Selling your home in Tamaqua? Think like a buyer

When you’re getting ready to sell your Tamaqua home, it’s time to step back and look at it with different eyes. Instead of glancing over all the things that are familiar to you, without taking in the details, stop and look with the critical eye of a buyer.

 

Start with space.

You can’t change the size of your rooms, but you can make them feel and look more spacious by removing all but the essential furnishings. This is true for the living room, bedrooms, office, and any specialty rooms you have.

 

Then look at the counter space. It’s time to clear it off, both in the kitchen and the bathrooms. Put away everything that’s been occupying space and replace it with one tasteful decorative piece – such as a vase of flowers.

 

Everyone wants and needs storage space, so go there next.

Take a critical look inside the cupboards and built-in drawers. If you’re like most of us, they contain things you never use, or at best use only for holiday dinners. So get out the boxes. Set up a box for things to be packed and moved to your new home, a box for donations, and a box for things that need to go in the trash.

 

You know about those things. Unless you spend all of your time keeping your house clean and neat, you’ll find interesting things in the kitchen - like a bent fork, a saucepan with a broken handle, and a grocery ad from last month.  Your bathroom shelves may house jars whose contents have long since dried up, outdated over-the-counter medicines, and even lotions or shampoos that you simply don’t like.

 

In the bedrooms, purge the closets of all out-of-season clothing, items that no longer fit, and things you purchased two years ago and have never worn. Pack the out-of-season clothing and put the rest in your donation box. You won’t believe how good that will feel!

 

If you have built-in shelving anywhere in the house, minimize the contents.

 

It’s fine to have book shelves full, but shelves that hold photos and decorative odds and ends shouldn’t look like the shelves in a thrift store.

 

Speaking of photos – it’s time to put family photos and your trophies, awards, etc. in the packing boxes. You don’t want anything sitting out that will detract attention away from the house itself. It sounds strange, but some buyers will look at all the photos to see if they know anyone.

 

Garage space is important too…

So instead of stacking all of your packing boxes there, rent a storage unit. Then take everything out of the garage that isn’t needed from day to day. Think of seasonal toys and tools, extra tires for the car, boxes of holiday décor, and that motorbike you’re going to rebuild someday.

 

Once you’ve cleared the space, it’s time to fix and clean.

Again, view each room – and each space in each room – with the eyes of a critical buyer. If you were seeing these rooms in a house you were considering, would you be attracted or repelled?

Most of us live with a few things that need to be repaired. It might be something as small as a cracked switch plate or as large as a torn door screen. Either way, it’s time to make those repairs.

 

Then scrub everything from the floor to the ceiling. Remember the light fixtures and the top of fans. If you’re short, so you don’t see it all the time, remember to check the top of the refrigerator. Make sure your windows sparkle and let in plenty of light.

 

You may find that some rooms need a fresh coat of paint in order to look clean and inviting. If so, get them painted.

 

If you have drapes, they may need to go to the cleaners. Carpets may need to be professionally cleaned, and if you have pets, you might want to shampoo your upholstered furniture while you’re at it.

 

Don’t forget the bathroom. A dirty tub, shower enclosure, toilet, or vanity sink is a huge turn-off for buyers. If you use a shower curtain, now is the time to buy a new one.

 

When you’ve finished indoors, go out to the curb and look at your house and yard.

Will a buyer think it looks inviting? Or does it look like you need to get busy?

 

If you need help…

 

If you need help with cleaning, painting, moving heavy items, or taking care of yard work, give me a call. I have a list of reputable people who would be glad to assist.

Stage your Tamaqua home to appeal to the most likely buyer

As you prepare to list your Tamaqua home for sale, talk with your agent about who the most likely buyer will be.

 

While agents aren’t allowed to discriminate – even based on age or family make-up – potential buyers are likely to seek a home in a neighborhood filled with people much like themselves.

