Things to Do Before Listing

This article was originally posted by Lauren Wingrove from American Nationwide Mortgage Company, Inc. here in Chattanooga. You can see the original article by clicking here, and Lauren's profile by clicking here.

If you're thinking of selling your house, now is the time to get serious about the prep work. While the process can seem overwhelming, here's a getting-ready-to-sell checklist that'll take you through the most critical tasks.

Depersonalize the space. Start by taking the "home" out of your house: family pictures, kids' art, collectibles, toiletries and tell-tale signs of pets (toys, food, etc.) all need to go. You want someone to imagine themselves living there - without thinking about you.

Purge and declutter. Tackle one room at a time, breaking it into zones. Then, (ruthlessly) work each area with a trash bag. Do a second pass with a new bag, looking for anything donation-worthy. Give yourself a few weeks for a proper purge - clutter suggests a lack of storage.

Do a deep clean. A top-to-bottom cleaning is what's required. Focus on the kitchen and bathrooms first, taking a toothbrush to surfaces if you need to, and then move on to living and family rooms. Don't forget closets and cabinets (buyers have been known to peek).

Make small fixes. Ask your agent about fixes that have big impact. A new coat of paint goes a long way, as does cleaning the blinds, fixing leaky faucets, recaulking tubs and upgrading a lighting fixture or two.

Detail the landscaping. Focus on sprucing things up. In the winter, keep walkways clear of snow and ice. In the spring, trim back bushes, edge lawn and beds and touch up the mulch. Make fence or deck repairs, and clean the windows. Then add a seasonal planter as a final, welcoming touch.

Get the photos right. Use a point-and-shoot camera, and open curtains to bring in natural light. Remove counter clutter, tuck away cords, lower toilet lids, and shoot from the doorway to capture the most space. Take several shots and then take some more. Pick only the best ones. Listing photos matter - a lot.

Secrets for Staging Your Home!

HGTV recently published an article detailing 15 tips you can observe in order to properly stage your home for sale.

Of course, the goal is not to lie about the condition of your home, there are certain steps you can take to ensure that the strengths of your home are highlighted while making sure that any faults are not the only thing prospective buyers see. Simple things like proper lighting and making use of vertical space can make all the difference to someone interested in buying your home.

Click here to go to the article and read all of the tips. If you're looking to sell your home anytime soon, check out these tips, and contact us if you have any specific questions of concerns!

What Kind of Showing Was It?

Property showings can be confusing for sellers. How to prepare, what kinds of things are

potential buyers looking for, is it awkward to continue binge-watching Breaking Bad while it happens, etc.

But luckily for you, it doesn't have to be. The article below comes from Melinda Duncan, a Re/Max agent based in Kentucky (check out her website). Here she explains the different kinds of showings that can be given of your home, and some tips for preparing for each:

One of the most frequent calls from homeowners to their agents is about the listing’s inactivity due to the lack of showings.  The homeowner commonly believes that the home is shown only when a buyer walks through the house with an agent.

Today’s buyers are more sophisticated than in the past due to the abundance of information available to the public on the Internet.  There are seemingly inexhaustible sites with homes for sale, valuation estimates and virtual tours.  There are extensive mapping sites with satellite images, traffic conditions, entertainment, shopping and other points of interest.

There are actually three legitimate types of property showings.  A knowledgeable buyer can view a home for sale online and make a reasonable determination of whether the home will fit their needs.  Occasionally, buyers will drive by a home to get a feel for the home and also the neighborhood which might cause them to eliminate any further examination or consideration.

The third type, the physical showing, certainly gives the buyer the opportunity for the closest scrutiny but is generally reserved for properties that have passed the inspections of at least one other type of showing.

Sellers should be aware of the different types of showings and that a sales agent’s job is to help the buyer find the right home.  The listing agent’s job is to market the home so that the right buyer finds it either through their own efforts or that of the buyer’s agent.

Should You Fix Up a Home Before Selling It?

This article originally comes from RISMedia.com, and was written by Jack Guttentag. You can find the original here.

Recently I put my home up for sale, and because it needed a new roof, deck, and septic system, came face to face with this question. This article is based heavily on that experience, in which I made a serious mistake that other sellers can avoid.


It is easier to sell a house that is attractive to potential buyers, which means that you spend a little time and money on cosmetics. This is partly just a matter of making sure the house is clean, the yard is neat, the driveway is swept, bushes pruned and so on. Easily fixed structural defects, like a loose shingle, should be fixed.

Houses almost always look better when furnished than when empty — and they also look larger. If you are moving to another residence and plan to take your furnishings with you, try to arrange to show the house before you move out of it.

But if your house also has structural defects that are costly to fix, as mine did, the challenge is in deciding whether or not to fix them before sale.

Every house has defects, some obvious and others hidden. Both types will affect the price a buyer is willing to pay. It is a mistake to think that a potential buyer will assume that the only defects that exist are those that are visible.

So what should you do? Click here to read the rest of the article and find out a few recommendations.