sell Archives - CENTURY 21 MarketLink Realty

3 Essentials for Your Home Appraiser

October 5, 2015 By Casey Danton

The home appraisal is an integral part of the home selling process. It helps to determine the “market value” of a property so buyers neither overpay for a house nor get it for a “steal.” The appraisal breaks down into three parts, though this can vary by state:

● Inspection
● Comparables (how other homes in the neighborhood are valued)
● Final report

As you prepare for a profssional home appraisal, here’s what you can do to ensure you get the best possible report and value for your home.

Keep Up Appearances

Ensure the following when an appraiser comes to assign a market value to your home:
● A healthy and hospitable appearance
● Proper drainage away from the foundation and/or basement
● Egress windows in all bedrooms for fire safety
● For homes built before 1978, no lead-based paint concerns
● Handrails on all stairs and steps
● A properly functioning heating system that provides ample comfort
● A roof in good condition

Though home appraisers won’t put a “black mark” in their books for the messiness of your home, it does help to have it organized. They’ll be able to see some of the high selling points if they’re not covered under clutter.

Provide Necessary Paperwork

Appraisers absolutely must have all of the paperwork available about your property before they arrive. If they don’t get this information from your lender or broker beforehand, then you should have it in a folder, ready to hand over. This information includes:
● Major improvements
● Age and condition of the roof, HVAC system and major appliances
● Permits for any DIY projects

The more information they have on-hand about your house, the better they can value it.

List Only Essentials

Never list extra square footage in your overview to the appraiser. While you may think your basement or attic counts as square footage, this isn’t always the case. If you’re unsure, it’s best to hire a home inspector or REALTOR® to advise you on acceptable square footage. You should also take care to provide accurate square footage for individual rooms. While you might be tempted to add a few extra square feet here and there, your appraiser has no problem looking up the actual numbers — and it could hurt you in the end.

Conclusion

Home appraisals aren’t just for sellers; they’re for homebuyers and refinancers too. In the case of a buyer, a buyer’s lender will generally have a different appraiser look through the home and perform an independent assessment. If the buyer’s assessment doesn’t match up against the seller’s, discrepancies may be addressed as needed. It also helps to see where potential problems may lie before listing your home, in case you need to make repairs.

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How to Sell Your Home in the Winter

February 2, 2015 By CENTURY 21

Winter, spring, summer or fall, all you have to do is call (an agent affiliated with CENTURY 21^® Real Estate) and we’ll be there. Here are a few tips for to help ensure an efficient home sale during the winter months.

1. Shovel and salt: Blizzard or no blizzard, a few flurries can freeze quickly and create an ice patch [1] in front of your home. Shovel and put out salt the moment the snow starts. Additionally, always keep a clear path from the sidewalk to the door to make it safer to walk into the home. There is nothing worse than having a buyer or agent almost slip on ice!

2. Keep it warm: Keeping your home the right temperature is an important aspect of creating a successful open house, regardless of the season. In the winter, it’s especially important because you don’t want buyers to be shivering as they walk through your home. Find a happy medium between hot and cold.

3. Let there be light: A well-lit home is welcoming. Since the days are shorter and the nights are darker, it’s crucial to make sure there is enough light during your open house. Turn on all the lights throughout the home, including the closets, to show everything off.

You can add even more lighting to rooms that don’t have as many windows by placing spotlights on the floors behind furniture to accentuate parts of the home. Make sure that walkways and outdoor areas are well-lit so that people can navigate them safely.

4. Make it cozy: People want to feel cozy in the winter, especially when they’ve traveled through the cold to get to your open house. Your home should be as decluttered and depersonalized as possible during an open house, but feel free to add a few cozy elements like throw pillows and an extra blanket.

5. Curb Appeal: You may not have beautiful blooms in the winter, but that doesn’t mean you can’t upgrade your curb appeal. Paint your door with a fresh coat of paint, assemble planters with plants that do well in winter, and trim shrubs and trees so that people can walk safely.

You never get a second chance at a first impression. These tips will help you have a safe and successful open house in the winter.

Recommended Reading:

-Snow Safety for the Home

-Open House Oops: Don’t Make These Mistakes

-5 Biggest Seller Mistakes

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Do This, Not That: Tips for Staging Your Home

May 25, 2014 By CENTURY 21

You never get a second chance at a first impression. It is important that potential buyers get a great first impression when they come to your home for an open house or see your listing online. Factors like cleanliness, brightness, and furniture placement all make a big impact on the home’s overall appearance. Making buyers feel comfortable in a new space is key to selling a home. We asked our Facebook friends for their best tips for staging a home to sell.

