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High Speed Home Sale

Six Simple Steps & Three Magic Words To Instantly Sell Your House For Top Dollar In Any Market

Erica Alston

Copyright © 2007 by Erica Alston.

All rights reserved.

Published by .

ISBN: 978-1-4303-2187-3

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission from the author or publisher.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

Contents

Chapter 1 (Introduction) ……………………….…5

Chapter 2 (Getting Started) …………………...…15

Clean-up Checklist ………………...…..23

Chapter 3

(Should You Use A Realtor Or Go “FSBO”?) ….33

Reasons To Go “FSBO”…………….…33

Reasons To Use A Realtor…………......35

Chapter 4 (Inspections & Appraisals) ………..….40

Chapter 5

(Marketing & Advertising) …………….………..42

Signs……………………………………43

Classified Ads………………………….44

Bulletin Boards/Posters……………..…44

Magazines……………………..…….....45

Brochures………………………..……..46

Internet Ads…………………..………...49

Open Houses………………..………….49

Chapter 6 (Staging Your House) ………………...51

Depersonalize………………………….56

Minimize...…………………….……….57

Cheerful……………………….……….57

Let There Be Light………….…………58

Make It Inviting……………………….58

Make It Comfortable………………….59

Appeal To The Senses………………...59

Clean Is The Key Word……………….60

Beautiful Bathrooms…………………..60

Fantasy………………………………...61

The Great Outdoors……………............61

Chapter 7

(Open House Success) …......................................64

Open House Safety Tips……………….65

Parking & Curb Appeal………………..67

Show Your Stuff……………………….68

Pleasant & Inviting…………………….69

Contracts & Forms…………………….69

Chapter 8 (The Sellers’ Open House)…………....71

Be Prepared For Questions……………..75

Common Questions…………………….76

Exit Interview…………………………..79

Chapter 9 (The Sellers Find A Buyer)…………...83

Chapter 10 (Our Special Program) …...................85

Be Unique……………………………...86

No Negotiations,

No Price Reductions…………………...87

Top Dollar Offers……………………...87

Maintain Full Price……………………88

Sell As-Is………………………………89

Unlimited Pool of

Potential Buyers……………………….90

Easy Pre-Approval…………………….92

Chapter 11 (Six Simple Steps) ……………….97

Step One……………………………98

Step Two……………………….....103

Step Three………………………...105

Step Four………………………….117

Step Five………………………….124

Step Six…………………………...139

Chapter 12

(Frequently Asked Questions) …………………149

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

If you’ve ever sold or attempted to sell real estate before, you know firsthand how stressful it can be to have your property sit on the market for months with no prospect of a sale any time soon. With this book, you will learn how to sell your house instantly and for full value in any market. We’ll get started by making sure that your house looks its absolute best before it goes on the market. That way, it can attract as many potential buyers as possible. When the house is ready to go on the market, you will have it professionally appraised to determine the best list price. Then, you will list your home for sale and officially launch your marketing campaign. From there, you can put our unique strategy to work for you to attract more potential buyers than you would have ever thought possible.

The appearance of the house is extremely important when it is on the market for sale. With each potential buyer who sees your home, you only have one chance to make a good first impression. You want to do everything you can to impress everyone who sees your home because anyone has the potential to become your buyer. So, step back and take a good, hard, objective look at your property. What kind of shape is it in? Imagine that you are a home buyer on a house-hunting trip and you are seeing your house for the very first time. What do you think? You need to decide how much time and money you can afford to invest into sprucing up your property.

When it is time to officially put the house on the market, you need to decide what the asking price is going to be. In order to make that decision, you need to know how much your house is worth, and at what price similar homes in your area are selling. Using our special strategy, you will be able to price and sell your home for maximum value. You will not have to reduce your price to attract potential buyers. Nor will you have to make any unnecessary concessions in order to close a sale. The offers will be pouring in—full price offers. You will select the best offer and close the sale. It really is that simple.

Once you have priced your property and put it on the market, you need to make sure that it gets plenty of exposure to as many potential buyers as possibe. The more exposure you generate for your house, the faster you are going to sell it. You need an aggressive marketing strategy to create a ‘buzz’ about your property. Armed with a full arsenal of marketing tools and techniques such as: lawn signs, classified ads, bulletin boards, posters, brochures, etc, you will launch your campaign to generate maximum exposure to attract hoards of potential buyers to your property like a magnet. Let’s not forget the power of the almighty Internet. With just a click of a button, your property can be listed in any nationwide database. This means that your property will be instantly accessible to every single house hunter out there.

Once you have generated a good amount of publicity for your property listing, you will have started to receive phone calls and perhaps a few visits from realtors who want to show the house to their clients. That is when it is time to hold your first open house.

Good planning and timing are important elements of a successful open house. Your property should be looking its absolute best whenever you have a showing. Aside from the appearance of the house, there are other preparations that need to be made before you invite the public in. Make sure that all of your promotional materials are on display in a prominent area where potential buyers can pick them up on their way in. Be prepared for any questions that you may be asked which are not answered on your flyers or brochures. You never know when a casual showing could turn into a contract for a sale. So, it is a good idea to have copies of forms and contracts on hand in case someone makes an offer on the spot.

