Top 10 Tips For Selling Your Home in Winter

Selling your home is challenging enough without all the added dreariness of winter. If you're living in an area that even resembles Omaha at this time, you know why winter is not the ideal time to put your house on the market. However, there are steps you can take to brighten your home and make the showing pleasant and enjoyable for buyers. I read this great article on About.com with tips to selling your house in winter, their top 10 tips are:

1. Clear a path - Make sure your walkways are constantly clear and clean from snow. Footprints on fresh snow will turn into ice, so make sure to scrape the walk. It's important to have a path from the street to your house as well so visitors don't have to crawl over a snow mound. It it's snowing or raining, make sure to put out a mat by the front door or a vase to hold wet umbrellas.
2. Let in the light - Open the blinds, shutters and drapes in every window (unless there is an undesirable scene outside, such as a close building or dilapidated fence). Use the lighting in your house, especially in darker rooms with few windows. Turn off the TV!
3. Turn on the heat - Pump up the thermostat. It's better to heat the house a degree or two warmer than usual and then set the temperature at normal. This prevents the heat from kicking on when the buyer is present, because some HVAC systems can be loud. If the temperature is comfortable, people will be likely to linger longer, and if you have a fireplace use it! It will add warmth to the house.
4. Create a mood - One of best things about winter is cuddling up inside under a warm blanket with your loved ones, so take advantage of that emotion people will be feeling at this time. Make your living room romantic with two champagne glasses near a champagne bucket on the coffee table. Toss afghans over the sofa or chair arm. Turn your bathroom into a spa. Set up vases with winter flowers, or try dressing your dining room table for a dinner for two.
5. Turn on the music - Something soothing to set the mood for those walking through your house. Jazz or classical are good choices.
6. Ease up on the scents - Many people are irritated or sensitive to certain scents and candles, so avoid perfuming the house up too much. Try baking winter cookies or sweets instead, but make sure you leave some out for your guests! Don't tease them with the smell and disappoint them when there is nothing.
7. Make it visually pleasing - Staging is important no matter what time of the year you're selling so make sure to follow the basic rules. Two important rules are to declutter the house and clean it up! Dust, wash, wax, vacuum, sweep, mop, polish - anything you notice, buyers definitely will.
8. Serve winter foods - Try setting out some hot soup, chili or stew, and make sure you leave a place for the disposal of paper bowls and plastic spoons. Hot apple cider or cocoa make great beverages, too. Whatever you serve, keep it clean and try to make it complex - you want buyers to stay for a while and eat while they notice elements they might have otherwise missed.
9. Provide specific information - Attach a printed card to items and in rooms that provide further information the buyer might miss or might not know. If your stairs are steep, place a card on the railing letting them know. Have an antique chandelier? Set out a card with its age and other important details.
10. User timers and technology to your advantage - Have outdoor lamps on motion sensor for when when a buyer approaches, and put indoor lamps or a crock pot on a timer so they will be ready when the buyer arrives.

** Check out the original article: Selling in Winter - Top 10 Tips to Home Selling in Winter

It's Not All Bad News

Good economic news can be a little sparse right now and selling your home in today’s market can be intimidating if you are not working with a REALTOR® who has experience and market knowledge. Many homeowners are scared they will be selling their home for a discount in today’s market, and if you listen to the national news, this will only feed the hysteria.

Don’t base your decisions on what you read in the paper and hear on T.V. because not all markets are the same. The first step would be to request a comparative market analysis from a REALTOR® to determine if it’s the right time to sell or not.

Keep in mind, if you are selling your house for possibly less than your purchase price, you may be able to more-than offset this by your next purchase. Many homeowners are taking advantage of this with low interest rates to move up to their dream home!

"Valuations: The Price Puzzle"

I read this great article in REALTOR® Magazine and wanted to share it with you, because if working behind the scenes in real estate has taught me anything, it's that valuation is one of the most important and tricky steps in the home selling process. So for those of you who are new to this whole process, there are several things you'll want to keep in mind when determining the right price for your home.

PRICE v. VALUE
First, you have to understand the difference between price and value. Two homes might have identical prices and similar specifications, but there are a number of factors that could make one home sell faster than another.

The best way to assess the value of your home is to be familiar with the competition. Your REALTOR® should provide you with a CMA (comparable market analysis). This report gives you a better idea of the value of your home based off things such as: other listings in the area, your home's features, location and more and allows you to compare those to similar listings in the area.

It's your REALTOR®'s job to help you price your house correctly. This person is the industry expert, so although you may have one price in mind, make sure to listen to the professional advice you're receiving. You hired a REALTOR® for a reason, after all - to help you sell your house. Being stubborn about price after your agent recommends a reduction is only delaying the process and keeping him or her from performing their duties to the best of their ability.

REPRICE, EARLY AND OFTEN

The ideal goal is to have your house priced correctly when it first comes on the market. However, this isn't a one-time task, especially in a changing market. You'll need to stay abreast of changes - new listings, recent transactions, price adjustments, etc. - that could affect the perceived value of your house. Make sure you and your REALTOR® review your listing at least every 30 days - more often if there's a lot of transaction activity. 

Don't let a listing languish at the wrong price! Chances are when your starting price is optimistically high, you'll receive less interest on your home, and it will stay on the market for as long as it takes to find an attractive price for buyers (costing you more money to keep your home for a longer period of time). Buyer's agents know when they see an overpriced listing and will advise their client to lay low for a few weeks until the price is lowered. BUT if you price correctly from the get-go, your listing won't get skipped over by buyer's agents and you'll get the excitement you wanted and hopefully, an offer to buy. Remember, your best change for a full-price offer comes in the first three weeks.

Source: REALTOR® Magazine - "Valuations: The Price Puzzle"