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Commonly Overlooked Checklist Items for Your Open House
For many, the open house is a make-or-break event for marketing a home. The mix of people stopping by can lead to an offer or a quality referral. With the directional signs pointing your way, the balloons bumping off the sign posts, and the house looking its best, a successful open house creates a network of awareness around your listing.
A lot of cleaning and preparation goes into an open house. Make sure to freshen up the exterior of your home, garage door, and front door with a fresh coat of paint. Look into purchasing new house numbers and mailbox and remember to open up all blinds and curtains inside your home. Letting light in every room will make a bright atmosphere.
After this, it can be easy to forget some crucial elements which might impact the safety of the event or even make the difference between an offer or no interest. Before the doors open, be absolutely sure you’ve secured the following items in a safe, alternate location:
- Drugs. No, we’re not (necessarily) talking about the sort of stuff you’d see on Law & Order. We’re talking about prescription drugs. Remember that strangers are going to visit your home, and while we like to think they’re all interested buyers, there’s always the possibility that someone will comb through your medicine cabinet. Pain pills and ADD/ADHD drugs are common targets.
- Guns. Have a weapon in your home? Is it locked in a safe, or stashed under the bed? The last thing you want to grow a pair of feet and walk out the door is a home defense weapon. Don’t assume your weapon is well-hidden. It they’re not absolutely inaccessible and secure, they need to be stored off the premises.
- Heirlooms & valuables. Don’t tempt the weak. Gather up the family jewels and store them securely elsewhere. Don’t assume that putting them in a jewelry box will keep prying eyes away. Same goes for highly portable antiques. The expectation of privacy can get a little murky when people are opening up closet doors and the like.
- Animals. Okay, so you don’t keep a wild cougar in your living room, but what about the family dog? A friendly cat? There’s no such thing as an open-house-friendly pet, especially where allergies and personal preferences are concerned. (And don’t even get me started about snakes!)
- Political material. Everyone has different political preferences, and during an open-house, don’t eliminate half of your buyers with political messaging. Double-check the fridge for magnets, or your front lawn for posters.
When it comes to open houses, I like to make sure they go off without a hitch for you. If you’re listing soon, get in touch so we can chat about selling your home fast! Contact me at (928) 916-1921.
Trent Beaver
(928) 916-1921
Garage Staging Tips to Help Sell Your Home
Making a house on the market shine is all about attention to detail. If you’re going the extra mile to ensure your home is a stand-out, you’ll probably go beyond the typical touch-ups that refresh curb appeal. You might even decide to stage your home, especially if you’re not living in it while it’s for sale.
One “room” you don’t want to forget when you stage? Your garage!
Staging a garage may sound excessive, but it’s an important and frequently-used entryway to a home. While many prospective buyers may expect a dark, cluttered, unfinished concrete box, you can surprise and delight them by following these simple garage staging tips:
- Clear out the clutter. Don’t use your garage as a storage facility while selling your home. Yes, it might mean renting storage space, but that can be a good idea anyway when you’re staging a home to impress. Weed through the junk, have your garage sale, and then store all your packed boxes, extra furniture, seasonal items, holiday decorations, unnecessary belongings and other typical garage clutter in a storage facility.
- Enhance the floors. Cracked, stained, or otherwise shoddy looking concrete flooring can be a visual turn-off. If you’re not planning on sealing, priming, and painting the floor, at least get a suitable cleaning chemical or power washer to brighten up the flooring. For oil stains, pour paint thinner on the stain, and then apply an absorbent material such as cat litter, baking soda, cornmeal, or sawdust over the saturated spot. Let the mixture set overnight, and sweep it up in the morning with a heavy push broom with sturdy bristles.
- Organize what remains. A workshop area with hook boards for small tools can be appealing, especially if great care is taken to make the area look tidy and functional.
- Create more storage space on walls or hanging from the ceiling. Provided your garage isn’t low-ceilinged or particularly tight, shelving and hanging racks can show your buyers how much room they’ll have to keep extra tools, seasonal decorations, or sports equipment handy. An alternative to hanging bicycles from the ceiling, mount them on the wall using this stylish Monkey Bars 4-Bike Storage Rack ($80).
- Check garage safety. Make sure all flammable products and poisonous chemicals are stored out of reach of children and pets. Plus, if you don’t already have one in your garage, install a smoke detector.
- Tune up the lighting. A nice hanging fluorescent fixture, plugged into outlets or existing fixture outlets can change your garage from a dungeon into a clean, inviting place. Besides, don’t you want to highlight all that hard work you’ve done?
