There's always things that can be done before the sale or purchase of a new home. Here's just a few of my favorite Real Estate ideas and tips you can use before selling your home or buying a new one.

Setting the Stage to Sell your Home

Your home will sell. There's no question about that. However if you put your home on the market without preparing it for sale, you may have a long wait for an offer. You also may not realize your home’s optimum selling price

You don’t have to turn your pockets inside out when you get ready to sell. There are many fix-ups that cost absolutely nothing except a little elbow grease. These fix-ups can make all the difference in whether your home makes the most of itself.

Here are some of my favorite tips for getting your home ready to show itself to it’s best advantage.

Outdoors

• Spruce up around the outside of the house. Keep the lawn and shrubbery trimmed and the yard free of clutter.
• Clean the driveway and fill in any potholes.
• Put a flower pot on your front porch and keep it watered and trimmed.
• Weed the flower beds and consider putting in some new flowers.
• Repair any broken windows.
• Power wash siding and decks; if needed the whole exterior.
• Repair or consider upgrading porch lighting fixtures.

Indoors

• Clean everything in and out of sight. Shampoo rugs and wax floors. Clean the windows and blinds.
• Repaint all interior walls with neutral colored paint.
• Scale down furniture, artwork and personal photos. Try to create a feeling of spaciousness.
• Keep shades and blinds open to admit as much light as possible, but screen out unappealing views.
• Organize cupboards.
• Keep countertops clear, but not empty (as if unused); adorn them with your favorite canisters.
• Reorganize and add closet shelves to make closets function better and appear more spacious.
• Repair dripping faucets.

Benefit Now and Later

If you fix it up now, you as well as your future buyer will enjoy living with the market smart improvements you’ve made. Don’t forget to save your receipts, as some of these expenses may be used to decrease your capital gains. Your tax advisor can tell you what type of improvements qualify.

The Buying Game

Let’s face it, buying a home is a major expense. But why make it more expensive than necessary? Rogers vast real estate experience can help you avoid some of these common, costly pitfalls.

The Wrong House

One costly mistake is choosing the wrong house: maybe one to big or too small for your future needs, or a fixer upper if your not handy. Avoid this number one trap by working with me to define your needs; what location is suitable, what level of fixing up you want to do, and how much you can afford for maintenance, utilities and everyday life after moving in.

Bidding Blind

Some buyers offer a contract above the true market value of the property or fail to bid on a great value because they don’t know the market. Ask me for a free comparative market analysis to avoid overpaying or underbidding on the home you chose.

Title Trouble Traps

A title search may reveal encumbrances on the property like tax liens, easements, leases or an undisclosed co-owner. Avoid this trap by having a title search done early and buying a title insurance policy to protect your investment in case a problem surfaces later.

Last Minute Defects

During the final walk-through, some serious defects may become apparent that were not noticed before. Avoid these surprises by using an independent home inspector to thoroughly check the house inside and out. Contract settlement should be contingent upon the inspector’s report.

How Roger Can Help

Relax. You can win at the home buying game. Your best first move is to call Roger. I’m here to make sure you succeed and avoid pitfalls like these when buying a home. Whether you a first time home buyer or an experienced real estate investor, you can rely on Roger Palmer to represent your best interest in the purchase of real estate.