The reason you will be bombarded with full price offers is simple; your property listing contains three magic words that will attract potential buyers to your property like a magnet. Those three magic words are the highlight of our special program. With our special program, you will not be limited to just at a narrow segment of the population as your pool of potential buyers. Instead, the unique strategy employed by this special program maximizes the exposure that you receive for your property. There are probably millions of people who would like to own their own home instead of paying rent to someone else. They do not own a home because they cannot afford a large down payment, or because they do not qualify for conventional financing. By using our special program, you will have expanded your pool of potential buyers infinitely. In other words, if you use our special program, just about anyone who wants to buy your home could probably do so.

Our program makes it easy and painless for just about anyone to buy and/or sell property fast. If you are a homeowner with a house for sale, this means that you do not have to worry about your house sitting on the market for a long time. Once you decide to follow our special program you will be confident in the knowledge that your house will sell quickly and easily. If you are an investor or a “flipper,” you will be able to move more properties and make more money in less time than you ever thought possible. With our program, your properties will sell fast and for top dollar. Realtors can use our program to sell more properties faster; and earn bigger commissions on each sale.

People who are selling property are not the only folks who can benefit from using this program. Buyers can benefit from the use of this program too. If you are trying to buy a property, this program can help. It will broaden the spectrum of the properties that you have to choose from; and it will make it quick and easy to buy the one that you want.

Now, I want to introduce you to our fictitious homeowners: Rick and Lisa Sellers. Mr. and Mrs. Sellers own a home in a nice (fictitious) suburb called Sellersville. Rick has a middle management position in a large corporation. Lisa put her career in advertising on hold to be a stay at home mom. They have two small children. When Rick is offered a lucrative job promotion, he and Lisa are ecstatic. It is a fantastic opportunity that will mean a lot more money and a greater standard of living. The job is located in California. The whole family is excited about moving and they can’t wait to go to California.

Rick’s company really wants him to relocate as quickly as possible so he can get settled into his new position. Rick and Lisa have already flown out to California on a week-long house-hunting trip. They found the house that they want to buy. Everything is happening so fast! They are hesitant to commit to any purchase deal because they still have to sell their house in Sellersville. Should they decide to proceed with the purchase of the new house in California now? What if the Sellersville house has not sold in time for the closing on their new home purchase? They cannot afford to get saddled with two mortgage payments.

John and Carol Neuhouse, the owners of the house that the Sellers want to buy are in a similar predicament. They are building a new house. The closing date for the purchase of the new house that they are building is set to occur in about three months. They don’t want to be stuck with two mortgages any more than Mr. and Mrs. Sellers do. So, the Neuhouses are in just as big a hurry to sell as the Sellers are.

This three month window of time makes Rick and Lisa hopeful that maybe this deal could work. They figure if they really work hard to aggressively sell, maybe they could have their house sold in three months time. Rick and Lisa need a foolproof plan to make sure that their house sells fast so that they do not get stuck with two mortgage payments.

We’ll have a bird’s eye view as Rick and Lisa make their foray into the process of selling their home instantly and for full price. You will be right there with them step by step through the entire process from the first day of cleaning and repairs straight through to the first open house. Experience first- hand how to prepare for and manage a showing. Learn to negotiate with potential buyers and prepare all of the necessary paperwork to sell your house instantly and for full price. Let’s follow along as Rick and Lisa Sellers begin their journey.

CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED—

ENHANCING CURB APPEAL

When Rick and Lisa decided to buy the Neuhouses’ home in California, the first thing they had to do was to make sure that their own house was in marketable condition and get it on the market as soon as possible. They went outside to get a curbside view. They took a good objective look at their property from the street so they could see what their potential buyers would see.

The Sellers’ property is actually in pretty good shape. The driveway was recently sealed. The sidewalks and the front porch are all free of any chips or cracks. “It’s not so bad,” Lisa said, “It just needs a little sprucing up.”

“Yeah,” Rick agreed, “We’ll just give the shrubs a good trimming and go over the flower beds a little bit. Do a little edging.”

“The windows could use a little cleaning,” Lisa said, “And maybe we could give the outside of the house a quick rinse, huh?”

“Sure, I’ve got a power washer in the garage. We can hustle and get this done over the weekend.”

When they went inside and looked around, Rick and Lisa realized that they really did not need to spend very much money to get their house in shape. A few hours of work is all it would take to get their house ready to be put on the market. All of the walls were painted in neutral colors. The carpets were very well maintained. The kitchen is very attractive and the appliances are all sleek and modern. “I don’t think we’ll have to spend a lot of money to get this house on the market,” said Rick, “We just need to do a little bit of clean- up work.”

“Yeah, we need to get rid of some of the clutter and junk we’ve got laying around. Rearrange the furniture and do a little spring cleaning. Maybe we can do a little touch-up painting here and there, nothing major.”

“I bet if we can get a couple of friends to come over and help us out, we can get everything done this weekend. What do you think?”

“I think we can do it. I’m going to go make a few calls and see who is available to help us out this weekend.”

“While you’re doing that, I’ll put together a quick checklist of everything we need to get done this weekend.”

The things that Rick listed on his weekend checklist are all of the things that you need to pay attention to before you put your house on the market. Do not waste a lot of time and money on any unnecessary repairs or renovations. You want to focus on making sure that your home is attractive and appealing to potential buyers. Your goal is to make sure that your home has curb appeal.

The term "Curb appeal" is commonly used in real estate to describe everything prospective buyers can see from the street that piques their interest enough to make them want to stop, come inside, and take a look. Improving curb appeal is critical to generating enough attention and exposure to attract plenty of potential buyers. While it does take time, it does not have to be difficult or expensive to get your house looking its absolute best to impress your potential home buyers. Just make sure that you keep two key words in mind: neat and neutral.

