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Archive for the 'Seller Information' Category

Home Staging Ranks #2 in HomeGains Top 12 Home Improvements for Sellers

Most Home Stagers agree, however, that Staging encompasses all 12 of these improvement projects, as a good Stager will advise if, and to what extent, these improvements should be undertaken to increase the marketability of the property.

The article can be viewed here:

http://blog.homegain.com/home-improvement/homegain-2009-top-12-home-improvements-survey-results/

I have already had an agent ask if $300 for Home Staging is realistic.  The answer is yes, a $300 Home Staging can make a major improvement in the way an occupied house shows.   Call a Home Stager for more details.

Tags: Home Staging ROI, Home Sweet Home Staging, oakland county home stager, selling a metro detroit home

Home Staging By the Letters!

From my staging colleague Cindy Bryant, owner of Redesign, Etc. in Houston, TX:

Helping home sellers achieve their goal.

Offers will come faster.

Marketing strategy.

Effective selling technique.

Selling a home for all it’s worth.

Taking a tried and true approach.

Always looking better than the competition.

Get better appraisal values.

Internet photos will show a must see property.

Never giving you a bad first impression.

Gain more exposure with better listings.

Stage Rooms for Their Intended Purpose When Selling a House

When potential buyers view a house for sale, they need to see rooms presented as they were intended.  The master bedroom shouldn’t be an exercise room, the bathroom shouldn’t be a pet station, the garage shouldn’t be a storage unit, and unless you have more than 3 bedrooms, resist the urge to make one an office.

This is especially important when it comes to dining areas.  People want to see where they will gather for meals and entertain their loved ones.

I recently staged a 900 sq. ft. house for a client who was using her dining room as office space.  As you can see (amongst the considerable clutter), a desk definitely does not belong there.  Aside from being the wrong use of the space, it was also the first thing visitors saw when they came in the front door … NOT a good first impression. 

After completely clearing out the area , I moved the table and chairs that were overwhelming the small kitchen and created a proper dining room.

Visitors can now see that there is room for a full size table and 4 chairs at the very least.  Showing a dedicated dining room, the intended purpose for this space, adds value to this petite house and answers an important question for the buyer.

Short sales successes

When we started selling homes in 2001, short sales were unheard of in Metro Detroit.  Foreclosures were rare in Oakland County.  But times have changed and this year we have had an enormous uptick in our short sale business.

Short sales are taking place in every price range.  In the last 30 days we’ve helped buyers and sellers to close on homes with list prices between $110,000 and $999,000 in communities like Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak and Orchard Lake.  We’ve got 5 other short sale homes in the pipeline right now, all with offers on them and in to the bank for evaluation.

Some scenarios can make a short sale even more challenging to handle successfully.  Dmitry recently navigated treachorous waters with a short sale that involved private lien holders in addition to the banks.  Three individuals had made personal loans to the owner and did not really want to accept anything less than payment in full.  The banks were offering a few grand to them to scram.  If the home and gone to foreclosure they would not have seen a nickle.  In the end there was intense drama for a few weeks but Dmitry got everyone to the closing table.  The buyers got a great house and the seller got out of a bad situation.

Buyers, you can get a deal with a short sale, but it comes at a price.  If you have the time and the patience you could be rewarded handsomely.

Tags: bloomfield hills short sale, foreclosure, short sale

Home Sellers Top Questions About Home Staging

As I head to Florida for a much-needed vacation and annual Spring Training game (Go Tigers!!!), I leave you with an excellent Q & A reblogged with permission from my staging colleague Cindy Bryant of Redesign Etc, Inc. in Houston, TX.  Her post on Active Rain is spot-on and truly reflects the most common questions that I am asked by potential staging clients.   I apologize for starting my vacation early and taking the easy way out.  Truth is, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Take it away Cindy …

“There is so much information on home staging, that home sellers are on overload.  With advice coming from all kinds of sources and areas of the country.  Yes, it is confusing, where do you start?   If you watch tv, you may get the impression you can have your home staged for under $2000.  Or another show may stage a home for around $20,000.   Big difference!   Another show has strangers coming to your house picking it apart, to the point that you’re thinking, no way am I going to let someone do that to my home.  You can read articles or books on the internet from people that may be experts or just people with an opinion.  You can also read a book on ”How to Cut Hair”, but would you actually trust yourself to cut your hair or someone else’s?  I wouldn’t!  So, where do you start?  Sure, you have questions … who wouldn’t?

Here are a few questions home sellers have when thinking about staging their homes.

