Suggestions for Real Estate Sellers:

1. Give a Good First Impression.

Allow possible buyers clean and clear access to your home. For example, consider trimming and clearing your garden and walkways, mowing lawns, trimming shrubs, raking leaves, removing entrance clutter and cleaning or painting your front door. You will want to have as few things as possible come between a prospective buyer and a favorable view of your home.

2. Quick Touches that can Pay Off.

Tidy up around the house. Touch up scuffed woodwork or paint problems. Put new handles on the kitchen cabinets, cover couches attractively, put scented flowers in the entrance. Hire professionals if necessary. Showing your house off properly makes its sale so much easier.

3. Tighten Faucets and Turn on the Lights.

Since dripping water is annoying and might indicate more serious plumbing problems, it’s best to keep faucets tightened and change their washers if necessary. Also make sure that prospective buyers can see your property by having it well lit and by replacing any burnt out bulbs.

4. Unstick Closets, Cabinets and Doors.

Make it easy to open up all of the doors in your home, whether they are in the kitchen, bedrooms or elsewhere. Put lubricant on squeaky door hinges.

5. Make your Property Safe to Show.

Remove all potential hazards from your property. Remove slippery rugs and any items that might get underfoot to avoid falls. Also eliminate unsafe extension cords and low hanging lights. You want a potential buyer to have a positive experience to bring back from their visit to your home, not an injury.

6. Create Space.

Open up both the living space and the storage space in your home so that a buyer can easily visualize moving their things into it. Remove all unnecessary items from living areas, attic and basement and clean thoroughly. Make the space in your home as inviting and comfortable as possible.

7. Organize.

Organize closets and cupboards to give the impression of greater space. Consider removing and donating unneeded items to charity.

. Clean the Bathrooms.

Bathrooms sell houses, so clean them and make them attractive. Repair caulking and broken tiles. Have nice towels, mats, shower curtains and even candles on display.

9. Beautiful Bedrooms are Best.

People spend almost half their lives in bed, so your bedrooms should be absolutely dreamy! Remove excess furniture; add colorful spreads and new curtains. Make each one of them a place people want to relax in.

10. Open Curtains.

Make your home as bright and sunny as possible. Have curtains pulled back to let the light in.

11. Turn on Lights at Night.

12. Keep the Crowd Down.

Avoid the mistake of making a potential purchaser feel like they are intruding by having the house as empty of people as possible when it is shown. You want them to linger, not rush through your house in order to leave you and your crowd alone.

13. Put Pets Away.

Keep your best friends as far away from prospective buyers as possible, since just the sight of pets can stimulate fears or allergies and make buyers uncomfortable.

14. Keep the Sound Down.

Allow a buyer to view your property in peace. Turn down all loud noises, and either leave silence or just a gentle background white noise like ocean waves playing.

15. Chill out.

It is often best if you are not around when a buyer comes, but if you are, try to stay in the background, avoid distracting the possible buyer and keep any conversation with them pleasant and brief. Allow your agent to show the home’s virtues to the buyer.

16. Keep Positive.

Never apologize for or make negative statements about your house. If a possible buyer makes a critical comment, just let the showing agent respond to it.

17. Focus on Selling Your House and NOT Your Used Furniture.

Don’t distract potential buyers from focusing on buying your house by offering them second hand furniture, for example. You may sell the furniture, but lose out on the most important sale of all - the sale of your house.

18. Use Your Agent’s Expertise.

When possible buyers want to get serious and talk price, terms or discuss other important real estate negotiating points, allow your agent to take over. Their greater experience can make all the difference. So, do your best not to interfere with your agent when they are having a business conversation with a potential buyer.

19. Assisting Your Agent.

Help your KNZ Brokers agent sell your home by encouraging showings to be scheduled through them. You will be disturbed less by unqualified buyers, and your agent will have the chance to prepare a suitable buyer to fall in love with your house.

Considering Selling a House?

Our real estate market expertise and personal service will help you negotiate the sale of your home from listing to closing. At KNZ Brokers we will develop a professional marketing plan for your property that will maximize its exposure and your chances of a prompt sale at the highest possible price. You are welcome to contact us with any questions or for specific advice on your particular situation.

What can we do to assist your property sale?

KNZ Brokers aims to provide you with the best customer service and the most efficient property sale results around. We listen to you carefully to clarify your real estate objectives so that we can use our years of experience to develop solutions that will work best for you. No matter whether you are a first time seller, or an experienced real estate investor shifting your property portfolio, we have the resources and expertise to help you sell promptly and at the best possible price.

• Recent Sales: Find out what other homes are selling for in your area.
• Market Valuation: Calculate your home’s value and compare it with recent local sale prices.
• Real Estate: terminology, information, guides, links and more.
• Property News: Get the latest news on the property market, and your local area’s news.

Pricing and Preparing Your House to Sell:

What is list price versus sales price?

The list price is what price your house is advertised for on the market, and it is a rough estimate of what the seller wants to get for their property, while a sales price is what the property eventually sells for. If you have not had many offers on your property after several months, your listing price may be too high and so you will want to consider reducing it.

What factors are important in selling my house?

You first need to price your property reasonably by using comparative sales data from your local area. You can also pay for an appraisal to value the property. Next, you will want to improve the property’s condition. First repair any superficial defects that might turn off a prospective buyer. However, in a poor market, you might even want to do more extensive repairs that need prompt attention, such as roof replacements. Also be sure to check that your house is getting the proper market exposure it needs to sell for the best price. Make sure it is listed in the local MLS and with online listing services. Check that open houses, signs, and advertising are being taken care of by your listing agent. Consider switching agents if your property is not getting the marketing it deserves.

