Selling a House After you've decided to move or upgrade to a new home, you must deal with the reality of selling your Huntington Beach house. We said "house"- and not "home" because you don't sell a home. You live in a home. You sell a house. From an emotional perspective - this is important to keep in mind. You've decided that you are not going to live here anymore so it is now just a house… an asset that you must dispose of. Often, home sellers attach a lot of emotional value to their house and are unable to arrive at an asking price that will insure a quick sale. This emotional process pushes the price up near or above the top of the price range for the local real estate market. Unfortunately, this causes a significant loss of interest with the local population of "buying Real Estate agents" -agents with clients in hand who are potential "quick" buyers for your house. If your listing agent is a professional, they will promote your house to all the real estate agents in the Huntington Beach area after they take your listing. Initially, when your house comes on the market, there is a lot of excitement generated by the new listing. There is usually a flurry of "previews" and "open house" events for your property. If you house is seriously for sale… and priced right, all the "buying" agents will show your house to their current portfolio of prospective buyers - if your house fits their buyer's needs. This means that your best chance to sell your house comes quickly, right after you've first listed it. This is because an "accumulation" of hungry buyers are going to be exposed to your property. Why are they hungry? Because they still haven't bought a home and most of them have already seen all available real estate in the Huntington Beach area. Your house is new and it may be just what someone is looking for. Also, there may be buyers who are just about to commit to another house when they are suddenly exposed to yours. If your house has a slight "edge" over the one they are already close to buying - in many cases, they'll switch their buying decision to your house at the last minute. Because they are "ready to sign" - you'll grab or "steal" the home sale. Keeping this psychology and "one time" market condition in mind -don't blow your best chance to make a quick sale. If your asking price is unrealistic, that is exactly what will happen. The "ready" buyers will (or maybe will not, under the control of their agent) be exposed to your home and simply write if off as overpriced and unrealistic. Don't forget that everyone wants a "good deal." If you don't offer that "good deal", you'll end up as "old inventory" only getting exposed to the occasional new buyer coming into the area - even if you lower your price later. Something you should watch out for, however, is the agent that promises you a sale price at the top of the market. This is a gimmick to get the listing. It is unlikely that your listing agent will be the one who sells your house. The "real" buyers are, most likely, the agents who have a portfolio of home buyers they are trying to locate a home for. They are not stupid - and know a mediocre or even poor value when they see one. Most of the time, after previewing your home, if they feel it is overpriced - you'll never even see one of their buyers. So there you will sit, with your "highly valued" home - and no one willing to buy it. You are selling a house. Price it to sell! As cold as it sounds, dispose of it. What is the best way to prepare a house for sale? First, regard it as an investment that you want to make a profit on. This means that now is not the time to remodel the house. Save the money for your new home. That said, there are still things you can do to make your house "show well." We suggest the following: If this neighborhood has campers and RVs are parked along the curb and driveways, there may be days when they all have to be off the street. Let your listing agent know about this so previews and open houses will be scheduled on those "no street parking" days if possible. Tune the landscaping and outside irrigation plumbing for a low cost exterior touchup Make sure all exterior faucets are functional and do not leak. Fix breaks or obvious deterioration in your fences. Scrub the driveway and fill large cracks. Check to see that outside lighting works. Insure that all outside electrical outlets work. Clean them up and try to brighten them a bit without electrocuting yourself. If you need to touch up the exterior paint and finish, don't repaint the house unless your agent tells you that the house won't sell without a new paint job. Check to see if there is any obvious deterioration of the roof such as missing and broken shingles. These can be replaced easily and inexpensively. Inspect and clean exterior window frames, rubber insulation and screens. Hint - clean up the tracks and grooves as well. They get filthy easily - but make a great impression when they are clean. Not much money involved here - but a lot of elbow grease. Put your kid to work. This is one they can handle. Tell them that they will get first pick of the bedrooms (after you, of course) in your new home if they help out a lot. Sliding exterior glass and screen doors. Same advice. Clean 'em. Clean the grooves and make 'em shine. Check under eaves and along the base of the house for obvious water damage and cracks. This may be a tough one. If it's bad - you may need to spend a little money- but, again, check with your Real Estate agent for advice on current practices and how it will affect your chances for a good sale. Visually inspect cable TV connections for obvious deterioration - ditto for broadcast reception antennas. Clean them up and repair as necessary. Make sure your garage door opens easily and as quietly as possible. A quiet garage door is rare - and always makes a great impression. If you are leaving the washer and dryer - clean them up and make sure the hookups look new and functional. Inspect your water heater for obvious leakage and clean up what you can. If your water heater is almost finished - and looks it - this could be one situation where a replacement is in order. A new water heater will cost several hundred bucks - but could also be a "deal killer" if the new owners catch it. Trust us! They aren't going to tolerate a cold shower in their new home for one minute. For more information, call: (714) 724-4663 Mobile