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When potential buyers view your home, they are just as interested in the surrounding area as they are in the property itself. So, before listing your home on the market, it makes sense to think about your community and its key characteristics.

Here’s a good way to do that:

Imagine a relative from out-of-town coming to visit. She may say that she likes your community, and wants to know what you enjoy most about living there.

How would you answer?

Would you talk about the friendly nearby residents? Would you list the community events? Name all the local shopping? Describe the nice restaurants within walking distance? Or tell her about the local playground?

There are probably many things about your community that make it great. What are the top three? Those are probably characteristics of the area that most buyers will want to know.

The late comedian George Carlin used to have a routine called, “A place for my stuff.” He was referring to the idea that, besides being a place to sleep and eat, the purpose of a home is essentially to store all the stuff you accumulate over the years.

That may or may not be true. But, if you’re like most homeowners, you probably have a lot of stuff in your home… stuff in closets, and stuff in the garage.

That’s just what happens!

The problem, however, comes when you try to sell your home. What may seem to you like a comfortable home office filled with supplies, office equipment, books and papers, may look to a buyer like an uncomfortable, small and cluttered space.

That’s the problem with “stuff”. Too much of it, and it gets in the way of buyers seeing and appreciating the great features of your home.

So, when you’re selling your home, what do you do with all that extra stuff?

One solution is to have a garage or yard sale. (If you call it a “moving sale” you’ll attract more buyers.) This is a great way to get rid of the things you don’t need anymore – and, perhaps, make a few dollars!

Another solution is to give some of the items you don’t need to charity. There are many local organizations that can make good use of second hand clothing, furniture, and toys.

Finally, for all of the things you want to hang on to, but are cluttering up your home, consider renting a locker at a self-storage company.

One thing is for certain. The more spacious and comfortable each room of your home appears to potential buyers, the more likely it is that they’ll see the true value of your property and become interested.

Chances are, there is a characteristic of your property that everyone remembers, appreciates, and maybe even envies. It could be a spacious kitchen with an island and upgraded appliances… or a stunning backyard with a wrap-around deck and beautiful landscaping… or rustic hardwood floors that contrast with elegant, high-end ceramics.

Whatever it is about your property that people tend to like and remember, will also appeal to potential buyers. So, when listing your home for sale, make sure to emphasize that characteristic.

When buyers view homes, they tend to remember just one, or sometimes up to two or three features of each property. “Oh, that’s the house with the large rec room and bar.” Or, “That’s the property with the gorgeous landscaping.”

These are characteristics that help sell a property. Make sure you highlight them.

However, sometimes homeowners lose perspective of what is truly appealing about their property. Ask friends to tell you what features in your home make it appealing. You might be surprised by their answers.

If you want to buy a new washing machine, you simply go into a retail store and pay the listed price. Pretty simple.

However, it doesn’t work quite that way when it comes to real estate. Although a home will usually have a “listed price”, you must make an “offer” for that property and then the seller must accept it. In fact, if there are other buyers interested in the property, you may not get the home even if you offer the listed price!

That’s why it’s so important to work with a good real estate professional, who can provide information and experience to help you determine the right offer to submit.

Once you make an offer, if the seller accepts it, the home is yours. If the seller rejects your offer, it could be because they’ve accepted another buyer’s offer, feel your offer is too low, or have rejected one of your conditions.

Sometimes, the seller will come back with a counteroffer. If you accept it, congratulations, you’ve bought the property. If you don’t like the counteroffer, you can make a counter-counteroffer!

This back and forth negotiation can get a bit tricky, which is another reason to have a professional by your side.

When buyers view your home, they ask themselves whether they like it. Assuming that the answer is “yes”, they try to determine how much work would be required before they could move in.

It’s not uncommon for a buyer to be interested in a property but be turned off by the perceived amount of work required. In fact, this can sometimes discourage a buyer from even making an offer.

That’s why ensuring your home is in as “move-in” condition as possible is so advantageous. It will help sell your home faster and, often, for a better price.

So what does “move-in” condition mean? It means that there are no repairs or maintenance issues that need to be addressed immediately. Buyers can be discouraged by seemingly minor issues, such as a loose closet shelf or a lightly dripping shower head. So it’s important to get those little repairs done before showing your home.

Buyers will also likely want to know the age of your furnace, water heater and other appliances, in order to anticipate when they will need to be repaired or replaced. If you have transferrable warranties for any of these items, be sure to let buyers know.

A fresh coat of paint is one of the best investments you can make in preparing your home for sale. More than any other repair or renovation, a coat of paint can make just about any room look almost new and move-in ready.

Buyers are sometimes worried about having to purchase new window coverings. If your window coverings will stay with the home, make that clear to buyers too.

Generally, the more you can do to make your home seem ready to move in, the better.

Want more tips on selling your home quickly and for the best price? Call today!

Why is it so important to know how much you can afford to spend on a home?

Two reasons.

First, you don’t want to buy a property and then find out, after you’ve moved in, that you can’t financially maintain it. That would mean having to resell it under stressful conditions.

Second, you don’t want to settle for a property that’s less than ideal, when you really could have afforded the “dream home” you’ve always wanted.

So how do you figure out how much you can afford to pay for your next home?

The first step is to gain a clearer understanding of how much your current home will likely sell for in today’s market. That amount, together with other financial resources you might have (such as savings), will determine your available down payment.

The next thing you’ll need to figure out is the maximum amount of mortgage for which you qualify.

Say, through the proceeds of the sale of your home combined with your savings, your expected down payment is $150,000. If the lender authorizes a mortgage of $375,000, then you can afford a $525,000 home.

Typically your lender determines your maximum mortgage based on, among other things, a percentage of your income, to ensure you can maintain the property.

It’s worth doing your own calculations too. Calculate your anticipated utilities, insurance, and property tax, and make sure you have some money set aside for unanticipated expenses.

Of course, you don’t need to spend as much as you qualify for on a new home. A home that meets your needs in terms of property type, features, and community, may in fact cost you less.

You’re shopping for a new home. You visit a property that looks great from the outside, but when you go inside to explore the rooms, you’re disappointed. The kitchen is cluttered and “feels” small. The living room seems too wide. The master bedroom doesn’t look comfortable at all.

Should you strike this home off your list of possibilities?

Maybe. Maybe not. You see, there may be any number of reasons why a room doesn’t look appealing. Some of those reasons may have little to do with the size and configuration of the space.

For example, a bedroom might look tight and uncomfortable because there are two over-sized dressers taking up most of the space, making the room feel cluttered. Without them the room could be ideal.

The kitchen might seem small because the toaster, coffeemaker, spice rack and numerous other items are using up all the counter space. If you can imagine those gone, you might see how roomy the kitchen could feel.

So the next time you’re viewing a home, consider the possibilities for each room, not just how the room actually looks now.