 

Neighborhoods with young families, for instance, appeal to couples with young families. They can envision their children having playmates and themselves having friends who share the same activities, hobbies, and concerns.

 

Some retirees (not all) may want to locate in a neighborhood filled with more mature residents. They’re also likely to be looking for a home with the master bedroom and laundry facilities on the main floor.

 

The size and floor plan of your home is another indication of your most likely buyer. If yours is a rambling 5 bedroom home, your buyer probably won’t be a young, single man.

If you have a two-story home with all the bedrooms on the second floor, your buyer will probably not be a retiree or a couple with a new infant.

 

If your agent also represents buyers, ask about your target group’s most-wanted features. Discuss what your most likely buyer will be looking for – and what will make them dismiss your house from consideration.

 

Once you and your agent have determined your most likely buyer and what they’ll be searching for, it’s time to meet with an experienced stager.

 

If yours is a neighborhood filled with young families, but your own children are grown and gone, your stager might suggest staging a now-empty bedroom as a nursery or child’s room. If your most likely buyer is a millennial, you’ll want to de-clutter intensively and remove that beautiful floral wallpaper in the master bedroom.

 

Why does staging matter?

Careful staging matters because it draws attention to the best features in your home and because it suggests the ways in which various rooms could be used. For instance, if you have an unused bedroom and plan to market to millennials, you might want to install exercise equipment to suggest using the room as a home gym.

 

If professionals are your target, you may want to stage an unused 4^th bedroom as an office.

 

An experienced stager will work with you and your agent to emphasize the features and possible uses that those in your target market want most.

 

When you list your Tamaqua home with me, I’ll help you determine your most likely buyer. Then I'll be glad to furnish you with a list of expert stagers who will help you make your home appeal to those buyers. 

Want to attend open houses in Tamaqua without your agent?

You’re out running errands or going for a Sunday drive around Tamaqua and you see an open house that looks interesting. You’d like to go in, but you don’t want to call your agent and ask if he or she can come right away.

 

What should you do?

Go ahead and go in, but first, find your agent’s card and take it in with you. When you greet the agent in the house, say that you’re working with an agent and present the card. They may still want you to sign in, just so they know who was in the house, but you won’t be getting calls offering to show you more homes.

 

As you tour the house, decline to answer questions about what you’re looking for, why you’re moving, when you need to move, etc. Should you decide to make an offer on the house, you don’t want to have given away your bargaining position by letting the agent and the seller know too much.

 

Instead of answering questions, ask your own questions about the house. If they’ve given you a flyer, use it to make notes about things you like or don’t like. If you absolutely love the house – don’t say so. If you start looking like this is the house you “Must have” your bargaining power will vanish.

 

Don’t touch – and make sure that your children don’t touch. You don’t want to be blamed for anything being broken or lost.

 

Ask permission before taking photos.

 

Listen. You may overhear conversations between the homeowner and the agent, between the neighbors, or between two agents. You might learn about the seller’s motivation or about problems with the house or the neighborhood.

If there ARE neighbors present, strike up a conversation. Ask them questions about the neighborhood and why they like living there. Ask if there are community events. Ask if there’s a Homeowner’s Association. If yes, get their opinion about how it’s run. While you’re at it, tune into your vibes about them. Would you enjoy having these people as neighbors?

 

If you do love the house and want to make an offer, call your own agent as soon as you get back to your car.

Time is always of the essence, and you may not be the only one who fell in love during the open house. You may want to meet with your agent and write that offer before the day ends.

 

Why not just deal directly with the listing agent?

Because as a buyer, you do need someone protecting your interests. Remember that the listing agent works for the seller. It is his or her job to get the best price and terms for the seller – not for you.

 

Your buyer’s agent will help you determine whether the list price is fair market value, will make sure you have all the proper disclosures, will help you negotiate, and will guide you through the issues that can arise between agreement and closing.

 

If you’re ready to begin the search for a home here in Tamaqua, call me. I’ll be happy to help you find the home you’ll love.