When preparing your home for the market, the general rule is to spend as little money as possible. Feel free to make relatively inexpensive upgrades to your home, such as replacing old beat-up door knobs and fixtures that look dated. Avoid undertaking major renovations like remodeling the kitchen or bathroom unless it is absolutely necessary. Make sure that you are confident that whatever work you are going to do will increase your profits. Whatever repairs or upgrades you do undertake, be certain that you are not overcapitalizing the property. In other words, do not spend more money on the renovation than you are likely to profit from the sale itself.

It is a good idea to seek professional input about any major changes that you plan to make. That way, you can be certain that your proposed changes will add value to your property. It would be an utter waste of time and money to construct a new fence or to build a deck in the backyard if it will not increase your resale value.  

Neatness sells. It is the basic details that make your property look fresh and sharp. Make sure that your home’s exterior is bright and clean. Rick started by power washing the exterior to remove built up dirt and grime. Power washing is a quick and easy way to brighten up your home’s exterior to make it look new again. If the paint and siding are in good condition, power washing is also a cheap way to avoid spending money on painting. To complement the bright, clean house, Rick and Lisa went to work on the front lawn. They already have a pretty good looking lawn that was professionally landscaped a few years ago. Everything just needed to be sharpened up. The lawn needed to be cut, raked and edged. The shrubs were trimmed, and fresh mulch was added to the beds. The driveway had already been resealed a few months ago. When they were finished, they had an immaculate lawn, picture-perfect shrubbery, a newly sealed driveway, and potted plants at the front door. When you put all of those attributes together, you have quite an impressive package, and drive-by shoppers will certainly take notice. They will probably want to stop and come in to see the rest of the house.

If your home does need to be repainted, choose neutral colors. Keep clutter, photos and personal effects to a minimum. Remember, when a family looks at a house, they're trying to paint a picture of what it would be like as their home. You want to give them as clean a canvas as possible.

It is important to make your house look as clean and spacious as possible. Keep it in mind that when potential buyers look at your house, they are going to look everywhere: behind your doors, inside your closets, in the crawlspace; that includes those in the bedrooms and bathrooms. So, get rid of all the clutter. Rent a storage space if you need to. Hold a garage sale or donate some of your extra things to a local charity.

After you've cleaned, try to correct as many noticeable cosmetic flaws as you can. Paint rooms that need it, re-grout tile walls and floors, remove or replace any worn-out carpets. Replace dated faucets, light fixtures, and the handles and knobs on your kitchen drawers and cabinets if needed.

Try to visualize your home through eyes of your potential buyers. Do whatever you can to make it easy for them to imagine your house as their home. Clear away as many objects as you can from your walls, shelves, and countertops. Give your prospects plenty of room to dream.

Use the checklist that Rick came up with as a guideline to make sure that you get your house looking its best in time for your first showing. Keep in mind that our program does not require you to spend a lot of time and money repairing and upgrading your home. This program is designed to help you sell your house as-is; and still get top dollar for it. With that being said, you still want your house to be fresh and appealing when you put it on the market.

Rick’s Checklist:

Before You Begin Showing

(Exterior)

• Repaint siding

• Repaint or touch up trim

• Repair / repaint gutters and downspouts

• Repair / repaint fences

• Seal driveway

• Remove oil stains from garage floor

• Wash all windows

• Remove all screens (makes windows look cleaner)

• Trim trees, hedges, shrubs

• Weed & feed lawn

• Remove clutter (garden tools, toys, etc.)

(Interior Entranceway)

• Check working order of doorbell and exterior lights

• Replace welcome mat

• Repair / repaint storm door and/or front door

• Clear interior entry of all clutter

• Clear and clean out front hall closet

(Living/dining/family/bedrooms)

• Repaint or touch up walls and ceilings

• Repair / replace old molding

• Shampoo or replace carpet and/or wash and wax floors

• Remove excess or unattractive furniture

• Clean curtains, shutters, blinds, etc

• Clean fireplace, mantle, shelving

• Replace old bedspreads

(Kitchens/baths)

• Repair / replace faucets and fixtures

• Repaint or repaper walls

• Clean range/oven, refrigerator, and other appliances thoroughly

• Clear out and clean cabinets, drawers, and medicine chests

• Remove clutter from countertops

• Clean or replace curtains

• Touch up the grout in tub and shower

• Replace old toilet seats and shower curtains

(General)

• Replace burnt out light bulbs

• Clear cobwebs from corners and doorways

• Wipe down light switches, handrails, and doorknobs

• Clear and clean all closets

• Add warm and welcoming touches such as potted plants, dried flowers, etc

Before every showing or open house

(Exterior)

• Pick up tools and toys

• Move garbage cans out of sight

• Close garage door

• Park cars on the street or around the corner

(Interior)

• Clear off all counters and table tops

• Turn on all lights

• Open shades, blinds, curtains

• Put soft music on the stereo

• Give the house a pleasant aroma—potpourri, scented candles, fresh baked goods, etc

• Set the dining room table

• Make all beds

• Set thermostat to a comfortable temperature

Display Information

(in a prominent location)

• Paid utility bills

• Current property tax receipts

• Real estate listing sheet

• Floor plan

• List of upgrades you’ve put into the house (and dates, if available)

• Map and/or list of community features and points of interest

• Warranty information on appliances

As stated previously, this program is designed to sell homes instantly and for full value in any market. Furthermore, it gives you enough leveraging power to sell your property in as-is condition. So, your goal is to spruce up your property to make it as attractive to your potential home buyers as possible while avoiding costly home improvements. Ideally, you should spend as little money as possible to maximize your profits. However, there still may be some circumstances where it becomes necessary to make major repairs in order to get the house in marketable condition.

