets and garage. Currently remodeling or adding on a bathroom gives a high ROI, but redoing a kitchen gives less than 100% return. Plus, your home may not even appraise with all of these adjustments so it's best to keep your costs down and let the buyers decide how they want to change the home.
Myth #4: If I hold out the buyer will give in to my terms.
Truth: Most homes for sale in Southern California are so scrunched together so closely that it is easy for a buyer to decide on another home. The best thing to do is let me as your agent know what you want and give me a little bit of leeway to handle your request but at the same time be a good listener and reasonable when it comes to the buyer's request. Then we can discuss what to do so as not to lose an otherwise great buyer.
Myth #5: It's ok to let offers wait a while.
Truth: Offers should be responded to immediately. When buyers are ready to buy California real estate that means there's a certain window of time open for them where they can put down the money or effort. There is no telling how long this window of opportunity will stay open. Offers should be responded to right away.
Myth #6: Locking up one room is a good idea.
Truth: No buyer wants to buy 9/10's of a home. When a buyer takes the time to drive, stop and walk through CA homes for sale they expect to see the whole property. If you have a snake, a dog, or a bunch of junk it's better to walk in with them or put these animals and things in another place. This also goes for closets. Closets shouldn't be overstuffed because buyers want to see how big the closets are, they always check the closets.
Myth #7: Bugs, dim lights, and dirt sells most homes.
Truth: I think you get the idea.
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 | © John-Robin Middlebrook. Last updated April 2008.
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