Virginia Real Estate and Musings

It's common knowledge that today, 87% of buyers are searching for homes on the internet. They are still using real estate agents to buy the homes; however, buyers are going to the internet before and during their home search in greater numbers each day.

Now, let's say 87% of all buyers were searching in your local newspaper for a home.  Would you hire an agent who ran 1 ad a month in the newspaper or would you prefer to go with the real estate agent who ran an ad everyday?  Dumb question, huh?  But it's not...many sellers are still not asking the right questions regarding the internet presence of their real estate agent in marketing their property.  "My agent has a website and my property is on the site" is not an acceptable online marketing strategy for your property.

To read more and see the list of questions to ask, click on this link.

Tina's House Selling Tips

1.  Trash cans out of site - all of them.  You never see a trash can in a model home.

2.  Toilet seats down at all times (except when in use of course!)

3.  Buyers want to see your house, not your deodorant.  ALL toiletries go under the sink - get a bucket or tupperware container to store your daily essentials to make morning get-ready-time easy.

4.  Everything off the kitchen counters.  Acceptable exceptions:  vase of flowers, 1 coffee maker (spotless), microwave.

5.  Now is not the time to save on heating and electric bills.  If buyers are uncomfortable when they walk into your home, they will remember that.  Keep the windows closed during showings as well to keep outside noises to a minimum.

6.  Fireplace - clean/spotless with a few neatly stacked logs inside.  Make sure moulding/tile around fireplace is clean and polished.

7.  Things to keep on hand:  Mr. Clean eraser (for quick wall touch-ups) and Clorox/windex wipes.  Keep them under each sink so they are easy to access for morning cleanups before leaving for the day.

8.  Lights on!  Make sure bulbs all work and fan blades are dust-free

9.  Front mat - get a new one.  Keep a pot of seasonal flowers next to the front door.  Door glass should be clean, front door in excellent condition and front door lock in good repair.  Your front entrance is your first impression - make it a good one.

10.  No coats, shoes hats in the foyer.

11.  Start thinning out and packing.  A good rule of thumb is 1 item per display shelf (exception is books).  Keep personal photos and mementos to a minimum - you want buyers looking at your house, not at your stuff.

12.  Sniff test.  Ask an honest friend if there is any kind of funky smell in your house.  If there is, this can usually be rectified by washing all curtains, towels and linens and using liquid fabric softener in the laundry.  Also, a quick spray around the house of Febreeze every morning does wonders.

13.  Now is not the time to try to become a gourmet chef.  Your kitchen is one of the most important rooms to a buyer and needs to be pristine.  Scrub the appliances inside and out so they look brand new.  Buyers will look inside cabinets and even the dishwasher!  Consider eating off of paper plates while your house is on the market.  

14.  Liquid Gold - one of my favorite products for making a home sparkle.  You can find it in the grocery store with the furniture polish.  Use it on your cabinet doors, slate, wood...almost everything except the bathroom fixtures.

15.  Yard - mowed and edged.  Trim around mailbox.  Throw a layer of fresh mulch in mulch beds.  No dead plants - throw them away (they're bad Feng Shui too).

16.  Have carpets cleaned.  Professionally.

17.  Pressure wash any mold/mildew on siding, decks, porches and fences. 

18.  If you have a decent stereo or TV with music on demand channels, put on a smooth jazz station at a low volume.

19.  Make sure all prescription medications, mail, sensitive papers and valuables are out of sight. Buyers are nosy and so are their agents.  This includes your listing papers!

20.  Refrigerator.  No magnets.  No pictures.  Nothing....nada on the refrigerator.

21.  Try to keep your car(s) out of the driveway.  An empty driveway is welcoming.  An empty driveway allows buyers to walk up to your home and envision it as their own.

22.  If you have company come for a stay, don't feel well and don't want showings or just need a "break" from showings one day, please let me know.  I understand that having your home on the market is hard work.

23.  Keep curtains open and blinds down and open unless they look out to something unsightly.  Make all doors easy to open and remove and bars/wood sticks from patio doors during showings. Put WD40 on sliding door runners so they open and close smoothly.

24.  Keep home computers shut down.  They can get loud and hot and also, it's a security issue.

25.  Make sure your address/house numbers are readily visible.  Buyers and their agents need to be able to find your home in order to view it.

26.  If you happen to be home during a showing, keep your lips sealed!  Buyer agents are pros at pulling info out of unsuspecting sellers.  Be VERY careful about offering up too much information and never, ever follow buyers around.  Take a walk around the block and give them their space.

27.  Remember, this isn't your home anymore.  It's someone else's...we just need to find them.                                                                                                                                                                                                     Tina

There's NO excuse!!!!

One of my very favorite clients grew up in a dirt floor cabin out in southwest Virginia.  When we looked at houses, he would get so frustrated by the lack of cleanliness.  He once said to me, "You know Tina, I grew up poor...extremely poor, with 8 brothers and sisters in a 2 bedroom cabin.  But we were grateful for what we had and took care of it.  You don't have to have money to be clean".

PLEASE!  Clean your house before and during it's time on the market!  If you can't clean it, find someone who can.  Your home is on display when potential buyers come to visit....if it looks nasty and unkempt, they will be turned off.