For instance, “flippers” and rehabbers (investors who buy fixer uppers to fix and re-sell for a profit), know that there are certain home improvements which are proven to add value or to speed up the sale of houses. These improvements include updating or adding amenities such as central air conditioning, building a deck or patio, finishing the basement, remodeling the kitchen or bathroom, upgrading the flooring, etc. Make sure that whatever improvements you do make have a universal appeal. Do not spend money on improvements that reflect personal preferences that not everyone may share. A good example of this is deciding to convert the garage into an extra room. That represents a personal preference that is not necessarily universal. Most potential home buyers would probably want the garage.

When you are undertaking a major renovation, it is a challenge to maintain a budget that allows room for profit. There is always the risk of over-improving your house — that is, putting more money into it than current market prices will support.

If you absolutely must renovate—for instance, if your house needs a new roof, or if there is water or fire damage, you need to carefully consider what your budget is going to be. How much is too much to spend on repairing or remodeling a house that you intend to sell for profit? Professional renovators have found that, no matter how much you improve any given house, you are unlikely to sell it for more than 15 percent above the median price of other houses in the surrounding area. It does not matter whether you do $1,000 worth of work or $50,000. According to the experts, you are not likely to exceed the parameters of your local market value. This is because buyers pay attention to the price of similar homes in the surrounding area. For example, if most homes in your area (similar to yours,) are priced in the ballpark of $200,000 and you price your house at $280,000, home buyers are going to say, “Why should I pay that much for this house, when the one down the street just like it costs so much less?”

That is why it would be a good idea for you to get a professional opinion about whether or not it is worth your time and money to undertake any renovation project that you may have in mind before you start the work.

If you have the time and the talent to do those home improvements yourself, then the do-it-yourself route is most definitely the most cost-effective way to go. When it comes to basic tasks such as painting, wallpapering, replacing cracked trim and old plumbing fixtures — the difference between work done by a competent amateur and work done by a professional is usually reflected in the turnaround time and the final cost of the project. Just be sure not to tackle something that you cannot handle. Fixing your home up to put it on the market is not the time to experiment. If you are not experienced, it may be worth your while to call in a professional who can complete the task in a manner that meets your timeline and your budget.

Larger jobs involving mechanical systems (heating, electrical, plumbing, etc.), or work that must meet local building codes, are another story. Even if you know exactly what you are doing—or if you are working with someone who does, it is not a good idea to take on big jobs like these unless you are licensed to do so. Your attempts to save a few extra bucks by doing all of the work yourself could end up costing you in the long run. You could find yourself being held liable if something that you worked on goes wrong after you close the sale.

CHAPTER 3

HIRE A REALTOR OR GO FSBO”?

Once you have decided to sell your house, one of the biggest decisions that you will make is whether to hire a realtor or to list your house “for sale by owner”. There are pros and cons to both scenarios, and good reasons why you might choose either one.

So, should you try to sell your house yourself? Let's take a look at some of the specific details.

Reasons why you may choose to sell your house “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO):

• Equity—If you haven't owned the house that you're selling for a very long time, then, you probably have not accumulated much equity. The lower the equity, the more a realtor's commission will cut into any profit that you might gain from the sale of the house. If the sale will not net you enough to have much profit left over after the realtor's commission is paid, then selling without a realtor is your best choice.

• Marketing Budget—You can afford to list your home yourself if you have the cash on hand to pay for advertising and listing costs. When selling without a realtor, all expenses and up front costs such as: newspaper ads, printing costs for flyers, MLS (multiple listing service) listing costs with Internet FSBO web sites and lawn signs are your responsibility. While these expenses typically add up to hundreds of dollars or more, it is still a great deal less than the commission that you would pay to a realtor.

• Time—You have a flexible schedule that allows you the time to manage your own showings. When you handle your own showings, you will need to be available to take calls from prospective buyers and to show your house whenever it is convenient for potential buyers to see it. Be available at all hours to take calls and to schedule showings at times that are the most convenient for your prospective buyers - and not necessarily when it is convenient for you! A flexible schedule and a laid back attitude will make it far easier to show your house and get it sold quickly.

Typically, a homeowner who chooses to sell without a realtor will spend between 2% and 3% of the final selling price of the house on sales-related expenses.

Advantages to selling your house with a good Realtor:

• Expertise—Take advantage of a realtor's expert knowledge, training, and years of experience.

• Convenience—If you work with a realtor, you do not need to adjust your schedule to make time to show your house to potential buyers. Realtors are available to show your home at the potential home buyer's convenience.

• Accuracy—A Realtor can help you to set the right price for your home. You will not have to do the research and legwork.

• Negotiating— Realtors can make it easy to navigate through the tangle of legalities and paperwork; and negotiate with buyers on your behalf.

• Advice—An experienced realtor can help point out needed repairs and spruce-ups that will make your home more attractive to a buyer, and even make decorating suggestions that will help to sell your house faster. In return, they take between 6% and 7% of the selling price of your house as a commission.