1) How much does it cost? Reasonable question … as a matter of fact it’s the #1 question.  It’s the big mystery.  This is why.  I wish I could say every home stager could give you a standard answer, but we can’t.  Every stager should be their own business entity, and provide different services.  Some charge an hourly rate, by the square foot, per room, a percentage of the list price or a flat fee.  As every property is different, we really need to see the home to assess it and give you a solid number.  Some stagers can estimate it, but shouldn’t be held to that number until the property is viewed.  There are too many variables that go into it. Is is vacant? Do furniture and accessories need to be brought in?  Or is it occupied, and you just need a redesign of existing furnishings? These are just a couple of examples.

2) Who pays for the staging? The 2nd most popular question.  The home seller is ultimately responsible for staging services.

3) Why doesn’t my Realtor pay for home staging, they are making the commission? Again, ultimately a homeowner is responsible for staging costs.  Some, but not all real estate agents will pay for a Home Staging Consultation, as a value-added service, but the actual costs associated with staging (furniture rental, actual hands-on staging) is paid for by the home seller.  It is not the responsibility of a real estate agent to pay for home staging costs.

4) Can I pay at closing? This is up to the stager.  Most, do not do this as we do not know if a property will be on the market for 1 day or 3 months.  Again, we all do it a little differently, some ask for 1/2 upfront, and some charge a monthly fee.

5) What do you do? Again, each home stager is their own entity.  Some offer redesigns only, some offer accessories only, and some offer furniture and accessories.  Some don’t have the inventory to do a vacant home so they will have to use a third party source, and some use their own inventory.  Different services can be offered, such as paint color consultations, personal shopping, organizing, curb appeal, recommendations on cost-effective cosmetic changes such as flooring, counters, lights, fixtures, etc.  The ultimate goal is to help a seller get their home sold faster and in the most cost effective manner.

6) How long does it take? It depends on how much you want done and to what extent.  It can take a few hours or a few days, or maybe longer if there are some cosmetic changes that need to be taken care of.

7) When should I have my home staged? As soon as you decide to sell.  Call a professional home stager and get a Home Staging Consultation.  Once necessary recommendations are completed from your stager’s list, your house is ready to be listed.  Don’t make the mistake of putting up that “For Sale” sign in the front yard before your home is ready.  The first 20 days a home is listed will be when it will get the most interest and traffic.  Make sure your house is show ready.”

Tags: answers to home seller's questions, Cindy Bryant, home stager, Home Sweet Home Staging, Marianne Sweet on Home Staging, Redesign Etc Inc., Rochester Hills Oakland County MI home stager

Don’t Underestimate “The Neighbor Factor” When Selling a House

We know that the three most important factors for a successful real estate sale are location, price and condition.  While the seller can make changes to the price and condition of a property to hasten a sale,  no one can amend the location.

What happens when the location of the house itself is desirable, but the neighbors are not? 

Everyone has a story.  The neighbors who don’t mow their weed-infested yard.  The RV parked in the driveway year-round.  The garbage cans left out for days after pick-up.  The home improvement project that was never finished.  The incessant barking dogs.  The company van.  The boat.  The used cars for sale.  The dumpster.  The broken garage door.  The loud parties.

The smart buyer will scope out the neighborhood before making an offer.  If a house isn’t selling, it may be “The Neighbor Factor” at work.  Here’s where a home stager can help.

In this photo, furniture placement (specifically, a strategically-placed tree) help to block the view of the neighbor’s backyard, so it’s not the first thing a potential buyer will see when they enter the space.

It’s only upon closer inspection, or in this case zooming in, that you become somewhat aware of the Tiki Bar in the neighbor’s yard and the novelty signs that are plastered all over his garage.  Home staging assured that the focus was on the great sunroom itself, and didn’t allow the neighbor’s yard to be a distraction.

As the home stager on this project, I was fully prepared to have a little chat with the neighbor and charm him into toning it down by removing the signs from his garage.  We home stagers go to extraordinary lengths to make sure our clients’ properties show in the best possible light, and that includes talking to unruly neighbors.  Unfortunately in this case, I never found the neighbor home to speak to him.  It turns out, however, that I didn’t have to.  This house sold 7 days after being listed on the MLS.

While there isn’t a silk tree large enough to camouflage an RV in an adjoining driveway, a home stager can do wonders to increase your property’s marketability.  We have a large arsenal of tricks at our disposal, including the power of persuasion and the desire to use it!

