Pricing Your Property

Your asking price for your property is one of the determining factors of how much profit you will gain from the sale and how long your house will be put up on sale. You should seek the help of your real estate agent who is well versed in this industry so that you can determine the best possible price for your home. Deciding on a reasonable and competitive price is your main target here.
The following are some guidelines in pricing your home:

1.Time

Time is not your ally in this industry. Along with other factors, time will largely determine if you are going to realize profit from your sale and by how much. Research results suggest that a house will not be sold at its original price if it is hanging on the market for a very long period. Thus, when pricing your property, think about the fair market value.

2.Value vs. Cost

You have to weigh the value of your property with the cost homebuyers are keen on purchasing it. Factoring in the cost of improvements in your home should not be stressed and prioritized when determining your asking price. Remember that your preferences may not be the same as your buyers'.

3.Simplicity

As the popular saying goes, time is gold. Accommodate your buyers' requests as much as possible. Be flexible on the time when your real estate agent can set house viewings. Furthermore, do not put any contingency on the sale as it could cause you a botched sale.

Top 7 Things to Leave in Your Home While Its For Sale

There are hundreds of ideas floating around about what you should not have in your house when you're trying to sell it but what about what you should keep? Believe it or not, stripping your house down to its bare walls will actually hurt your chances of selling. Here are seven things you shouldn't take out of your house when you're trying to sell it:

Keep all major furniture pieces. - Taking away furniture that defines a room's purpose is the worst way to sell your home. Keep the dining set in place so potential buyers don't have to think about how each room should be used.

Leave your car in the garage. - Unless you have just one car, leave your second car in the garage during showings. Sure it'll take up a lot of space in the garage but that's a good thing. Just as furniture gives buyers perspective on a home's layout, a garage with car will let buyers see how they could utilize the space.

Continue using your kitchen counters. - One misconception home sellers often make is that less is more when your home is for sale. While that is true when dealing with cluttered spaces you still need to show how capable your kitchen is. A coffee maker and a few storage pots make great kitchen eye candy when selling your home.

Fully stock each bathroom with towels and essentials. - Often forgotten when homes have been vacated for a while, basic toiletries and towels should remain even if you no longer live in the home. After a long day of showings its possible that buyers will need to use the bathroom while viewing your property. What better way to showcase the value of your home than to fulfill an urgent need of the buyers?

Before and after pictures of home renovations. - Family photos are the taboo of home selling because they can detract from a home sale but renovation photos are their good stuff counterpart. Show buyers the amazing amount of work you went through to build out that sunroom or expand the master suite and watch their eyes light up with value. This technique will also keep buyers in your home longer, increasing the chances of a second look!

Seasonal landscape photos. - Just as home renovations can prove the value of your home, landscape photos can offer a glimpse of your home's year-round beauty. If a buyer can see the stunning flowers and plants that come to life during the Spring in the middle of November then they have something to look forward to if they buy your home.

List of utilities and costs for one year. - It's not common knowledge for first time home buyers to know how much it costs to use the utilities in a home. This rings true even more so for renters who have their utilities included in their rent and aren't used to paying for utilities. You may worry that this will scare them away but just remember every home requires utilities to be lived in. Answer their questions upfront and they'll trust you more than other homes for sale.

Home buyers are looking for the best deals possible in today's market but they also want to understand what kind of home they're buying. By defining the spaces and using the tips outlined in this guide you'll be more than a few steps ahead of the competition.

Top 7 Ways to Create a Bidding War on Your House

In any market you're bound to have competition from other homeowners and builders who want or need to sell their home quickly. So in today's market where it seems to be a small miracle each time a home sells you'll need all the help you can get. Luckily there are still ways you can make your home stand out from the crowd and, if your house really stands out, maybe even create a bidding war among buyers. Here's how to do it:

Replace the appliances. - Many colors and tones have come and gone to replace the always high end stainless steel look to appliances but it's not changing anytime soon. If you have aging or heavily used appliances in your home then now is the time to replace them with commercial looking stainless steel appliances. Buyers will love you for what they see as you absorbing the cost to keep your home up to date and you'll love that their offer is much closer to asking price.