The advantages of selling your home without a realtor are obvious. In today's realty market, the realtor's typical 6% to 7% commission can amount to a healthy chunk of change. Suppose that you are selling a house valued at $185,000, on which you still owe $135,000. Your projected equity calculation will look like this:

$185,000 – $135,000 = $50,000

Now deduct the realtor's commission, which is typically 6%. Keep in mind that the commission is figured against the selling price, not the equity.

$185,000 * 0.06 = $11,100 commission. That comes off your equity, which is:

$50,000 - $11,100 = $38,900 equity. Compared to the costs incurred by working with a realtor to sell your home, the savings that you gain as a result of selling your house on your own are a very potent incentive. Even if you include a 2% to 3% fee for listing your home with an internet listing service, based on a selling price of $185,000, you would still save $5,000 to $8,000 over the cost of a realtor.

It is important to weigh the issues and decide what is most important to you. If your goal is to make the process of selling your house as easy and seamless as possible, then perhaps enlisting the services of a realtor may be your best solution. However, if your goal is to retain as much of your net profits as possible from the sale, then you should sell your house on your own.

Rick and Lisa need to have as much money as possible to facilitate the process of moving and getting their family settled into their new environment. So, they decided to list their home “for sale by owner.” Our program will work for you no matter which option you choose. Whether you choose to sell with a realtor or without, our program will help you to sell your property quickly and get top dollar for it, too. So, any seller who uses this program can net larger profits than if they had sold their property without our program.

Professional Inspections & Appraisals

An appraiser determines the market value of your home by tracking the sales prices and physical attributes of similar properties in the area. Your property is compared to other properties like it that have recently sold. This helps to estimate the amount of money that it would take to replace your home based on current material and labor costs. It also figures how much income a property would produce (this last approach is used more often for rental property, apartments and commercial property). When you apply for a mortgage, lenders frequently require a professional appraisal upon which to base your loan amount.

Our special program is designed to sell your home instantly and for full value. Getting a professional appraisal is an important part of our program because it establishes the value of your home. This is critical because you are going to price your home at its maximum market value. This will accomplish a few things. First and foremost, you will get a realistic idea of how much money you can expect to net from the sale of your home. It will give you a critical third-party view of your home and alert you to any needed repairs or problems before your potential buyers find them. An appraisal adds professional support to your required disclosure statements, and it may even convince your buyer not to do an inspection of his or her own. Since the goal of our program is to price and sell your home for maximum value, obtaining a professional appraisal is a critical step in the process of getting your house on the market.

Marketing & Advertising

By now, Rick and Lisa are ready to put their house on the market. As we mentioned before, they have decided to list their home “for sale by owner.” People who choose to enlist in the professional services of a realtor do not have to focus on marketing and advertising because realtors handle all of the marketing and advertising for their clients. So, this chapter speaks to sellers who have chosen to list their homes for sale by owner. Once you have obtained a professional appraisal and have priced your home to your best advantage, you are now all ready to start showing it to potential buyers. How are you going to market it so that it gets enough exposure to potential buyers to sell within your timeframe?

SIGNS

In some parts of the country, sometimes the real estate market can be so hot that you would have to do little more than place a simple “for sale by owner” sign in your front lawn and the phone would start ringing off the hook. Sometimes, that is really all it takes. When the calls start coming in and then the showings begin, your marketing campaign could take on a life of its own.

In other areas, or in a slower market, a great deal more marketing is needed to generate interest in your property; but a “for sale by owner” sign is a good place to start. Place directional signs with an arrow that say “home for sale” at intersections leading the way to your property.

Classified Ads

Placing a classified ad or a small display ad in your local newspaper is a good idea. Local newspapers and free weekly papers are generally not very expensive. A short ad repeated a number of times can be more effective than a long ad that is run only once or twice.

Bulletin Boards/Posters

Post a flyer or a poster on every bulletin board that you can find. Take a minute to think about all of the places that you frequent on a daily or weekly basis that have bulletin boards in the common areas. They have them in: grocery stores, drug stores, major discount chains, restaurants, shops, hardware stores, gyms, colleges & universities, churches, etc. If you have the use of a digital camera and a computer, you might want to do a one-page poster with several photos of your house, a description of the property, and your contact information. Design your flyer with tear-off strips at the bottom with your contact information repeated on each strip. That way, when your flyer gets someone’s attention, they can walk away with your contact information (and not your flyer itself).

Magazines & Community Publications

Most communities publish weekly or monthly publications that feature the local real estate for sale. Many of them are devoted exclusively to the FSBO properties. You do not have to be a realtor in order to place an advertisement. Since these are also free papers, they can generally be found in the same places where bulletin boards are located. Everyone reads these papers. They can generate lots of exposure for your property.

Brochures

Brochures or one-page flyers can also be a useful method for marketing your home. You can use the same design as the flyer that you made to post on bulletin boards. Or, you can expand on it a bit. Use more photos, have captions underneath each photo to identify what they show. Highlight all of the amenities that you might have to offer such as: tennis court, community club, swimming pool, etc.

There are several things you can do to get your brochures in front of the public. You can buy a brochure holder which is really just a plastic box with a hinged lid mounted on a stick. Plant it in the ground near the FSBO lawn sign out front by the curb. Make sure that it stays stocked with brochures so that every potential buyer can get one.

