This is a series of articles which looks at selling your house. Each article will build from the other to give a start to finish self help series to aid people to sell your house. The spring 2008 home sales market is starting to open in the sense you must start the process now to have your house ready for the spring market. This is a very important factor in selling your house this year, is to be prepared for the market.

The first part covered in article 1 “Sell Your House” was to find a agent that you are comfortable with. I don’t mean a agent which just tells you everything you want hear either. This type of agent will only hurt your efforts to sell your house. The time it takes to find a good agent will be well worth it. Some people just use the word of mouth on finding a agent. This can be helpful, but what was the market like when these people used that agent. During the home market bubble days a child with a cardboard sign and pop up table could of sold a house, from their lemonade stand. So, ask when the person used their agent to buy or sell their house. This will be a important factor. Once you look around now days you find that only agents that are better at their jobs are the ones who are left in the sales market of today, that is if they are a seasoned agent with more then 10 years experience.

The other thing you must be very careful of is the hybrid/discount home sellers. These are are like comparing the big well known car dealers to the corner lot with the sales/owner wearing his plaid suits and telling you what deal he has for you. The thing is these guys are using high tech ways of selling you their services. These people hide behind TV and computer screens as they sell their services as a faceless animated service. These services assist you in selling your home and that’s it. They became very popular in the bubble era also as they did not charge very much for what they were doing and still got a house sold. Remember, as I stated above a kid with a cardboard sign could have sold a house during this time period. This is becoming self evident as these discount places have had to resort to lots of TV ads to keep their business going, lucky for them they still have money left over from the good time market and some people believe anything they hear in a TV Ad.

Once you have found a agent who is well rounded, you can sit down and start to talk about your house with them. The agent should be one who knows about houses and what needs to be done to a house long before the sign hits the front yard. The agents now days who know what they are doing, are joining up with people who know how to fix and stage a home for sale. When you want to sell your house you need a well rounded person now days more then anything. Ask the agent what their game plan is on selling your house. Theres so much more then just placing signs and ads for open house now days. The comparable houses that have sold in your area was a large part of selling your house also. These are things that any agent should know along with setting the correct price for your house. We will cover these areas more in articles to come.

The agent if he or she is well rounded should be looking at the whole house and if they don’t have the experience to see your house as whole package and what needs to be done you need to ask them to find someone to help. The whole house needs to be looked at in great detail. The whole house just so you know is the total yard and house, not just the inside of the house like some house staging people would lead you believe. The house staging professionals of yesterday started off in the home interior design market and have the feeling that a interior designer is what a house needs to sell. The inside is just a small part of what needs to be looked at. To sell your house it needs to be looked at starting right from the front curb.

A good agent is going to know this and start by taking you out to the curb and asking you what you see, or if they don’t a good sales consultant will. The front curb, is the starting point. You may say, who cares about the outside? You need the inside to be nice right? The process for a buyer starts at the curb where they stop their car. The buyer sees your house from the outside first and if they never even slow down, do you really think they will make it inside. You need to get the buyers to slow down and stop to take a look. Take a pen and paper and write down what you see. Does your house have any curb appeal? Would you stop and look at your house the way it looks right now? What can you do to help improve the look of your house? Remember, a good agent is looking to do what needs to get done to sell your house. You need a person who does this kind sprucing up work and knows what is the best for return on investment. Still, watch out for someone trying to sell you on high end repairs or excess work, you could just be spending money for no reason.

I have been providing consulting services for years now and believe that this year is going to be one of the years where a house is not going to sell unless it has been prepared to hit the market. The market requires you to find a person who can prepare your house for you along with the consulting part. The old house stagers give you a report and tell the names of friends who can do the work you need done. Find a full service company who can come in and give the house a full report and be able to do the work or has the network to get the work done. You see, giving you a report for 2-4 hundred dollars and then leaving, still leaves you with having to call the needed contractors and get the work all scheduled and done, you really could have done that on your own, with maybe a little self help materials. I have found that because I have been doing many home consulting, repairs and improvements for years I see things different than home owners. I do forget that I have conditioned myself to look for the details required to sell a home, not live there. When you see something everyday and walk right by it, you don’t think about it. For example, a bath room door which does not close correctly or swings open by itself. You have lived with it for years and years, you don’t think about it, you live with it. New prospective owners will not feel the same way.