When should I sell?

Depending on location, the real estate market generally starts to pick up in February for the spring real estate market rush because most buyers like to move in the spring or summer during their children’s school vacations. Late fall and early winter are usually quite slow months, so that is usually not the best time to put your property on the market. Also, real estate market prices tend to fluctuate in long term cycles, so it’s generally best to sell near the top of a strong cycle, or “seller’s” market, rather than near the bottom of a weak cycle or “buyer’s” market.

What is market value versus appraised value?

Market value is the price that a house is expected to bring based upon an informal estimate done by your real estate agent known as a “comparative market analysis”. On the other hand, appraised value is the written opinion of the price of a house given by a certified appraiser. Such opinions or appraisals usually cost around $300.

Explain to me what are: list price, appraised value and sales price?

The list price is the price that you will advertise your property to the real estate market at, and it is a rough guess of what price you want to receive for your property. Appraised value is the written opinion of the value of a house given by a certified appraiser. A home appraisal usually costs around $300, and it is based on the sale prices for similar properties, the property’s condition, and other considerations. The sales price is the price that the property eventually sells at, so it represents the amount that a qualified buyer would pay for it.

What should I do if my house is still on the market after a year?

Price and condition are the two most important factors affecting a home’s sale. So, first consider lowering your price and then look for cost-effective ways to improve its condition. Also be sure that your home is getting exposure in the MLS, although some agents do recommend pulling the house off the market for a while to wait for a slow market to improve. More radical options might make sense if you have little to no equity in the house and need to sell. One such strategy is known as a short sale where you find a buyer at a price below what you owe the bank on your mortgage, and negotiate the shortfall with the lender. Another option would be offering your lender the deed to your house in lieu of foreclosure. Of course, it’s usually easier to just lower the price.

How do I set a price for my property?

You will need to assess the current market for properties similar to what you have to sell. The market goes up as well as down, so you must choose your listing price after doing a comparison with the local market. Your KNZ Brokers agent can prepare a Comparative Market Analysis for your property, which, along with their advice based upon your selling objectives, should give you all the information you will need to determine a fair and competitive listing price. However, if you are comparing reports from different agents, look for a consensus on price, but beware of an agent who gives a high value just because they want your listing since this may result in a costly wait while you try to sell an overpriced property.

How can I value my home?

A professional appraisal done by an independent and certified appraiser is one way to value your home which generally costs around $ 300. Appraisers will take into account your property’s size, position, quality, state of repair and comparable sales in its area. Another, less formal valuation method is to ask a professional real estate agent like your KNZ Brokers agent to prepare a Comparative Market Analysis for your property. Either way, you will want to get a list of the prices of homes that have recently sold, as well as those that are currently on the market. You can also do your own market research by looking up recent house sales in the public records of your county or via some Internet sites, but make sure that you are comparing your home with similar properties in terms of size, construction quality and location.

How should I get my house ready to sell?

Besides making sure that the house is in saleable condition, you can easily do many rather superficial things to make a good impression on a buyer. For example, you could:

• Tidy the yard, and make sure the house’s entrance is clear.
• Clean windows, bathrooms and kitchens.
• Make bedrooms look inviting and special.
• Give the walls, doors and windows a fresh coat of paint.
• Make space in living areas, closets and cupboards.
• Get all appliances working, fix leaking faucets, and replace burnt out bulbs.
• Have the house scented with baking and fresh flowers.
• Remove sources of unpleasant odors and keep pets hidden.
• Play pleasant and quiet background music.

Finally, if your house was built prior to 1978 and you think it might have lead paint issues, consider doing an inspection and fixing the problem yourself, since a Federal Law allows a buyer to ask for a lead inspection.

I need to find statistics on the real estate market. Where do I look?

Your KNZ Brokers agent can help you review the current housing market in detail. You can also contact the Realtor’s Association in your state which will usually collect such information from their local agents. For more general statistical information on the housing market, you can read quarterly publications on house building and buying from U.S. Housing Markets, which may be available for you to review at the builders’ association located in your area. If not, you can browse their Internet site or contact them at (800) 755-6269 for more information. Another authoritative source is the U.S. Census Bureau located in Washington, D.C. which you can call at (301) 763-2422 or browse its Internet site. Finally, Chicago Title publishes a pamphlet entitled: "Who's Buying Homes in America?" that you can get a copy of by writing to them at 171 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60601.

Should I accept an offer below my asking price?

Low offers made below the listing or asking price are often rejected immediately by sellers in a normal, rising market; however, in a buyer’s market, a motivated seller will usually counteroffer if the low price is not acceptable to them right away. While you would of course prefer to accept a full price offer or higher, before rejecting the offer, you should take into account other considerations such as:

Does the low offer eliminate any contingencies that other, higher offers include, such as depending upon the buyer's current home being sold? A low offer without that condition may be more attractive than a full price offer with it, depending on how motivated you are to sell.

Is the low offer made “as is” versus a higher offer that requires repairs to be made? Some offers will require expensive, extensive and/or time-consuming repairs to be made, so it may be better for you to accept a lower “as is” offer for the house that does not require any repairs.

Does the buyer with the low offer have all cash for the purchase, as opposed to a financed offer? If the low offer is made all in cash, and the buyer has therefore waived the financing contingency, then it may be more certain to close and hence more attractive than an offer that has yet to be financed.

Neighborhood Home Valuation – Compare prices of homes that sold in your neighborhood.

Our Neighborhood Home Valuation Calculator lets you enter information about your home (including the address and other property details such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms). The Calculator then gives you details about a selection of the closest and most similar recently sold properties which you can browse to find those that are the best match for your property.