3 Common Charlotte Home Seller Mistakes | Thoughts from the Buyers’ Perspective

Showing homes this beautiful Charlotte weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to pick the brains of savvy buyers with regards to home SELLING!  Yes, because both sets of buyers are also sellers, we discussed seller strategies that just didn’t seem to be working for some of the homes that we viewed.

Here are our thoughts on three of the biggest seller mistakes that we saw:

1.  Pricing:  Why do sellers continue to price homes as though they were on sale at WalMart?  Here’s an example of why you don’t want to use ‘999’ –   These particular buyers are searching in the $700 – $800,000 price range.  They’re savvy buyers; they do their own searches and work very little from a pre-set search that I’ve created for them.  I jokingly call them ‘rogue’ buyers but, they still get the job done and some just prefer their own means of searching.  As we were driving past one of the homes that I had sent them, I pointed out that this particular home could be a good fit and that it was priced at $699,000.  At this point, it was too late to schedule a visit and my buyers had already agreed upon another home but, their comment was, “Had they just listed it at $700,000, it would have been at the bottom of our range in which we were searching and we’d have taken a look at it while we were in town!”  BINGO!

Sellers, THOSE are the buyers that you want–those who are searching and find YOUR home at the BOTTOM of their range!  If you’re not SEEN at the bottom of their range, they miss your home!  The internet sites, where the VAST majority of buyers find their new home, do not allow ‘odd number searching’ – the searches are clean, even numbers.  $599,000  $600,000  $699,999 $700,000 $799,990 $800,000

Why would you risk losing your most promising buyer pool?

2.  Condition:  Before you priced your home, did you compare it to others in your community or area?  Just because a home that is the same square foot size, that is also in tip-top condition is priced for $750,000, yours may not compare!  Is your kitchen upgraded?  Are your bathrooms updated?  Have you added hardscaping to your backyard?  Have you finished the basement in your home?  These things ADD value and without them, your home just doesn’t compare.  If you haven’t upgraded, you MUST price your home to reflect the lack of upgrades.

3.  Staging:  Buyers are not searching for homes based solely upon the neighborhood or the design of the home but, they’re also focused on size.  How much space do the main rooms have that they can work with?  Our buyers felt that some of the homes that boasted the square footage and the large room sizes that they needed online, proved to be a disappointment when they viewed them in person.  The homes that were noted as ‘too small for our needs’ were FILLED with large pieces of furniture–some wall-to-wall furniture.  The oversized furniture completely prohibited the visualization of you home, leaving these buyers feeling that your home did not meet their needs.

If you’re planning a move, you’re going to have to pack your belongings away anyway--so, why not go ahead and show off the space that you have by eliminating larger pieces of furniture that make your rooms look smaller than they truly are.

I can tell that the master suite is 20‘ X 23’ but, I am not the one who is buying your home.  With the enormous furniture, doggie crates and baby equipment in the room, my buyers felt that the master was just too small for them!  No amount of explaining and attempts to visually place THEIR furniture convinced them.  These buyers immediately fell in love with a well-staged, sparsely furnished home with a SMALLER master suite based upon the square footage!

Pricing, condition and staging your Charlotte home are top contenders for buyer critique during the home shopping process.  To be the one that the buyers fall in love with, you must pay special attention to all three!

If you’re thinking of selling your Charlotte home, give me a call at (704) 491-3310 or email me at Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com!  I’m happy to walk you through the process and discuss getting your home SOLD!

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/3-common-charlotte-home-seller-mistakes-thoughts-from-the-buyers%e2%80%99-perspective/#ixzz1fA4QOKtW

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Redefining Market Value When Selling Your Charlotte Home

Has your home been on the market far too long?  If so, there's a strong chance you're not living in Realityville.

Here are a few things that your home ISN’T:

• The value isn't what the tax assessor says it is
• The value isn’t what your two-year-old appraisal says it is.
• The value isn’t what a similar-sized home that sold across town was.

Your home’s value is only what a buyer is willing to pay you today for your home.  Trust your agent when he or she tells you that you've overpriced your house;  believe me when I say, we’re not trying to procure a quick sale for that quick commission check.     We KNOW the dangers that may happen should your home linger on the market for an extended period of time.

Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate

Debe Maxwell, CRS, Realtor®/Broker
SAVVY + COMPANY REAL ESTATE
1920 E. 7th Street
Charlotte, NC 28204
Mobile: (704) 491-3310
Fax: (704) 353-7014

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Charlotte Home Seller Tips | 7 Easy Steps for Improving Your Charlotte Home’s Curb Appeal

As a seller preparing to sell your Charlotte home, you may be busy emptying closets and painting interior walls but, don’t forget about the outside.  Remember the old adage, “You only get one chance to make a first impression?”  Well, this is your one chance!  Many sellers tend to forget about the outside of their homes.  Home buying is emotional and, like many emotional reactions, it can be heavily impacted by first impressions.

