www.TheBumsWillAlwaysLose.com

Hey, I'm James, and this was me about 10 years ago when I was younger, less experienced, definitely naïve, and perhaps a little dumb.  Life is all about learning from experiences and improving over time.

My forum below offers some insight on relevant topics, knowledge that I have gathered, and humorous recollections of life situations.

Send in your questions or comments about anything regarding real estate, fantasy football, sports, beer, man caves, ladies, and life in general.  I'll be happy to lighten the mood and give you my two cents!

I would like to preface this article by saying that I have been thinking a lot about what to write to kick off this section of the website.  I decided not to get too gimmicky, deep, or clever (yet), and go with a topic that is practical and that I love:  Real Estate.  It is my passion and chosen career.  So, without further ado, here goes!

 

What do you do BEFORE you sell your house? (Part 1)

Moving is one of the most stressful things in life.  It ranks up there with job loss and breakups.  I think all of us can agree on that.  However, that is an understatement when it comes to the daunting process of selling a home AND then having to move on top of that.  Unlike the days of our youth when we would pick up a case of beer, invite some friends over, order some pizza, and load up a few cars to head across town to the new apartment; selling a home involves a whole different process. It involves not only the financial complexities, but also the emotional aspect of uprooting from a place with memories and attachments.  Good news:  there is a bright new beginning and exciting opportunity to upgrade and make new memories.  We’re keeping calm and carrying on with a positive attitude.  NO FEAR, I am here to help!  Any task when broken down into smaller steps usually gets a little less intimidating, more manageable, and gives the perspective that you need.  You can do this!  So no time to waste.  Let’s get this party started.  Pizza party preferred.

Numero uno.  Prep and Stage for the Big Show!

Yes, think of this as the setup for a wonderful production that we are putting on and the star of this performance is YOUR HOME!  We are pulling out all the stops on this because this is going to be epic, spellbounding… Oscar worthy.  The goal here is making your house look its absolute best inside and out.  A fresh coat of paint and some de-cluttering can go a long way to simplify the look of the space and allow prospective buyers to see your home at its peak.  Think of it this way:  this is your home's wedding day and we all want to look our best on that day.  Your home will be meeting its new occupants and just like we go to the gym to trim up a bit, eat a little healthier, put on our best outfit, hair and makeup for the ladies, hair and shave for the man; the same mentality we take to the prep of our homes.  So, here we go.

De-clutter - This is something we should have done months ago.  LOL.  I know.  I’m guilty, too. The shoes in the foyer, coats on the furniture, stuff on the coffee table, the toys in the corner of the living room, daily items piling up on the kitchen counters, mail on the dining room table; because let’s face it, we haven’t had dinner in the dining room since that dinner party we had 2 months ago.  Good news is this step will help us start the packing process.  The challenge is this:  our goal is to almost make the home look like it’s a model house, but, of course, we are still living our lives there until it sells.  No problem.  These tips will help a lot.

Pack away all items that you don’t use on a daily or weekly basis.

Take down all personal family photos, excessive books or movie cases around television media center, papers on desks, magnet objects on the fridge, and excessive items on kitchen counter tops.  We want to maintain the warm environment of your home but want it to be impersonal so the prospective buyers can fill that part in envisioning themselves there.

Set the dining room table in an elegant yet simple arrangement.  Place a vase with flowers as a center piece and put a few other vases with flowers around the home.

If there is hardwood or some other viable flooring under carpet in your home, rip out the carpet or replace it, unless the carpet is less than a year old, barring stains.  If not, get it cleaned thoroughly.  This is just my opinion.  From my experience, many people don’t like carpet and many especially don’t like used or worn carpet.  Taking it out will give the room a cleaner look stylistically.

Going with the "cleaner look" notion, get a cleaning service to come in and give the entire home a deep cleaning.  I am not insinuating that your home isn’t clean.  Even the cleanest of homes can use a deep clean for the types of scrubbing and dirt in places that routine cleans just don’t get.  This is especially vital for the kitchens and baths.

Anything outdated, get rid of it, unless it is antique or incorporated into a historical home.  Light fixtures - especially those old kitchen or dining room chandeliers and door handles.

Paint certain rooms back to neutral colors.  If your bathroom is teal, paint it.  We want the color and feel to appeal to a mass audience.  Don’t fret, I love teal, but not all buyers do and when they are picturing themselves in the home, we don’t want a color to throw off that vision.

Outdoor jobs:

Cut the lawn, tighten up landscaping, remove dead bushes, plants and trees.  Freshen paint, clean the windows and fix minor repairs on homes exterior.  Our goal is to have the focal point be the home and allow maximum curb appeal to shine through for new buyers.

Now that your home is all decked out for the big day, the next step is hiring that right matchmaker for her!  A good real estate broker will price, market, gather and negotiate offers efficiently and maximize the value you receive on the deal.

Step 2: Hiring the right Real Estate Broker. The matchmaker makes all the difference!

 

COMING SOON

 

 

 

References:

-National Association of Realtors

-"The ultimate staging guide" HGTV

-www.homedepot.com

-"The great big list of things to do when getting ready to sell your house." by: Peter Anderson

-"7 cheap tricks to prep your home for aquick sale" U.S. News and World Report