I have found that many things I think of with regards to fixing houses are not always how, owners look at things. This is why, when you look at your house you will view it as just fine. It may be just fine for you and was fine for you, now your trying to sell it to someone else, not you. We will take a look at what you need to do to the exterior of your house in order for you to sell your house. Many times with the right help and some money well spent you can increase the chances of your house selling and selling much faster. We will be looking at the front of your has and curb appeal coming up in the next article.

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This is possibly one of the worst times to sell a house in the past 20 years. Don’t let it put you off! You can still get good money for the home that you love, without dropping to ridiculous prices. All it takes is a unique approach to the market, and working a bit harder than what you normally would… Oh, and forget about getting a real estate agent to help you, they’re having a tough time as it is!

Step 1

The first step is to make a confident decision as to what your property is worth. How much did you pay for it and when? How much do you love it? Do not consider underselling it, since you know exactly what a great house it is. If you feel confident and secure in the figure you want, you’ve successfully made the first step. You’re NOT going under this price!

Step 2

You’re going to do a mass public showing, but you need as many people to turn up as possible. It is essential that you place an effective advertisement in the paper and on the internet to reach the most buyers. I’m not talking about the standard “great place, family home, love it, $200,000 or nearest offer” kind of thing, I’m talking about something unique.

Step 3

Presentation is the key. Your open house mass showing needs to impress enough to give the impression that your property is worth more than what the market would normally think. You’ve already got heaps of people showing up because of your great ad, which makes it look like there is massive competition, now you need to make the place look snazzy. Clean it like you’ve never cleaned, and dress it up like never before. Think outside the box and you’ll be surprised!

Create a video blog…instantly.

There are many reasons why people need to sell a house fast, and for people in such a position there are investment companies willing to buy properties fast for cash. It could be due to divorce or illness, or due to a buyer pulling out meaning someone may miss their chance to purchase their dream home. Whatever the reason, it’s easy enough to find a purchaser to offer you a quick sale.

The main benefit of selling to a property investor or investment company is the speedy sale. This is because they are not concerned with the colour of your wallpaper, and they won’t have to go away and discuss the purchase with their partner. They won’t see something they like better down the road. Professional property investors buy property week-in, week-out. Very few deals fall through, it is unlikely they will have problems raising finance, and they are not going to want to delay the process because they haven’t sold their house yet.

In fact, through use of experienced solicitors, the whole process can be transacted in as little as two weeks, and very often the buyer will pay all fees.

The only drawback of using such a company to ensure a fast property sale is that they will not offer as high a price for your property as a buyer who is buying a home for their family home. However, the speed and ease of the transaction makes for a compelling argument for the use of a property investment company to expedite a quick sale.

Scottsdale Real Estate

Every home seller wants to sell the house fast for the maximum price. To achieve this it is important to know which repairs are absolutely necessary and how to price it competitively to sell the house in the shortest time. By planning carefully and sprucing up the house professionally to maximize first impressions you can ensure a quick sale. You must get marketing tips on how to find qualified buyers and attract many offers to sell the house.

Best time to sell

Real estate markets generally pick up in February and the wave usually lasts till the end of June. This period is considered to be the strongest selling season. Another strong period is from early September to late November. Late November sees the market slow down due to the holiday season.

Pricing

Avoid overpricing. The market situation also should be taken into account. The pricing should be in line with the prices of recently sold homes in the area as identified in the comparative market analysis report. Get purchase offers and make a counter offer and be prepared for multiple offers if you have priced the house right. After finding out what the house is worth by looking at the prices of other houses in the neighbourhood, you can price it 10% below them. This will help to sell your house in no time if it is the cheapest and newest in the market.

Marketing

The advertising to sell the house must have all the selling points. Quality photographs and virtual tour of the house online can increase the traffic and showings. Hiring a professional stager for staging your home is a good idea to impress the potential buyer.

