Tips to help ease the buying process

  1. When financing, get pre-approved for a loan. This identifies the price range of home for which you qualify and helps save valuable time and energy during the looking phase.
  1. Know what you’re looking for. Make a list of “must have” features, and also a list of items you “would like, but can live without.”  Also include the things that are important to you i.e., schools, area or neighborhood, etc.
  1. Select a Realtor with whom you have confidence and a comfortable working rapport. You should feel comfortable to pick up the phone and call your Realtor to discuss any problems or concerns you may have. 
  1. Make sure that everyone involved in the decision-making process is available for all showings and meetings. It is often ineffective for just one person to see houses if that person will not be making the decision alone.
  1. Trust your agent. Local customs may vary and laws vary from state to state. It is best to allow the agent to guide you through the buying process.
  1. Unless you’ve designed your home, no home will have everything you’re looking for. Look for the best home on the market in your price range that meets your criteria.
  1. Don’t be afraid to offer a fair price. It is not unusual for homes to sell for list price or sometimes higher. If you find the home you want, offer what it will appraise at or what it will take to buy it. Your Realtor will be able to advise you on what that price would be.
  1. If you sell your home before finding a home you want to buy, be sure your sales contract is contingent upon your finding suitable housing.
  1. If you find the house you want to buy before you’ve sold your home, and the seller is reluctant to sign a contract with you with the contingency that you sell your home first, you may draw up a contract that allows the seller to continue marketing and advertising the property yet gives you the “first right of refusal” should they receive another offer.   
  1.   Have your agent make the time frame of your offer short  (24 hours or less) so the seller has less time to “shop the bid” among other interested parties, or to accept another offer.
  1.  It is your option to do a home inspection but it is highly recommended that you walk-through the house (before closing) to make sure that some of the home meets with your expectations. It is far easier to request compensation for necessary repair work before the house is sold than afterwards.
  1.   Put everything in writing. Your sales contract should spell out whether the washer and dryer are included or not, whether the carpets will be shampooed by a “professional,” whether the blinds and ceiling fans are included, etc.  

 

Tips to make your home “Buyer Desirable”

  1. “Spring cleaning.” Go through closets and cabinets, room by room, and decide what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of.
  1. Have a yard sale and/or donate items you don’t want to keep to make moving easier and also to give your home a neater more organized look.
  1. Make sure your property has “curb appeal.” The outside appearance is the first impression your potential buyer will see. Make sure it is favorable. Clean the yard of all debris. Cut back or remove any dead or dying vegetation.
  1. The kitchen must be spotless. Pay strict attention to the stove, oven, refrigerator, and sink. Keep the workplaces clear.
  1.  Bathrooms must not only be spotless but they must seem “fresh.” Also, fix any broken putty in shower and tubs and remove mildew from caulking and grout.

Enhance with…

  • The exterior of the house itself, all trim and railings should be painted or washed as necessary. Fix any loose rails, drainpipes, screens, and steps. Wash the walls near drainpipe openings and spillways to remove stains.

  • Be sure that rain gutters are clean.
  • The garage should be straightened up and the doors painted and in good working condition. Weather-stripping should be in good condition.
  • Keep plumbing in good repair. There should be no leaky faucets or toilets.
  • Replace all burned out light bulbs and faulty switches. Be sure your fuse box is clean and has a cover.
  • Remove clutter from halls and stairwells to give them a wide appearance. Rooms also appear larger when uncluttered.
  • Closets must be tidy and should not be over-crowded. Over-crowding closets give the illusion of inadequate storage space.
  • Oil door hinges and tighten door knobs.
  • Repair minor defects like scuff marks or scratches on walls & floors.
  • Patch all major holes in wallboard and plaster. Paint where necessary.
  • Repair or replace torn or bent screens, or remove them completely.
  • Replace missing or damaged pieces of tile. Repair a loose stair tread plate or loose carpeting.
  • Remove some furniture to make rooms look more spacious.
  • Liven up your home with plants and cut flowers.
  • Let your Realtor know what rooms benefit from sunshine or cooling breezes, also what you like best about the house, location, etc.  
  • Always be certain your house is “fresh.” Strong odors from pets, cigarettes, cooking or mildew can ruin a sale.