Bring in an interior designer or stager to evaluate wall colors. - Does each room in your house give a new clue about your personality? If so, your home may be a bit too personalized. Consult with a design professional to evaluate the wall colors in your home and see if there are any spots where you can improve the value of your home by making the walls more neutral.

Edit and clean up your landscape. - We've all been there. A few weeds and one busy season later, your garden has turned into the amazon. Take out dying or out of place looking plants and flowers in favor of a more cohesive flow. The strongest return on your landscaping dollar will be plantings and walkways leading up to the front door.

Get the carpets cleaned professionally. - The smell, or lack thereof, of clean carpets will keep home buyers happy as they walk through your home. Even deals on million dollar homes fall through because the new buyers simply couldn't deal with the light carpet odors or uneven wear patterns in the carpet. Get them cleaned and/or replaced and watch buyers fall head over heels for your fluffy abode.

Refinish any high traffic hardwood floor areas. - Another floor surface that often goes overlooked, hardwood floors that show heavy wear are a major headache for buyers. If you opted for hardwood in your foyer and hallways that are used frequently then you should have them sanded and refinished before going on the market.

Finish your garage space completely. - Many times the garage can be reused as a storage space or work shop. Spend the money now to cover up the rafters and beams with finished walls and you will see offer prices increase across the board.

Paint your front door red. - Oh, that red front door. Red front doors have positive meanings ranging from feng shui to religious tie-ins and as a sign of prosperity. The simple truth: Red doors make your home more appealing to a wider demographic of buyers.

It might seem like a moderately large investment into your home when you're about to sell it but just think of the thousands you'll save by not having to reduce your asking price. Buyers love move-in ready homes and can't stay away from a house that stands out as a dream home.

Home Selling Tips - Good Seller Etiquette

Potential buyers are not the only ones who can view your home listing once you put up your home for sale. Strange and dishonest vendors as well as inexperienced and unqualified buyers will be informed too. Similar to any deals, buyers, sellers, and their own agents should follow certain procedures. Notify your agent immediately if your transactions with other parties go out of hand.

The aggressive agent

As stated in all your advertisements, your real estate agent should be the one contacted by interested parties and not you. However, there will be instances when a buyer's agents will get in touch with you directly so that the seller's agent will completely be out of the picture. If this happens to you, do not tolerate it. Tell this to your agent right away.

The dishonest vendor

When you alert people that you are selling your house, you may receive many junk mails in your inbox. Putting your home for sale requires many new buying decisions and apparently, unethical vendors do not understand this. Many companies have devised ways on how to gather information to create group mailing lists even if a number of Multiple Listing Service associations have created and implemented rules on how to use posted information properly.

Inform your real estate agent if you always receive junk mails so he or she can initiate an investigation.

The inexperienced buyer

Some potential buyers may feel very excited after seeing your promotional materials that they will merely pop around and visit your home without informing you or your agent. Do not conduct a spontaneous house tour if this will happen to you. Give them your agent's contact number and tell them in a nice way that it would be best for them to contact your agent first since he or she is the one arranging house visits. Handling this kind of situation alone is not advisable since you may accidentally give out confidential information that can be disadvantageous to your position during the bargaining phase.

Top 7 Things to Remove From Your Home Before Selling

Before you sell your home you have to go through a process known as getting your home in "showing condition". Showing condition means keeping the floors clean and the house in top shape for prospective home buyers so they can view the home at its best. Here are seven things you should remove from your home before putting it on the market:

Family photos - When you live in your home it becomes your private sanctuary. Putting your home on the market is much like opening those doors to the public for all to see. Remove any family/vacation photos from your home to ensure buyers don't get ensnared by their curiosity of who you are and stop paying attention to the house itself.

Jewelry and other valuables - Not every potential buyer is the real deal. Sometimes thieves will pose as a home buyer in order to see what kind of luxuries you have in your home. This is especially true in the for sale by owner market where thieves will try to work their way into a home based on a seller's lack of experience dealing with showing protocols. If you have expensive items and valuables like jewelry, collectibles and rare art you should take it out of the house before sticking the for sale sign in the ground.