Repairs to be carried out

Find out which repairs and home improvement projects can increase the value to sell a house. Patch the cracks in the walls and replace the cracked floors and tile of the kitchen counter. Repairing and touching up kitchen cabinets can enhance the overall look of the house. Repair or replace door knobs, drawers etc. Leaky taps and faucets should be replaced in the bathrooms. The creaky floors and jamming drawers should be fixed. Make sure that the toilet seats are to be replaced. Repairing and replacing the missing shingles or tiles from the roof is also very important. Paint the exterior fixtures like the door frame, window trims, fence and the mail box. Polish door handles and rust spots and make sure to repaint the areas with peeling paint. Paint the exterior fixtures like the door frame, window trims, fence and the mail box. Polish door handles and rust spots and make sure to repaint the areas with peeling paint. Repairing faulty doorbell and sprinkler system are a must.

Preparing the house for sale

Once you have made the decision to sell your house the first thing to do is to dissociate yourself from it. Family heirlooms and personal photographs should be removed from the house. Removing all clutter is essential before showing the house to prospective buyers. De-clutter and clean off and organize everything on the kitchen counters and storage racks. Buyers tend to open to check kitchen cabinets and closets. If a potential buyer sees everything well organized, it would create an impression that you take good care of the entire house. Neatly arranged spice jars and dishes in the kitchen and arranging the shirts facing the same direction in the wardrobes and lining up the shoes in the rack are sure to create a good first impression. It is a good idea to have beds made, putting large furniture away, lock pets away and remove personal possessions etc.

House should sparkle

After deciding to sell the house, make sure the house looks **** and span. Remove cobwebs, clean fan blades and wash the windows thoroughly. Side walks and exterior must be cleaned with pressure washer. Wax the floors; re-chalk the tubs and sinks and showers. The sinks and wash basins must be stain-free. Chrome faucets and mirrors should be polished. Dust all furniture and light fixtures. Clean out the refrigerator and vacuum the house daily. Fresh towels must be hung and make sure there is no smell or odour anywhere. Replace dirty and worn out rugs and curtains. Switch plates should be cleaned and sticky windows must be made to open easily. Trees should be pruned to allow natural light inside. Clean up the oily floor of garage and keep the walks, patio and derive ways clean. Mow the lawn and trim the bushes.

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When you sell a house, you put a sign in the front yard with your phone number and an ad in the paper. But, how do you grab the attention of passers-by who may be interested in the home but not motivated enough to actually pick up the phone and call you?

Open houses are one solution, but they’re not a 24-hour solution. As a result of this dilemma, more real estate agents are turning toward private radio transmitters to do their talking for them.

Private radio transmitters, also sold as the “Talking House” product, allow you to broadcast – on a low-power radio frequency – a short recorded message with information about the property for sale. But, how does it work? Do you need a license? For answers to these questions and more, keep reading.

How does it work?

The private radio transmitter is typically installed right inside the home that is for sale. Meanwhile, you can post a sign outside instructing passers-by to “tune in” to your frequency to find out about the home.

How easy are they to use?

Small radio transmitters are remarkably easy to use. If you’ve ever used a basic car radio adapter for your iPod or mp3 player, then you can use a private radio transmitter.

Most units simply plug into the wall and either hook up to a player or allow you to record a message with information about the house right onto the machine.

Do you need a radio license?

No, you do not need an FCC license if you get a low-power transmitter. Of course, if you’re purchasing a commercial or ultra-powerful transmitter then you’ll need one. However, most of those products aren’t sold to the public.

What if I have two properties next door to each other?

Then, you simply set your two private radio transmitters to two separate frequencies. Otherwise, the two transmitters will conflict with one another, creating a soup of combined messages.

Will it bother my clients?

No, a private radio transmitter is typically completely silent and a very small drain on electric power resources. The only inconvenience may be passing cars stopping close to the house to tune in and get more information.

Private radio transmitters are also a powerful lead generating tool for attracting new clients. By setting yourself apart from other real estate agents and offering your clients such a unique selling tool, you’re sure to start attracting leads and new prospects.

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