Do not become annoyed or offended when your “nosy neighbors” pick up your brochures. Since they are your neighbors, they are obviously within your price range. They probably have family and friends who can afford this price range, too. So, when you see your neighbors take one of your brochures, stop and ask them to give you a call if they know anyone who is looking to buy a house. Don’t think of them as “nosy” neighbors. Thank them in advance for the free referral, instead!

Remember to keep a supply of brochures in your home to give to prospective home buyers who come in for a showing or an open house. People who are shopping for a new home usually look at many, many properties at a time. It can be exhausting and overwhelming to go on a long house-hunting trip with a realtor who crams as many showings into one day as possible. This leaves the poor, exhausted home buyer with too many properties to digest at one time. They need something to refer to when they go home so that they can reflect on which properties they liked, and what it was that they liked about them. Make sure your materials point out all the best that your property has to offer. The house whose best features stay with them on a brochure with color photos and clear, detailed information is a house that buyers will remember and easily visualize. Buyers tend to write contract offers on properties that they remember and visualize clearly.

Take your brochures to work. It is not necessary to solicit your co-workers, but be sure to let everyone know that your house is for sale. Since your property is in a convenient location for you to live at-- in relation to the distance from the workplace-- perhaps one of your associates might also find that location to be convenient; or, maybe they know someone else who would. Ask them.

Internet Advertising

There are plenty of Internet sites on which FSBOs may list their properties for sale. With Internet listings, you can include photos, descriptions, information about “open houses,” etc. The prices for this service vary. Try , or , or , or query your favorite search engine. There are plenty of sites to use to get your property listed in the MLS.

Open Houses

That brings up the notion of “Open Houses.” In many areas, sales frequently take place because of a well attended open House. If you are in a location with good traffic, an open house can be an excellent marketing tool. You can promote your Open house in any, or all, of the venues we’ve discussed above. We will go into greater detail about how to host a successful open house further along in a later chapter.

Whether you use a realtor or sell your home on your own, marketing it is going to be the key to getting a quick sale. It takes some time and access to a few tools, but most sellers can put together a successful marketing program.

CHAPTER 6

Staging Your House

When the Sellers decided to get their home cleaned up and ready to go on the market, they knew that they would have to work fast and get results. So, they invited a group of friends over for the weekend to help. They created a productive, fun-filled working environment by turning their gathering into a three-day spring cleaning party. Everyone had a great time. They accomplished a lot, and with beautiful results.

Passersby would certainly stop and admire the lush, green, manicured lawn. Fragrant flowers bloomed and flourished in shapely beds that were freshly mulched, edged, and trimmed. Perfectly sculpted shrubs lined the perimeter of the landscape, and traced the front of the house and along the porch. The bright, clean exterior siding looked brand new. The windows sparkled and shined in the sunlight.

Inside, visitors would be welcomed by the warm feeling of freshness and light. The beautiful hardwood floors were buffed to a glossy mahogany shine. The spotless carpets complemented the freshly painted walls. Everything looked brand new. The house was immaculate.

One evening when they took a break from working, Rick and Lisa sat down to watch television. Rick was absentmindedly flipping through the channels with the remote control when Lisa saw something that caught her attention.

“Hey, look at that,” she said as different images flashed by on the screen.

“What?” Rick asked.

“Turn it back for a second.” Rick flipped back a few channels until Lisa said, “there.” They landed on an Arts and Entertainment Lifestyles Channel. One of those “Sell This House” television shows was on.

“I’ve heard of these shows before,” Lisa said. “They work with people whose properties are not selling. The expert comes in and shows them how to redesign the layout and décor of each room to make the house more appealing. Then, they have an open house, and the house sells fast.” The television show that they watched teaches people different home staging techniques that home sellers can use to make their home more enticing to potential home buyers—so that it will sell faster.

If you have spent some time reading magazines and watching television shows like the ones that Lisa and Rick were watching—offering inside tips on how to fashion your home to sell fast and easy, then you have probably run across the term staging. At its simplest, home staging refers to the process of setting up each area of your home to emphasize all of its best features. This helps to make your home feel inviting and attractive to potential buyers.

Emotion has a huge influence on people when they are house hunting. People want to buy a house that makes them feel good. They want to feel ‘at home’ when they come inside. As the seller, it is your job to create that warm and homey feeling that makes them feel good when they come inside the house you're selling.

Traditional real estate logic used to suggest that the aroma of chocolate chip cookies or an apple pie baking in the oven would appeal to the senses of your prospective buyers and increase your chances of making a sale. While there's far more to it than that, making your house smell homey and inviting is one way to make it more appealing to those who come to look at it. Home staging shouldn't be approached haphazardly. If you want to sell your house for top dollar, invest the time it takes to turn your house for sale into a buyer's dream home. Adopt a stylish minimalist showing technique that makes it easy for them to imagine themselves living the dream you manufacture.

The “Sell This House” television shows gave Lisa and Rick plenty of great ideas about how to make each room in their house display like a builder’s model home. They learned how to simplify the design and style of each room to make them look more spacious. People need to be able to visualize their own life in your home when they are touring through it. You want to give your potential home buyers a blank canvass upon which to paint their dream home.

Rick and Lisa got rid of clutter, and maximized the space in each room by paring down all of the furnishings to the bare essentials. Pictures were taken down from the walls. Knick-knacks, throw rugs, doilies, blankets, and any other personal furnishings that can distract the attention and imagination of the potential home buyers were stored away—out of sight.