Unneeded or leftover prescription drugs - Another prime target for theft, high value prescription drugs like painkillers are sought after in properties with easy access because the homeowners are trying to sell it. Keep these in a safe place or remove them from the home entirely before showing.

Boats and other outdoor eyesores - If there's ever been a time to pull up the stilts on a novelty pink flamingo, this would be it. De-clutter the exterior of your home by storing large possessions like boats, RVs and trailers at an off-site storage facility. Any ornamental lawn pieces should also be packed ahead of time so as to not deter buyers.

Out of season items stored in the home - Spring has always been the best time to sell your home. You've got the perfect storm of school ending, summer coming and lots of houses coming on the market to draw out home buyers. Showcase every square foot of your home by removing out of season items like snowblowers and winter tires from the garage.

Desk and workstation clutter. - Every home has a pass through station where mail, car keys and other assorted goods tend to accumulate. These are exceptionally useful spaces except most of them are within lose proximity of the front door and are a huge eyesore to home buyers walking in the front door. Clean up these areas to put your home's best foot forward.

Major signs of pets in the home. - There are different extremes everyone is willing to go when selling their home. Some will keep their pets in the garage during a showing or leave them with parents/family while their house is on the market. While I don't endorse leaving your pooch at Mom & Dad's while your house is on the market I do recommend keeping major pet signs in the house to a minimum. This includes oversized dog bowl stations and kitty litter boxes that don't get cleaned. Pets leave odors behind that you grow used to but will seem pungent to a first time visitor (very true for litter boxes!).

Selling your home can be a fun and brief experience. Use the guide above to give you a general overview on how to minimize your number of days on the market while still keeping your sanity during each showing.

Distressed Property Sales in Mallorca - A Comment on the Market For Distressed Mallorca Property

Due to the economic climate we are accessing for clients an increasing number of distressed Mallorca property opportunities. These forced sale opportunities offer investors the possibility of excellent long term returns or for lifestyle purchasers the chance to buy luxury Mallorca real estate at very low prices.

While we maintain that the Mallorca property market and the wider national and international economic backdrop remain "complicated" we feel that some buying opportunities are emerging particularly where current owner have over leveraged, have cash flow difficulties and are coming under pressure from the banks.

Amongst the opportunities now available in the market are - a spectacular 5* boutique hotel enjoying some of the best views in Mallorca; a luxury designer villa in Pollensa, a house with sea views in Costa de los Pinos, a luxury finca in South West Mallorca close to Andratx and a wonderful front line house near Porto Cristo.

The key for buyers is the availability of funds for the purchase as banks in Spain still have the lending tap firmly closed or at least loan to value ratios requiring equity inputs of around 40%, after costs, for non residents and 30% for residents.

Although unlike the luxury market, where asking prices are often far in excess of underlying values, asking prices reflect the urgency for a sale, thorough market research and due diligence is still required as not all forced sales are "cheap" especially where outstanding loans are in excess of the underlying value for the property. In these cases awaiting bank foreclosure may be the only option even if the paperwork is that much more complicated.

How Sellers Lose Thousands of Dollars Every Time They Sell a Property

Selling a home can be a very stressful situation for most people and you hire a real estate agent to relieve the stress from you. Unfortunately a common practice in real estate is to charge the vendor upfront marketing and advertising money which puts the financial commitment straight onto the vendors shoulders. This is done to make sure the vendor is committed to selling and the agent can easily condition the vendor down in price.

The question is if you are an agent that has been operating in the area for any amount of time shouldn't you have buyers already? So why do I have to pay for you to find more, and why would I pay advertising and then pay commission once the property is sold, that sounds too much like double dipping to me. You will find that the biggest part of any real estate advertisement is the name of the agency and probably a photo of the agent so you are actually paying for the agency to advertise their own profile.

Aside from advertising, another common trap is not putting a price on the property which you see way too often. The agent will say "its hard to tell in this market, its best to leave the price off and let the market tell us what its worth" This is a cop out because the agent is frightened of scaring you by telling you the truth about price and losing your business. Research shows that at least 50% of buyers overlook properties with no price, so in effect you are cutting out half of your inquiry.

