By: Alan Aptheker
There's a common thread that runs through my discussions with my new clients who were previously unsuccessful in selling their homes. It's a touchy subject, those 300 days on the market, and what may have gone wrong. I start with the question, "What should we NOT do this time." It might be more palatable, and the few simple solutions can flow from that goodwill. "What I need to do" is yet another pressure point for an already pressured
home seller. Let's say, "I won't do X," this time. It sounds easier already, doesn't it.
Marketing the house "as is," shouldn't mean, "with crayon stained baseboards included." The "as is" is less of a liability if I've done some drywall patching, painting and cleaning. I understand that I need a new water heater. You were open with me about the roof leak in the garage. That's cool. Don't leave me your dog hair. It's still a turn off.
Please don't overprice your home. It will be exhausting, degrading and an overall unpleasant process. Let your
Bloom Realty Realtor® do the Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), and believe them. It could be a bitter pill, but the numbers do not lie.
Don't try and do the "emergency remedial renovation."
Jacksonville Home Buyers are smarter than you think. Most will spot a $52 vanity that was installed by your Uncle Harold. You can do it right, and do it inexpensively. Think before you reach for the Elmer's glue and carpet tiles from the clearance aisle.
Please don't leave any fixtures, (repeat, fixtures) you want to take with you when you list your house, even if it's in the listing detail. If a buyer walks through the first time, and falls madly in love with that chandelier your grandmother gave you, you can probably kiss it goodbye. If you want to take it with you, take it down before you list your house, replace it with a [tasteful] Home Depot special before you show the house. Don't snatch it away from the buyer when you do the purchase contract. Ouch.
