If you are considering selling a home you should analyze your current situation of why you are selling. Some of the most common situations for selling a home is you may be moving up into a dream house, or you may be selling non-owner occupied dwellings. Here is some home selling tips to make the selling a home as smooth as possible:

1. Before Selling a Home Improve the Curb Appeal
2. Inside the Home
3. Setting the Atmosphere
4. For Sale by Owner
5. Selling a Home with a Realtor
6. Setting a Fair Price
7. Additional Questions

1. Before Selling a Home Improve the Curb Appeal

Homes that are visually appealing, and in good condition, will attract potential buyers out browsing for homes and yield a quicker and higher selling price. Use the following checklist to help ensure great curb appeal:

• Are the lawn and shrubs well maintained?
• Does the driveway need resurfacing?
• Is the garage door closed?
• Are the gutters, chimney and walls in good condition?
• Do the window casings, shutters, siding or doors need painting?
• Are garbage and debris stored out of sight?

2. Inside the Home

Strong curb appeal will entice potential homebuyers to come inside, but most of the time the inside will sell your home. Most homebuyers are very critical of the inside of your home and use this to judge how well you have kept up your home overall. Here are some easy improvements you can do to help the charm of your home’s interior before it goes on the market:

• Clean windows (inside & out), floors, and bathroom tiles.
• Make sure you have clean heating and air conditioning filters.
• Shampoo and/or clean all carpets.
• Clean the bathroom tubs and showers, repair dripping faucets, and oil squeaky doors.
• Keep your home neat, clean, and picked-up at all times.
• If a room needs a fresh coat of paint, use a neutral color or off-white.
• Remove unnecessary clutter from the garage, closets, and straighten up stored items.
• If your home is cluttered with too much furniture consider putting some items into storage.
• Keep the thermostat set at a comfortable temperature, not to hot and not to cold.
• Think about how your home smells. You may be used to the smell of a pet, or cigarettes, but such odors can be a huge deterrent to homebuyers , so invest in wall-plug deodorizers.
• Even organizing the garage contents gives a better impression.

3. Setting the Atmosphere

Set a mood for the buyer to help you to sell you home more quickly, as well as obtain maximum sells price. Here are some last minutes details you should do every time you show your home to a homebuyer:

• Make your house friendly and appealing with live flowers and fresh fruit.
• Set out fresh guest towels and soap in the bathroom.
• Place air fresheners or scented potpourri around the house.
• Bake a batch of cookies into the oven for a welcoming aroma.
• Open all blinds, curtains, and window coverings to allow natural light inTurn on almost every light in the house to brighten dark space and corners.
• In the winter consider lighting your gas fireplace and candles (where safe and attended to).

Remember, cosmetic changes do not have to be expensive. Attention to the basics; anything that says “this home has been carefully maintained” will help in the sale of your home.

4. For Sale by Owner

Some homeowners decide to sell their homes “for sale by owner” to save the commission charged by a real estate agent. The commission rate may vary but it is generally upwards of 5% - 6%.

If you decide to sell your home yourself you will also be responsible for placing any ads, answering phones, and showing your home to potential homebuyers. In addition, your home will not be listed on the National Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS), and you may encounter homebuyers who know you are saving on the real estate commission, and may offer less for your home, canceling out the financial benefit of selling a home yourself.

5. Selling a Home with a Realtor

By now you probably know that working with a Realtor is an indispensable part of selling your home. For one thing, your Realtor can list your property in the MLS, providing your home with incomparable exposure and ensuring you have as many Realtors as possible helping to find a buyer. In addition, a Realtor does many things to properly market your home. Camille knows how to specifically target advertising to reach buyers for your home, and uses all the marketing tools available to ensure that your home is sold timely and correctly. Furthermore, a Realtor conducts a variety of other marketing efforts on your behalf, such as holding open houses, networking with other Realtors, and handling phone inquiries to showing your home to prospective buyers.

What does a realtor do for you besides find buyers?

Plenty. A Realtor provides information on local market conditions to help you price your property realistically and fairly. They keep you abreast of changes in the market, which may affect your property. Also, buying or selling a home means lots of paperwork. When it comes to closing escrow, a Realtor can be invaluable, leading you through the paper trail with a steady hand and familiarizing you with escrow, insurance, property displeasures and inspection procedures.

Despite the overwhelming advantages of using a Realtor, some sellers mistakenly think they can save some money by doing it themselves. Invariably, they learn the hard way that selling a home is extremely complex and time-consuming, so given that in the end the time and money savings might not even exist. Many sellers end up right where they would have been price-wise if they'd used the services of a professional realtor, but without any of the benefits of the expertise of this professional.

6. Setting a Fair Price

First off you should work with your Realtor to set the market value of your home. They have abundant tools and resources to assist in this process and insure that you don’t price yourself out of the areas current market.

Abandon your personal point of view. How much will a ready, willing and able buyer be willing to pay for your home? Buyers don't care how much you paid for the home, how many memorable moments you and your family shared in the home, how much cash you need for the down payment on your next home or how much time and money you've invested in your home's hardwood floors, fresh paint, lush landscaping or other improvements.

Get a couple of CMAs. hese are Comparable Market Analysis forms. These show the prices of comparable recently sold homes and active on-the-market homes. The on-the-market homes are the "competition" for your home. Ask the agents why each home was included in the CMA and whether any other comparable homes were eliminated from the CMA. Price recommendations based on CMAs aren't gospel, but they are a good guide.

Calculate the price per square foot. The average price per square foot for homes in your neighborhood shouldn't be the sole determinant of the asking price for your home, but it can be a useful starting point. Keep in mind that various methodologies can be used to calculate square footage.

Consider market conditions. Are home prices in your area trending upwards or downwards? Are homes selling quickly or languishing? Are interest rates attractive? Is the economy hot or cold? Will you be selling in a buyer's market or a seller's market? Is the local job market strong or are employees fearful of staff reductions?

Sweeten the transaction terms. Some buyers have needs that go beyond the bottom line. If you're willing to close escrow quickly, you'll attract buyers who want to move in right away. If you can offer seller financing, your home will appeal to buyers who need to stretch their financial resources. A lease-option can help first-timers who need down payment assistance. The more creative and flexible you can be in meeting the buyer's needs, the more success you'll have in pricing your home to sell.

7. Additional Questions

If you are interested in selling a home, please reach out to me coulter@shasta.com

Camille Coulter
851 Mistletoe Lane
Redding, CA 96002
Cell: (530) 953-6000
Fax: (530) 221-8148