That leads me to the next point which is over quoting the property value to get the business. Agents call this buying the listing and will then go through a process of conditioning the vendor in price which they refer to as "educating the vendor" There are many more practices in modern real estate which damage the value of property and cost home sellers tens of thousands of dollars each time they sell a property.

Sell Your Property in 3 Easy Steps

I guess you're wondering how on earth could it possible to sell any property in just 3 steps, when the financial world is in a state of meltdown, unemployment within the UK is at an all time high and to make matters worse the government who is supposed to lead us all out of this situation seem to enjoy spending our hard earned money or more important things like their second home allowance.

Seriously though for me and the 500 plus individuals who I have come in to contact with, the whole process of home selling has never been so easy. Well that's the feedback I have been receiving since writing this report. Say goodbye to broken chains, estate agents commissions, mass viewings with no results, time wasting so called buyers & months & in some cases years of waiting around. Say hello to the future a simple, free, easy & effective 3 step process that will give you all the insight & knowledge you will need in order to sell your property.

Step 1
Sorting Out any Debt

If you are like 95% of British homeowners you will have a mortgage with your home. You will need to contact your mortgage lender and find out how much you owe on your property including any penalty charges, if you do have a penalty charge for clearing your mortgage early it is worth while asking your lender how much it is and when it ends, as you may find out that for the sake of waiting a week or two you could save thousands of pounds in costs.

Step 2
Assess Your Savings

You now know exactly how much you need in order to clear your mortgage. If you have not done so already you will need to decide on what you plan to do when you move financially. Have you found a property to move in to? Do you need a mortgage? How much deposit do you have if any? Maybe you're going to rent or move back with your parents what ever you intend on doing questions like these will need to be answered. One of the main reasons I see people experience difficulties when trying to move is cash or lack of it, especially when in today's information age job security is a thing of the past. You must ensure that you're finances are in check & that you can with stand your move for at least the next six months.

Step 3
Find the Buyer

This is the easiest part of the process if you know where to go and what you want from the sale. When I sold my property over four years ago the whole process was as simple as making one phone call to someone who understood my situation and actually knew what to do and the rest as they say was history. After I contacted the buyer they sent two individuals to my house within 24 hours, which I much stress was a free visit. When they arrived they were polite & spent no longer than 20 minutes walking around my property taking notes, before they made me a firm and final cash offer there on the spot. I accepted the offer with a hand shake, and was then given a contract which stated that they will complete on the purchase of my property within a maximum of 14 working days, they also paid my legal fees in full. Even though this deal took place over four years ago when financially things were a lot better it took the whole process has not changed in fact it has got easier. It turned out that 7 days after I accepted their offer the deal was done and the remaining funds were in my account.

Listing Homes For Sale in the Newspaper

When you are listing homes for sale in the newspaper there are many things that you need to consider. These things include enticing the reader, contact information, and the type of ad you are going to list.

Listing homes for sale in the newspaper is difficult because you are limited on space. There are different ads that you can choose from and they all vary based on the size. The bigger the advertisement you want to use then the more you will have to pay for the ad. You can have an advertisement of the house with a photo and information or strictly text including the details. It is entirely up to you. A photo is beneficial if the house looks nice and is extremely attractive.

Enticing the reader can be really hard to do when you are limited on space. In a newspaper advertisement you will only be able to say about four lines of text about the home. The goal is to cram as much information into the little space provided as possible. Be sure to list the number of bedrooms and baths. Most people who are shopping for houses look based on the size of the house. The price should also be included. These three things are the most important. Anything else that is a benefit or an upgrade like a pool, hot tub, tennis courts, and other things should be included. These will help attract people who are interested. If you can fit it in the space also try to put the square footage because some potential buyers look by a minimum size of a home.

Never forget the contact information. There is no point of listing homes for sale in the paper if you forget to put your phone number for all potential buyers to call you. Put your preferred method of contact in the advertisement at the bottom and make sure that it is correct.

When you list homes for sale in the newspaper there are many things to consider. This advertisement is always limited to space so you must find a way to entice the readers by saying as much as you can about the home in as few words as possible. A picture of the house can be placed in the ad which is a good idea if your budget allows for it. Be sure to include the most pertinent information that buyers look for homes according to. Also, include the proper contact information or the ad will be of no use to anyone.