If you are interested in quickly selling your house for top dollar in any kind of market you are in, then you should try these clever tips to set up your home for showing to prospective buyers.

• Depersonalize--The number one rule of home staging is to depersonalize. If you do nothing else, you absolutely need to pack away anything that makes the house 'yours' as opposed to theirs. Your family photos may be precious to you, but to a buyer, they're clutter. Clear off counters and shelves, pack away books and take your photos off the walls.

• Minimize--Pare the furnishings down to the bare essentials. If you're going to be living in the house while you show it, this may be a bit more difficult, but it's still important. Pack away your favorite old, shabby recliner and get rid of the stepstool or extra high chair in the kitchen. You want just enough furniture to define a room's purpose without crowding the room.

• Cheerful--The mood that you're aiming for is cheerful and bright. If it's a sunny day, open drapes and curtains to let the sunshine in - but make sure that those windows are sparkling clean. If the windows look out on a back yard that's less than appealing, get out the lawnmower and hedge trimmers to make it appealing.

• Let there be light-- If the day is gloomy, turn on the lights in every room before the buyers show up. By using white or cream colors on the walls and keeping furnishings in light, bright colors, you will guarantee that the house you're selling looks cheerful and appealing even on the gloomiest day.

• Make it inviting-- Fresh flowers are one of those little luxuries that make people feel good. Use them both inside and out. Flower beds in the front of the house add to the curb appeal, and a path lined with flowers can't help but put a potential buyer into the right frame of mind before they ever step through your front door. Inside, try a small table in the entry hall with a tasteful flower arrangement. Add a beautiful bowl of fruit or flowers in the middle of a dining room table or a vase of flowers on a dresser in a bedroom to add color and life to the décor without being too distracting.

• Make it feel comfortable-- Remember that there's more to appealing than what meets the eye. Make sure that the atmosphere in your house is comfortable. If the weather is hot, turn on the air conditioning an hour or so before you expect buyers to arrive so that there is time to reach a comfortable temperature. If the weather is cold, set the heat to a comfortable temperature.

• Appeal to all the senses. Psychologists tell us that the nose influences us far more than we could ever imagine. Make sure that your house always smells fresh and clean; but do not over do it with heavy fragrances from air fresheners, scented candles, potpourri, etc. If your house seems to be overwhelmingly perfumed, potential home buyers may wonder if you covering up something like bad pet odors.

• CLEAN is the keyword. One of the best ways to freshen your home is to wash all the curtains, linens, and fabric furniture covers in a fresh-scent laundry detergent and hang them outside to dry. For a quick air freshener that doesn't leave behind a 'chemical' scent, toss a clean sheet in the dryer with a fresh-scent fabric softener sheet about twenty minutes before a showing. Or, sprinkle some cinnamon, cloves, and fresh orange peels in a pot of water and simmer it on the stove. Just be sure to get rid of it so your potential buyers don’t see it.

• Beautiful bathrooms make a big difference. Replace your old shower curtain, and make sure that the fixtures, mirrors, porcelain vanities, and floors are shining clean.

• Fantasy-- When you're selling a home, you're selling a fantasy. Buyers will imagine themselves living the lifestyle that you 'stage' in your home. Get rid of anything that detracts from that fantasy. That includes pets and children. No matter how adorable you think they are, to potential buyers, they are a distraction. Ship your kids and pets off to a neighbor's house while you show your house. That way, your buyers can explore the house undistracted.

• The great outdoors-- Don't forget the outside. Outdoor living spaces are becoming more and more important to people. Treat your deck or patio like another room in your home. By adding a few simple decorative touches, you can turn your ordinary 'back yard' into an oasis or serenity that your potential home buyers will want to come home to. Cover that old, worn picnic table with a bright tablecloth. Replace worn chair cushions with new ones.

A little home staging, a fresh coat of paint and perhaps some new carpet, can go a long way toward making your house appealing and attractive to potential buyers. Take the time to pare everything down to the bare essentials. It is the little touches that can really make a big difference.

Paying attention to detail is crucial to the final results that you will ultimately achieve. Taking the time to stage your home can really pay off. Staged homes can sell from as much as 3 to 50 percent faster than un-staged homes. Staging can increase the selling price as much as 2 to 10 percent above the selling price of an un-staged home. Get your home ready to sell, both inside and outside. Start by staging your home now!

CHAPTER 7

Open House Success

Once they got the house cleaned, staged, and appraised, Lisa and Rick started planning and advertising for their first open house. Proper timing is critical when you are planning an event such as an open house. You want to advertise well enough in advance to generate enough publicity make sure that plenty of people come through. The first ad announcing their open house was scheduled to run one week before the actual event. So, they had plenty of time to prepare. Check the newspaper and other advertising media to see when other local sellers are holding open houses. Most likely, you will find that weekend afternoons work best for open house events. It can be to your advantage if there are other local open houses scheduled to happen on the same day and at around the same time as yours. The more open house events there are in one area at a given time, the more traffic there will be for you.

Open House Safety Tips

If you do your marketing job well, your open house will be well-attended by many wonderful people whose company you will probably enjoy. Unfortunately, all of the people who visit your open house may not have your best interests at heart. So, don't become a crime statistic during your open house. Theft and other crimes can happen at events such as these more often than you might think. Plan and prepare with safety at the top of your list. These are some basic and important precautions you can take to help assure your safety:

• Create easy escape routes. Unlock all doors and deadbolts. Clear the path to all hallways and doorways. Do not block exits with your display tables.