- Polish it with fresh paint. A fresh coat of paint will finish off the space and make it look brand new. If the walls of the garage has stains that the pressure-washing couldn’t get rid of, paint it and seal them. Transform them from worn and drab, to bright and clean.
- Check the garage door. In addition to functioning properly, give it a good clean. The garage door is one of the first things buyers will see when they drive up, so make sure it looks beautiful and polished.
Want to make your house stand-out in the Prescott area real estate market? I’m happy to share all the tips and tricks I have to give your home an edge. Let’s connect! Contact me at (928) 916-1921.
Trent Beaver
(928) 916-1921
Do I Need a Real Estate Agent to Buy from a Builder?
Looking to buy a home? Are you looking for a new build or and existing home? Investopedia put together an article offering their two cents on the subject. But if you are leaning toward purchasing a new build there is a question you need to ask yourself: Do I need to hire a real estate agent to represent me when I buy a new home from a builder?
And the answer is, legally, no. But if you don’t, you might be missing out on some tangible benefits that impact your wallet and how much you get for your money.
There are many reasons why an agent is a sound investment during the purchase process with a builder. While some of them can be quite complex and go beyond the scope of this blog post, here are a few highlights:
Market Value Compared to Purchase Price: How much money are you going to be able to come out of pocket for your down payment? If you don’t want a nasty surprise when it comes to disparities between your agreed upon purchase price and the actual market value of the home, you’ll want an agent with access to information which will help you accurately assess the true value of that brand-new home.
Negotiation Power: Real estate agents are professional negotiators, and often an agent can get more from a builder than you would on your own. While some of this might be related to purchase price, other perks may include property or home upgrades.
Financing: It’s probably no surprise that your builder will have preferred financing partners to work with. Many of those “partners” pay good money for the opportunity to handle your loan. But is it the best loan at the best rate? An agent can be both a sounding board for financing terms and a source for trusted alternatives.
Contract Expertise: While your real estate agent isn’t an attorney, they know a great deal about the ins-and-outs of property contracts. This includes builder’s contracts, which may have provisions that put you in dicey territory should something unforeseen happen. Protect yourself with an agent.
These four reasons are a good place to start, but there are plenty more advantages to having a Real Estate agent on your side during the buying process. The bottom line is: The builder will have their own system in place to maximize their profit and minimize their costs. Shouldn’t you?
There are numerous new home developments in the Prescott area. Contact me if you have questions about any of these homes, or questions about the buying process.
Trent Beaver
(928) 916-1921
The Pros & Cons of a Pre-listing Inspection
For me, being a successful realtor is more than pulling off a stress-free real estate transaction. My job surpasses buying or selling a home, it is almost like I become a teacher. An important part of my job as a real estate agent is educating and protecting my clients. There is the typical learning curve on what to expect when you list your home, how to prepare your home for sale, what are the legal aspects of the transaction, etc. But one component that makes most of my clients nervous is the home inspection. Therefore, my job is to teach my clients the pros and cons of a pre-listing inspection.
A home inspection is common practice on most real estate transactions. According to American Society of Home Inspectors a home inspection report will include:
The condition of the home’s heating system; central air conditioning system (temperature permitting); interior plumbing and electrical systems; the roof, attic and visible insulation; walls, ceilings, floors, windows and doors; the foundation, basement and structural components.
The initial question that I usually receive from my clients is, “Should I have a home inspection before I put my home on the market?” Each house transaction is different, but there are some common rules I use when it comes to getting your house ready for a home inspection.
Being Prepared
Knowing what you’re in for when it comes to selling a house is always better than getting a nasty surprise down the line. In the event you find repairs that need to be made, doing them ahead of time allows the repairs to be done in a reasonable time frame. When you have time on your side, you can wait for your favorite contractor, shop for lower priced supplies, or have time to make the repairs yourself.
Another bonus to having a pre-listing inspection is knowledge. The pre-listing inspection allows you to gather estimates for the repair. This is incredibly useful in situations down the line when you suspect the buyer’s home inspection reflects wildly inflated estimates for repairs.
Repairs vs Upgrades
You also need to know the difference between maintenance repairs and home upgrades. Buyers have a reasonable expectation that the home has been properly maintained. Making necessary maintenance repairs doesn’t mean that you can up the price on the listing. You can’t cover the cost of your new roof by pumping up the sale price. You might be able to use it as an effective marketing point over other listings in the area, but a roof is a maintenance repair, it is not a fabulous kitchen renovation!