Listing Homes For Sale in the Newspaper

When you are listing homes for sale in the newspaper there are many things that you need to consider. These things include enticing the reader, contact information, and the type of ad you are going to list.

Listing homes for sale in the newspaper is difficult because you are limited on space. There are different ads that you can choose from and they all vary based on the size. The bigger the advertisement you want to use then the more you will have to pay for the ad. You can have an advertisement of the house with a photo and information or strictly text including the details. It is entirely up to you. A photo is beneficial if the house looks nice and is extremely attractive.

Enticing the reader can be really hard to do when you are limited on space. In a newspaper advertisement you will only be able to say about four lines of text about the home. The goal is to cram as much information into the little space provided as possible. Be sure to list the number of bedrooms and baths. Most people who are shopping for houses look based on the size of the house. The price should also be included. These three things are the most important. Anything else that is a benefit or an upgrade like a pool, hot tub, tennis courts, and other things should be included. These will help attract people who are interested. If you can fit it in the space also try to put the square footage because some potential buyers look by a minimum size of a home.

Never forget the contact information. There is no point of listing homes for sale in the paper if you forget to put your phone number for all potential buyers to call you. Put your preferred method of contact in the advertisement at the bottom and make sure that it is correct.

When you list homes for sale in the newspaper there are many things to consider. This advertisement is always limited to space so you must find a way to entice the readers by saying as much as you can about the home in as few words as possible. A picture of the house can be placed in the ad which is a good idea if your budget allows for it. Be sure to include the most pertinent information that buyers look for homes according to. Also, include the proper contact information or the ad will be of no use to anyone.

Top 7 Things to Do Before You Sell Your Home

Selling your home is a big decision accompanied by many smaller decisions. One of the smaller, but meaningful decisions to be made is how to get your home into showing condition. After all, a clean, presentable home will help sell your home far faster than nearby homes with homeowners who just slapped a for sale sign in the front yard without thinking ahead. Here are seven tips on what you should do before selling your home:

Clean the windows on both sides. - A big no no when showing your home is to have dirty, grimy windows. Depending on the climate you live in your windows may need to be cleaned more often. The worst thing that can happen during a tour of your home is for a buyer to look through the window and see the last three years of pollen instead of your beautiful backyard. Clean, clean, clean!

Power wash the exterior siding. - Buyers are very perceptive to even the most minor details about your home including dirty siding. If a buyer sees siding that doesn't look like its been cleaned recently they become set in the idea that you may not take great care of the rest of the home. Power wash the siding at least once every 3 months while your home is on the market.

Replace the kitchen appliances. - This isn't an absolute must but if your appliances are more than five years old and/or heavily used then your $5,000 investment into new appliances will pay off three fold when you sell your home. Often buyers look at your appliances and try to assess whether they'll need to be replaced soon after they move in. Take this worry off their mind so they don't take thousands off their offer price.

Professionally clean the carpets. - If you live in your home then you are almost guaranteed to have a few carpet stains from muddy days or accidental spills. Hire a professional cleaning service or rent a carpet cleaner from a home improvement store to freshen your home's carpeted surfaces.

Re-purpose multi-use rooms. - Everyone has a catch-all room that pulls double, triple or even quadruple duty as a home office, dining room and rec room. Redefine this room for a singular purpose so that home buyers don't need to think about what the space is supposed to be used as.

De-clutter workstations and busy places. - Have you ever come home and dropped the mail in one spot while you get settled in? That's a workstation. Mail drops, key hangers and other central stations in the house are prime clutter zones and serve as eye sores to buyers looking for the best value per square foot in a home. Keep these areas clean while showing your home and you're likely to sell your home sooner.

Put new comforters on all of the beds. - Comforters are a lot like family heirlooms in that they tend to stick around for a really long time. Sometimes it's a pass down from an older sibling or family member but after a while you'll end up with an eclectic collection of bed covers in your home. Spend a couple hundred dollars on stylish, up to date comforters that fit the ambiance of each room. Your guests and visitors will appreciate it!

Now that you have seven new ways to improve upon the first impression your home makes on a buyer you can get out there and get your home sold sooner with an offer price much closer to what you're asking.