Here are some suggestions on how to encourage love at first sight by increasing the curb appeal of your Charlotte home:

• Repair the Front Walk – The very first thing that people notice as they’re walking to your front door, is the walkway.  If you have crumbling cement or stepping stones that slide deeper into the mud with every raindrop, check into updating the front walk so that it is inviting, safe, and weed-free.
• Paint – If the paint is peeling on the outside of your house, potential buyers go in wondering how well your home has been maintained. Spending a little money before you put your home on the market will get you a better sales price and quicker purchase.  If you absolutely can’t afford to paint the whole house, at the very least, the shutters and front door must be freshened up.
• Tidy up – You may be so used to seeing the crumbling stack of firewood by the garbage cans and the old paint cans by the shed that they fade into the landscape.  However, potential homeowners WILL see the mess.   As you look around the outside of your house, think about what you can throw away or put out of sight.  The broken swing on the tree actually takes away from the grandeur of that old oak.  And, please, remove those garden gnomes–all buyers are not as partial to them as you may be.
• Trim Everything – If the hedges under the front windows of your Charlotte home are so unruly that they cover the windows, it’s past time to find the clippers.
• Power-wash decks so they look fresh.  You may want to consider staining them (or repainting, whichever the case may be) if they look too weathered.
• Clean the gutters – Tiny maple trees growing in your gutters scream “Water damage!” to potential buyers.
• Landscaped beds – If your green thumb is actually brown, and your garden sports a post-apocalyptic motif, hey, that’s okay!  If that’s the case, consider the wonders of mulch.  It covers up that patch under the oak where the grass won’t grow. Buy a few simple plants and mulch around them to achieve a calm canvas on which gardeners can imagine more complex plantings, while those with challenged gardening skills can envision easy maintenance.

The theme of all these tips is to create an image of your home as a place of order, calm and cleanliness; a place where prospective home buyers feel comfortable and cozy.  This common theme lends itself to having buyers fall in love at first sight with your home--the interior is icing on the cake!

Whether you’re ready to sell or need more information before taking the plunge, I can help. Give me a call today at (704)491-3310 or email me at Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com.

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/7-easy-steps-for-improving-your-charlotte-home%e2%80%99s-curb-appeal/#ixzz1eJL6bLa0

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Charlotte Home Seller Checklist

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/for-sellers/sellers-checklist/#ixzz1ZmVqzkNu

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Five Quick Fixes that Will Pay Off Before Listing Your Charlotte Home for Sale

Almost every Charlotte home could use some remodeling here and there, but if you’re thinking about putting your house on the market in the near future, you’ll also need to consider investing in updates that will provide a return. So, before you list your Charlotte home for sale, below are a few quick repairs to spark motivation for a sound investment and encourage a speedy sale of your Charlotte home.

• Flooring:  Consider refinishing hardwood floors, if they haven’t been done in a while; it’s worth the investment. Carpet should be in great shape. If not, replace it with a new neutral color. Also, make sure there aren’t any noticeable cracks in tile floors.
• Kitchens:  Consider updating your countertops.  You can also refinish cabinets with paint or stain, if they’re looking old and tired.  If nothing else, a few dollars worth of drawer pulls will go a long way to sprucing up the look of your kitchen.  Finally, consider replacing a worn-out faucet — it’s easy, and most home owners can probably do it themselves.
• Paint and wallpaper:  Remove that wallpaper.  Even buyers that like wallpaper will hate yours — it’s just a fact of life.  Also, make sure every room looks freshly painted.  Most buyers want a finished house, not a bunch of projects.
• Roof:  Consider replacing your roof, if it needs it.  You’ll get most of your money back, and your house will sell a lot faster.  Buyers will likely move on from properties needing large repairs.
• Exterior:  Patch cracks in the cement, plant flowers and replace dated door hardware.  These are all inexpensive fixes that will pay off with a quick sale for more money.

If you’d like a professional opinion on which updates you should make for the best return on your Charlotte home this summer, call me or email me today!

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Preparing to Sell Your Charlotte Home?  It’s Time to Clean!

Need to spruce up the curb appeal of your Charlotte home for sale?  No matter what style of home you’re trying to sell, you’ll never get buyers through the door if their first impressions make them want to drive right past.

Whether it’s those dead pansies still adorning your front porch, the extended family of yard gnomes or simply some bushes gone wild, anything detracting from your property’s curb appeal will automatically make buyers view the rest of your house in a negative light.

Here are 5 tips to improve the curb appeal of your Charlotte home for sale:

• Clean things up - Make sure your yard is mowed, leaves are raked and the kids’ toys are put away. You might have learned to overlook the mess and clutter that comes with a busy and active family but, don’t expect your buyers to do
  the same.

• Stage the outside - This means that you need to de-clutter, depersonalize and put your flock of pink flamingos into hibernation. Also, you’ll need to remove dead flowers and store personal accessories like deer statues out of sight.

• Update your front door – You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on a new storm door, but a new brushed nickel door handle and a little paint will go a long way towards making your house appear fresh and up to date.

• Hit the lights - Even during the daytime, turn on your exterior lights. It will make your house look bright and cheery, especially if it’s raining.