When you visit a car lot, are the cars dirty and smelly?  No!  Who would want to buy them if they were?

When you go furniture shopping, are there stains and pet hair on the sofas?  I'd hope not!  The store would be out of business fast!

When you go to Home Depot to look at bathroom vanities, are there hairs in the sinks?  I'd bet someone would get fired if there were....

So, get the Pinesol out and SCRUB that house!  Make it look like it was cleaned with a Q-tip!  Show buyers a product you are proud to display and they are pleased to view.

Tina in Virginia

Selling your house?  Getting ready to sell your house?  Don't overlook these 10 things to pay attention to!

1.  The windows.  When you look out, you should see nothing but the other side.  No dirt.  No fogging.  No cracks.  No torn screens.  This includes scrubbing the window sills and scraping off the paint left behind when they were re-painted a few years ago.

2.  The blinds.  Plastic mini-blinds have a tendency to get dusty and break easily.  Don't mess with cleaning them - it's just not worth it.  Go to Walmart and pick up new ones.  If the blinds are broken, replace them.  The buyers will be looking out the windows (see above) if they can't get to the windows because of broken blinds, they will get the impression the home is not maintained.

3.  The fireplace.  Clean it.  It doesn't matter that you have never used it or that it is August.  If it is wood-burning, no wood or ash residue should be left inside.  If it is a gas log fireplace - get the cob webs out!  Don't forget the screens and glass doors if you have them.  Also, use an acid cleaner to get the ash and soot off of the fireplace hearth.

4.  The baseboards.  Get a bucket of warm water and Pinesol and wipe them down.  They collect dust.  Then, get yourself a cup of semi-gloss and a brush and either touch-up or re-paint them.  Baseboards get abused by the vacuum cleaner and need to be touched up.

5.  The grass.  Mowing it is not enough.  Edge it.  A neat edge along the sidewalks and driveway gives the impression of a well-mainicured yard.  Take out the Roundup and hit the grass and weeds growing up in the cracks in the driveway and sidewalks.

6.  Under the lower kitchen cabinets.  This is usually called a kickplate.  It gets abused and usually needs painting, repair or replacement.  This includes the kickplates on the refrigerator and dishwasher - those get downright nasty.  Also, spiders love making cobwebs under the cabinets - make sure to get the vacuum in there.

7.  The upper corners of the room.  Dust and cobwebs are at home here.  Make them homeless.

8.  Ceiling fan blades.  Turn off your fans and take a look at the blades.  There's probably a layer of dust on them.  Clean them.  Well.

9.  The light bulbs.  Every light bulb in every light fixture on the property should be operable.  Use the highewst wattage recommended for the fixture.  Buyers love light.  Burned out bulbs indicate a lack of maintenance.

10.  The first 3 stairs on the staircase.  In many houses, the stairs are the first thing you see when you open the door.  The first 3 stairs trap a lot of dirt and the risers are usually pretty banged up.  Clean these well and touch up the paint on the risers.  In addition, make sure that bannister sparkles.

Happy Selling!

Tina in Virginia

As the weather turns colder and the days shorter, many people tend to go inside and hibernate.  So, how do we make a house feel warm and inviting enough for potential buyers and agents to come out, see it and hopefully, make an offer?  Here are a few tips....

1.  Use a for sale sign with a solar light.  A solar light will keep a sign illuminated for up to 6 hours after dark.  This will bring the property to the attention of potential buyers and also make it easy for showing agents to find.

2.  Wash the windows.  You want every spec of sunlight to be able to shine through.

3.  Keep the lights on - inside and out.  Upgade lights to the maximum wattage permitted by the manufacturer.

4.  Keep the yard raked and, if possible, put seasonal flowers out (such as pansies).  This will give the feeling of warmth and add color.

5.  Turn the heat on if it's cold.  A cold house is just that.....cold! 

6.  If you are going to use scents in your home (such as potpourri, plug-ins, etc.), stay away from vanilla or perfumed scents and go for warm scents such as apples or cinnamon instead.

7.  Don't overdo holiday decorations - this is not the year to be the Griswolds.  The simpler...the better.  Remember, not every buyer may celebrate the holiday you do or even celebrate the season....keeping on the side of neutrality is always better.  Adding a Christmas tree can make a room feel cluttered and small - maybe go for a tabletop tree instead.

8.  Celebrate the holidays elsewhere.  While your home is on the market, you do not need the added stress of trying to bake, set-up guest beds, etc. and a potential buyer will feel uncomfortable in your home if they walk-in to a house full of guests.

9.  Once the holidays are over, clean up!  A house with old decorations and opened presents feels tired and used.

10.  Don't bring in all of your outdoor furniture.  Keeping it clean and arranged nicely on a deck or porch can offer a sense of warmth.  Some sellers will even keep their pool open throughout the winter.

11.  If you must use your wood-burning fireplace, please....keep it clean!  And, if you have a gas fireplace, make sure it works and doesn't have any cobwebs in it!  The excuse, "we've never used the fireplace" doesn't work.

Tina in Virginia