If you don’t want to make the repairs, understand that not making repairs can have a disproportionately negative impact on your sale price. For example, if you want to hold off and not take care of a $1,000 plumbing repair, and pass that task and expense onto prospective buyers, the buyers are not going to equate that to $1,000 off the asking price. Instead, potential buyers are going to think about the time, inconvenience, and the cost of the repair. It is quite possible that a $1,000 repair might translate to a $3,000 reduction to the asking price. Buyers will want to be well-paid to handle a seller’s headache.
You Must Disclose
It is important to keep in mind that if you fail to disclose a problem found in the inspection, you could be in big trouble down the line. In this case ‘Honesty’ is the only policy!
There’s a definite benefit to the pre-listing inspection, but it’s important to consider the pros and cons with your agent. I’d be glad to have a conversation with you about the specific concerns you may have about your home if you’re preparing to list it. Please contact me today!
What You Need to Know Before You Buy a Home
Okay, first-time buyers… it’s time to turn the dream into the dirt you can stand on. Your very own home. I’m sure you have questions. In fact, I’m sure your questions are like most first-time buyers. Which is why I’ve put together this down-and-dirty answer guide for the most common questions home buyers have.
- What kind of credit score do I need to have?
Generally, 630 or above is what you’ll want to have. The better your score, the better the terms will be on your loan. Some lenders may give you wiggle room on this, but it all depends on the circumstances. A loan professional can help you navigate this as you go. - How much of a down payment is required?
There are loans which will let you in for as low as 3% – 5% of the value of the home, but I would consider 5% to be the floor. More is better, especially if your credit isn’t as optimal as you’d like it to be. Working with a loan officer will help. - What’s the first step to home buying?
Getting pre-approval for a mortgage. Don’t shop for a home until you know what you can afford. There’s no use in falling in love with a $300,000 home in your dream neighborhood if the banks will only write you a loan of $150,000. - How much do I have to pay my real estate agent?
As a buyer, you don’t have to pay your real estate agent. The seller is responsible for listing fees and a portion of those fees will be paid to your agent for helping with the transaction. - Why should I use a real estate agent?
Like a lawyer, doctor, or other professional hired to represent your interests, the agent will not only advise you about the transaction, but protect and facilitate the process. - How long does it take to buy a house?
After you find the home you want to buy, it takes between 30 and 45 days, generally. The home search can take longer, however, so have a clear idea what you’re looking for and able to afford. (Your agent can help you with this. Another reason to have one on your side!)
Naturally, there’s more to buying a home, but this covers the basic introduction to the process. As your agent, I will walk you through the rest, guiding you along the way. When you’re ready to make the move, reach out to me at (928) 916-1921.
No. 1 Real Estate Bargain: A Buyer’s Agent
There is no denying that the real estate language can be confusing. Although, one term that is straightforward is a “Buyer’s Agent”. A Buyer’s Agents is a real estate agent who represents only the buyer of a property in a real estate transaction. This type of agent agrees to exclusively represent the best interest of the buyer, usually under a formal contract. A Buyer’s Agent is worth a million when it comes to buying a house.
The beauty of a Buyer’s Agent, they work for one person, the buyer! It costs nothing to hire a Buyer’s Agent, as all commission are paid by the seller. The second bonus of a solid Buyer’s Agent, is they will not only will work for you to negotiate the best price for the home, using their expertise with the market conditions, but they will provide you a tremendous amount of knowledge, relating to which lenders to use, home inspectors, contractors, insurance agents, appraisers, etc.
One of the key tasks for a Buyer’s Agent is keeping things on track. Buyer’s Agents coordinate the timeline so things run smoothly, such as inspections, repairs, loans, title, and escrow. A good Buyer’s Agent will coordinate with all the parties involved with the transaction to ensure the closing will occur on time. This isn’t a task they take lightly. If you don’t have someone in your corner leading the transaction through its various stages, there is a good chance that things won’t close on time, and you may find yourself spending a few nights at a local hotel.
There are two key support roles of a Buyer’s Agent: emotional and legal support. Realtors have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients and need to understand the legality of the transaction. In addition, purchasing real estate, as well as the back and forth of negotiating, can be a highly emotional process. Buyer’s agents understand the contract, have continuing education requirements to keep up to speed on the always changing market, and understand the responsibilities that come with meeting the terms and timelines of the contract, so the selling party doesn’t breach the contract.
Buying a home is an exhilarating experience. The hunt. The find. The score. To ensure that you minimize your costs and to get the best deal on a home, it is crucial to have a Buyer’s Agent represent you. Use their knowledge and experience and tap into their huge resource base to make the process a positive experience. Truly, there isn’t a better deal in real estate than hiring a Buyer’s Agent. Contact me for more information, I would be happy to help you buy your next home.