• Address all of those small projects – Touch up exterior paint, fix bits of broken trim, put in the new mailbox and repair that loose shutter.

If you’ve completed all these tips, then there are always more ways to give your property a facelift. Give me a call or email me if you need help making an outdoor to-do list for your Charlotte home for sale.

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/clean-up-for-your-charlotte-home-for-sale/#ixzz1T07oSvmP

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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Charlotte Home Seller Tips:  Direct Correlation of Days on the Market With List-to-Sales-Price Ratios

This morning while reading J. Phillip Faranda’s post regarding a compelling reason to price your homes properly from the very beginning, I was anxious to pull our own data for the Charlotte real estate market to see how our sellers were faring.  I routinely create market absorption trends for local communities but, his post spoke volumes regarding the list-to-sales price ratio as they directly relate to the days on the market for his area.  Curious as to how Charlotte was faring with regards to longevity vs. quick sales, I began to pull Charlotte’s data.  It was truly eye-opening for some of the individual neighborhoods in Charlotte.

Sellers, if you truly wish to sell your homes in a timeframe that will not only increase your list-to-sales price ratio but, also reduce your carry costs, this market data should demonstrate the effectiveness of pricing it correctly from the very beginning.  With the increased supply of homes on the market, pricing has become more of a factor in selling Charlotte your home than location ever did.  The bottom line:  With a smaller buyer pool coupled with the increased supply, pricing is more critical than ever before.

If your home sits on the market over 120 days, you’re likely to average as much as 5% less than your already-reduced property!  Here are the stats for Charlotte proper, Mecklenburg County, single family homes only:

Here is a graph that I routinely use to show that over-pricing a home initially can have an impact, not only on the longevity on the market but, on the seller net.

If you need help pricing your home to sell it in a timely fashion, give me a call or email me today.  I’d love to help you get your Charlotte home SOLD!

Read more: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/charlotte-home-seller-tips-direct-corelation-of-days-on-the-market-with-list-to-sales-prices/#ixzz1RCNYDsd5

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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SELLER TIPS:  Points to Ponder on Your Offer to Purchase for Your Charlotte Home for Sale

You’re represented by a Realtor® (hopefully), who can skillfully walk you through your purchase Offer but, when dealing with a purchase Contract for your Charlotte home for sale, you need to look carefully within the document for a few things before you sign on the dotted line.  Your Realtor® and/or attorney will be able to point out glaring deficiencies, inconsistencies or other things not in your best interest.  However, the more you know about the purchase Contract yourself, the better chances you have of getting a good deal on your Charlotte home for sale.

Here are a few points to ponder that are contained within your Offer to Purchase:

Closing Date
Sometimes a buyer may want to wait a month or two before actually taking over the Title of your home.  You want to check the Closing date against your own schedule and make sure it’s an acceptable date.  Don’t be inflexible--remember that in this highly competitive real estate market, you need to be willing to negotiate on the closing date – unless, of course, you don’t have a choice.

Property that is to Remain with the home
Contracts range in terms of what fixtures are included in the Offer and what personal property the buyer wishes to remain with the home.  In a few cases, the contract entitles the buyer to everything on the property.  In other cases, the Contract entitles them to nothing more than the attached (ceiling) light fixtures and electrical socket covers.  Carefully read over what the buyer expects to remain with the home and make certain that you agree.

Contingencies
This is a biggie!  The factors a buyer may want in place before the contract is finalized may or may not be more than you’re willing to deal with.  For example, the buyer may want an inspection even before signing, or they may want to sell their own home before taking title of your home.  They may want the contract reviewed by their lawyer or they may still be waiting for their mortgage to be approved.

The problem with contingencies is they can drag on much longer than you initially expect them to.  To be safe – even if you’re okay with the contingencies – set a reasonable time limit for the contingencies  to be accomplished.  This way, your sale doesn’t drag on forever without ever making it to Closing, nor is your home off of the market for an extended period of time.

In the case of the inspection before Contract--I say, let them have at it!!  Your home will not be taken off of the market and this will give your buyers reassurance about their purchase AND you can then negotiate all points up front--and not the finer points of the Contract, THEN a couple of weeks later, the repair request as a result of the inspection! 
*Note:  I also highly recommend a pre-listing inspection.  EVERYTHING goes smoother with either a pre-listing or pre-Contract inspection! 

Expiration Date

Finally, pay attention to the expiration date of the Offer to Purchase. You may have eight hours or eight days to accept, reject or counter the Offer to Purchase your home.  Pay careful attention to how long you have to consider the Offer for your Charlotte home for sale.

If you’re trying to sell your home and need a knowledge agent on your side, I can help. Call me or email me at for more information.

 

      

  Charlotte NC Homes for Sale

 (THE best Charlotte home search available - no kidding!)

Debe Maxwell, CRS/Realtor®/Broker
Broker@TheCharlotteScoop.com
Phone (704) 491-3310

     

  

 

    

      

       

 

         

   

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