Tags: home stager, Home Sweet Home Staging, Marianne Sweet on Home Staging, neighbors preventing sale, selling a house with unruly neighbors

Showing Instructions … A List For Sellers

With the brief glimpse of spring that we experienced over the weekend, thoughts turn to buying and selling houses.  “The Real Estate Season” is fast approaching, although maybe not fast enough for some of us!

Sellers?  Be prepared.  If your house has good curb appeal and is priced appropriately, your showings will increase.  Put your best foot forward by following these suggestions:

Before all showings……….Set the Stage!

1. Turn on all lights and lamps
2. Open all blinds and curtains, unless otherwise instructed
3. Straighten bedding and fluff pillows
4. Give sinks a quick wipe and display clean, matching towels
5. Make sure all toilet lids are down
6. Store all garbage cans, pet items and personal items out of sight
7. Close garage doors
8. If you have a fireplace, start a fire
9. Turn on soft music throughout house (tune all radios to the same station)
10. If candles are displayed, light them!
11. If possible, display fresh flowers … fresh is always best
12. Do a “smell check”; lightly spray a clean fragranced freshener if necessary

 During showings……….Give the buyer some privacy!

• Go for a walk, run errands or work in the garden
• Remove all pets from the house, especially dogs

Make those showings count.  By paying attention to details and preparing for each visitor, you will set the stage for a successful sale!

 

 

 

Tags: be ready for buyers, home stager, Home Sweet Home Staging, instructions for sellers, Marianne Sweet on Home Staging, showing instructions

Seller Financing Is The New Black

Banks ARE lending money, they are just a quite a bit pickier about the particulars: who, what, how much, where, when etc…

When I wrote this post about seller financing a few days ago, I really had no idea about how the floodgates would open. Frankly, there are very few land contract homes listed in the MLS in the Birmingham, Bloomfield, Beverly Hills, Royal Oak areas. Many sellers simply cannot afford to offer the option to buyers.

But those who can do it, might want to consider it. I put out an email blast for a prospective buyer and the calls started coming in from agents throughout Birmingham. Yes, they had a client who could offer seller financing.

If you are a seller, talk to your agent (and maybe your attorney) about the potential for offering seller financing. There are good buyers out there who have money to put down, good jobs and decent credit who, for whatever reason, will be able to get financing in a short time that they are not yet able to get today.

If you are a buyer, and you are looking for a home where the seller would consider seller financing, please drop me a line or give me a call 248.430.4450.

photo by Chotda

Tags: Birmingham mi land contract, land contract, lease with an option, metro detroit land contract, rent to own, seller financing

I Want A Deal!

This morning I showed a new listing in Huntington Woods.  The cars were lined up as I left, with two other agents bringing through buyers.  I had passed another broker and her clients on my way in.  On this freezing cold Metro Detroit morning, that house is looking relatively hot.

Sure, it has great curb appeal.  That does not hurt in the least.  The pictures (yes the agent used more than one) show that the house is dated, but on paper it looks like a lot of house for the money.

No telling what will happen next, but there is a little take away here for you Southeast Michigan home sellers:

1. There are buyers out there.  They have money.  They want to spend it and get a new house.
2. Curb appeal rocks.
3. A really good price out of the gate is sooooooooooo much better than the agony of endless price reductions as you try to “catch down” with the market.
4. Yes, Virginia, it is January.  People buy houses year round, not just in the spring and summer.
5. Those buyers are out looking for a deal.  Do you have one for them?

Some other posts you might enjoy:

10 Things You Can’t Do If You Want To Sell Your Michigan House

Dear Mr and Mrs Seller, Here is What You Need To Do

Help, I Can’t Find Your Agent

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Tags: home selling, huntington woods, selling a home

It’s baaaaaaaaaack: Seller Financing!

Tightened credit markets and a sluggish real estate market have sellers looking for ways to seal the deal. This week I saw a Birmingham builder do what he could to take control of the situation and set his properties apart. His answer: the land contract.

Not only is he offering land contracts, he’s offering them at rates better than you will get at the bank. Today he advertised 4%! What’s not to like about 4% money, especially since his homes sell at prices where the buyer is likely to need a more expensive jumbo mortgage. Other advantages of land contracts:

Potentially cheaper closing costs

Seller *might* be more lenient with credit blemishes

I haven’t called for details, nor have I done the math, but I think this sounds like a great incentive for buyers.

Intrigued? Take a look.

Tags: birmingham mi, creative home sales techniques, land contract, metro detroit land contract, michigan land contract, seller financing