• Don't be alone. Always have someone with you when you host an open house. If your spouse or partner cannot be there, ask a neighbor, relative, or friend to be there with you during the open house. If that is not possible, then you should be sure to have someone on the outside that you can call periodically to check in. Let someone know what you are doing so they can keep tabs on you. Call in hourly, so they can check on you if they don’t hear from you.

• Guard your back. Always walk behind prospects while touring the home. Allow them to enter and leave rooms first so that everything that you need to be aware of is in front of you.

• Keep keys and phone with you. Keep your cell phone or the (cordless) home phone with you as you tour the home with your prospects. Have your car keys in your hand, pocket or handbag. You might need to make a hasty exit and call for help.

• Get license plate numbers if you can. Try to have a vantage point where you can get a clear view of each car so you can jot down license plate numbers. If something disappears from your home, you'll have information for the police report.

Parking Space & Curb Appeal

Park your vehicle out of the way so that there is plenty of room for your visitors to park. Many people might be inclined to drive by and skip your open house if there is no convenient parking available for them. Curb appeal can't be stressed enough. Make the exterior of the home as attractive as possible. In the race to capture the time and attention of the house-hunters on open house day, the importance of making a good first impression is critical. Remove debris and clean the porch and entryway.

Show Your Stuff

Display your promotional literature near the front entry, but not blocking it. You should have color brochures, financing information, home operational literature (booklets and manuals to all major appliances, HVAC, water softener, etc), comparable sales stats, utility costs, or any other information that might be of interest to your prospective buyers. Make sure that all of your brochures and other promotional materials are eye-catching and full of pertinent details. You want your potential buyers to leave your open house with something that will prompt their memory of your home at the end of a tiring day of looking at perhaps dozens of homes.

Make your home pleasant and inviting.

Whenever you have a showing or host an open house, you want to make sure that the house is very clean and organized. Turn on some soft music and welcome potential home buyers into your home with the warm and cozy aroma of an apple pie baking in the oven. In general make the home as appealing as possible.

Have contracts and forms ready.

You never know when a random showing might become a sale at an open house. So, every time you have a showing, you should train yourself to think and act as though you are expecting a sale to occur. When someone does make an offer to buy your home, you want to be prepared to take action. Have the forms on hand, or have a computer and a printer there so you can print the documents on demand.

CHAPTER 8

The Sellers’ Open House

There was excitement in the air on the day of Rick and Lisa’s first open house. It was a Saturday morning. The event was scheduled to begin at eleven a.m. The Sellers had a few last minute preparations to make before people started to arrive.

They had to make sure that all of their sales materials were displayed in a prominent location so that everyone could have easy access to them. Stacks of photos, brochures, and other information sheets were neatly displayed on a sideboard table that was set up against the wall in the entry hall. Fresh cut flowers were arranged in beautiful crystal vases on either end of the table. People need to have something to refer back to once they leave an open house. So, it is important to be sure to see to it that every visitor leaves with a complete information packet.

As it inched closer and closer to eleven o’clock, Rick and Lisa both watched the window in eager anticipation as they waited for the first visitors to arrive. “I guess now is a good time to pop a batch of cookies in the oven,” Lisa said as she looked at her watch for the third time in two minutes.

“Yeah,” Rick said, and while you’re doing that, I’ll get all of the lights turned on and turn on some background music.”

“Good, maybe the soft music will help me to calm my nerves a little bit before people start coming in.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Rick said on his way out of the room.

Enhancing the emotional environment in your home is just as important when you are having a showing or an open house as it is to enhance the physical elements. Creating a pleasant atmosphere in your home is a great way to influence how your potential home buyers feel as they tour through your home. Since people are greatly influenced by emotion, the way your potential home buyers feel when they tour through your home has a lot to do with what they think about the things that they see. So, make sure that you appeal to the senses.

From the moment when the first visitors started to arrive, everyone felt immediately at home. Everyone admired the beautiful flowers that lined the park-like walkway to the Sellers’ front door. Once inside, people were welcomed by the warm, sweet aroma of fresh baked cookies and the soothing sounds of soft music playing in the background. It felt casual and comfortable in the Sellers’ home. That made it easy for them to relax while people toured through their home. At the same time, it put the potential home buyers in a leisurely frame of mind so that they could take as much time as they needed while touring through the Sellers’ home.

Saturday proved to be a good day for Rick and Lisa to hold their first open house. There was enough traffic to give them plenty of practice; but not so much as to overwhelm them on their first day of showings. As visitors arrived, Rick and Lisa greeted them at the door and directed them through to the back of the house. The Sellers easily fell into a laid back showing style. They hung back a few paces behind each visitor as they toured through each room in the house. They maintained enough distance to give each potential home buyer plenty of freedom to take a good look around the house without feeling like they were being followed. At the same time, the Sellers stayed close enough to be available to answer any questions that the potential home buyers might have.

Be Prepared For Questions

Although you may have compiled a wealth of information in your written materials to present to your potential home buyers, people will always manage to catch you off guard by asking you a question or two that you have not addressed in your brochures. Some of the questions that you may be asked will honestly come from curiosity and genuine interest in your property. But, when someone might be interested in buying your property, most of the questions that they might ask you will have a definite motivation behind them. There are certain types of questions that potential home buyers will ask a seller in hopes of finding some angle by which to gain some sort of concession or price reduction.

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