You can make your home standout from all the other homes on the market in the Salt Lake City Area and spend little or no money doing so. You accomplish this through staging your home; making it appear comfortable, desirable and one that buyers "just have to buy". You must have your home clean, in good repair and properly staged. You can do it yourself or hire professionals. By doing these things you should sell your home faster and for a higher price.

Have pen and paper in hand, as you will be taking notes and making written remarks about the appearance.

Start at the exterior. Park in the street in front of your home and look at it as if you are an interested buyer. Examine the curb appeal. Does it "wow" you or just look to be another house. Do you need to add a few flowers for seasonal color? Is the lawn manicured? Is the mulch fresh? Are the driveway and sidewalks edged? Remember you only get one chance to make a first impression! Next walk around to the backyard and look at the yard itself, decks and patios, spas or pool and the total general appearance. Can you picture entertaining or children playing here? Starting to get the picture? Now go around to the front door. Make sure to note any repairs that need to be made. Also, just as you will be concentrating on cleaning the interior, remember to clean the exterior. The front door casing seems to attract spider webs and dirt. Clean - Clean - Clean.

We had so much fun on the exterior, now let´s examine the interior. As you go through each room check the walls and flooring to see if any repairs or touch-ups are needed.

The most important room on the interior of the home is the kitchen. Make it appear as large as possible. Clean up all the clutter. The countertops should be clear. Allow the buyer to picture where their items will go. Set the kitchen table for two and add a centerpiece if you do not currently have one. Refrigerator magnets are a no-no.

The bedrooms should all have beds made. A few well placed throw pillows will add a pleasing view. Remove or reposition furniture that crowds the rooms. Again remember to de-clutter.

The bathrooms are probably the most important rooms to clean. Make them look new! No one wants to picture taking a bath or shower in a dirty tub or shower. Also no one wants to use a dirty lavatory or sink. Once the bathroom is clean, consider adding a few fragrant decorative soaps or candles. Plush hand towels are a plus.

Many people choose to rent a storage unit to help with the de-cluttering. You may find this advantageous also.

Remember you are looking at your home in the same manner that prospective buyers are looking at it. The more objective that you are means less objections that will come from prospects.

I hope these general tips on staging are helpful to you. As always, I am available to assist my clients with staging their home.

When selling real estate it is of utmost importance that seller’s provide certain information to a buyer in the form of disclosures. These disclosures are legal binding documents and in many instances are required by law. It is equally important that buyer’s provide seller’s with certain disclosures such as any contingencies and ability to obtain financing.

1. I have inquired about the buyer’s ability to obtain financing.
2. I have reviewed buyer’s pre-qualification letter and contacted the loan officer.
3. I have checked to make sure that any personal property that I intend to take with me is not included in the offer.
4. I have reviewed any survey that may be attached to the offer for accuracy.
5. I have provided the buyer with all lead based paint information that I have, and have provided all information that may be required by law, if the home was built prior to 1978.
6. I have checked the seller’s property disclosure statement for accuracy and completeness.
7. I have disclosed to the buyer all defects which the buyer may not be aware.
8. I have provided the buyer with a wood destroying organism report.
9. I am aware as to whether or not a contingency of some kind is involved with the offer.
10. I have reviewed a net sheet which details the expenses of the transaction and provides me with an estimate of how much money I should expect to net from the sale of my property.
11. I have given myself ample time to pack and move.
12. I have filled in or marked not applicable (N/A) all blank spaces in the counteroffer or acceptance.
13. I have read the contract in its entirety and am confident that it contains all the terms and conditions of my counteroffer.
14. I have signed or initialed all applicable areas in the contract.

There are several reasons that a home does not sell and the listing expires. Any one of them or a combination of them may be the cause. Without laying blame on anyone, it is best to examine the most common reasons and adjust the ones that you can.

How many times have we heard "location, location, location." Well let´s face facts, you can´t just pick it up and move it. If your home is not in the most desirable school cluster or is not convenient to shopping or dining you may have a little larger hill to climb. The good news is you probably do not have a mountain to climb. With proper marketing and maximum exposure to agents and buyers your home should sell, it just may take a little longer than you may have hoped.

The one item that every homeowner who is selling can change is the "condition and appearance" of the home. As a seller you should attempt to view your home through the eyes of a prospective buyer. Make the home pleasing to the eyes. Some buyers can not look past clutter. If it appears that your things do not fit in a room, a prospective buyer will probably feel that their things will not fit either. Properly staging your home should help.
 
It is very important to make your home "accessible." If the listing has stated that there is no lockbox or by appointment only many agents will just show other properties. Yes there are agents who will take the path of least resistance. The best recommendation is to make the home as accessible to as many agents as possible.

In today´s real estate environment, technology plays an every increasing part of an effective marketing plan. Many different surveys have been conducted and it is estimated that over 80 percent of home buyers begin their home search on the internet. Every agent that you talk with will tell you that they have a website. Not every agent can tell you how prospects can find their site. Look for yourself. Perform a search on your favorite search engine for realtor or real estate in your city. For example if you live in Duluth, search for Duluth real estate or Duluth realtor. Examine the results. You will see the same results that potential buyers are seeing. Do yourself a favor and visit the sites that are listed. If you like the site, there is a good chance that a potential buyer will like it also and contact the agent.
 
The final item that we will examine is the "price". The reason that we will look at it last is because it should be the last adjustment to be made. Perhaps when you listed your home the agent was overly aggressive with the suggested list price or your expectations were to push the envelope a bit wider than was possible. In either instance a complete and thorough market analysis should clear up the guess work. You should also expect an updated market analysis every 30 days so that you can accurately evaluate your competition and developing trends in your area.

While I hope you have not experienced the disappointment of your listing expiring, I will be happy to meet with you to evaluate you situation and offer suggestions on how to best market and sell your home. Please feel free to contact me.