Here are five tips for staging your home:

“Make sure all furniture is about one and a half inches from the wall, this creates the illusion of more space. Clear all personal pictures. If the front door is worn, paint it an interesting color that is inviting and make sure the path to the home is welcoming.” – Michael L.

“You hope that you will have a lot of people in short period of time, freedom of movement is essential.” - CENTURY 21 Ilford

“Good photos get action. Make sure the lights are on and that you are using a good camera. Don’t use your cell phone!” – Kristy W.

“Everything off the counters! Toilet seats down. Blinds all the way up to show off recently cleaned windows.” – Wayne F.

“Stage with smaller furniture to make rooms bigger and go with light colored furnishings unless the area dictates darker classy designs.” – Peter C.

Find more great tips on our Facebook post, and visit CENTURY21.com for more home selling advice.

Do This, Not That: Tips for Staging Your Home

May 25, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Here are five tips for staging your home:

“Make sure all furniture is about one and a half inches from the wall, this creates the illusion of more space. Clear all personal pictures. If the front door is worn, paint it an interesting color that is inviting and make sure the path to the home is welcoming.” – Michael L.

“You hope that you will have a lot of people in short period of time, freedom of movement is essential.” - CENTURY 21 Ilford

“Good photos get action. Make sure the lights are on and that you are using a good camera. Don’t use your cell phone!” – Kristy W.

“Everything off the counters! Toilet seats down. Blinds all the way up to show off recently cleaned windows.” – Wayne F.

“Stage with smaller furniture to make rooms bigger and go with light colored furnishings unless the area dictates darker classy designs.” – Peter C.

Find more great tips on our Facebook post, and visit CENTURY21.com for more home selling advice.

10 Secrets for Making Your Bedroom Feel Larger

March 25, 2014 By CENTURY 21

In the words of David Bowie, you can make a few small “ch-ch-ch-ch-changes” to make your bedroom feel much larger with these ten tips.

1. Use Light Colored Paint: When Women’s Day author Kim Fusaro interviewed Sabrina Soto, one of Target’s Home Style Experts, she learned to paint rooms light colors because, “light colors reflect and multiply light, while dark colors absorb it.” Colors like “cream, beige, light grayish-blue and lavender” are good choices for making small spaces feel larger. (Women’s Day)

2. Incorporate Mirrors: Wall mirrors help to make a room feel larger, and making an entire wall a mirror, will make a room feel like it is double the size! (Lowe’s)

3. Use Sheer Curtains: Interior Designers at Pottery Barn recommend using sheer curtains to, “create an airy sense of openness.” If you would like opaque curtains for privacy and controlling brightness, “use a double rod to layer opaque drapes over sheers.” (Pottery Barn)

4. Combat Clutter: Clutter makes a room look smaller – combat clutter for once and for all!

5. Use Multipurpose Pieces: Use multipurpose pieces such as an ottoman with built-in storage. Other multipurpose pieces include beds with built-in drawers and benches with space for storage boxes. (Nest)

6. Add Extra Lighting: The team at Lowe’s recommend enhancing a small space by using recessed spot lighting, a torchiere light, skylights, and solar tubes.

7. Use a Monochromatic Color Scheme: According to the experts at Lowe’s you should, “use a monochromatic color scheme on the furniture, rugs, and walls.” They recommend using, “different shades and textures of your single color.” (Lowe’s)

8. Paint the Ceiling: The team at Apartment Therapy suggest painting ceilings a light color because, “Generally a light ceiling will allow your eye to pass upward without distraction and give the impression of a larger space, so a light ceiling will make your room seem bigger.” (Apartment Therapy)

9. Buy Large Furniture: Although it seems counterintuitive, having one large piece of furniture as opposed to a lot of tiny pieces will make the room seem airier. (Nest)

10. Utilize Vertical Space:Style at Home’s expert, Lynda Felton, recommends using vertical space. She explains that, “Whether you’re hanging art or shelves, or placing furniture, don’t let vertical space go to waste. Using it is practical, providing a display space for art, for example, and it also draws the eye up, making a space feel more expansive than it actually is.” (Style at Home)

We want to hear from you! What are your tips for making a room seem larger?

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