Should I use a realtor, and why?

I don’t write blogs too often, but I thought I had to share an experience with all the sellers out there to explain why it is crucial to get an experienced realtor when planning to sell your home.

I am sure all of you have heard most of what to do when you want to sell your home, (If not, there is a list attached) and you believe nobody can teach you another thing. And so it happened with a friend who bought, fixed and sold many homes before, and it was time to do it again. They called me in to assist with advice on how to get the home ready, and as it was a friend, I walked the whole home, gave my 2 cents worth on what needs attention. They were only planning to put it in the market a few months later so I did not go into too much detail, thinking we can do that piece by piece as they plan on doing the upgrades. I tried keeping in touch to get feedback on progress, but without too much joy. Next thing I see, they listed the house with a relative who just got his license, and as it’s family, I fully understood, but here comes the situation I actually wanted to talk about.

In our first meeting I also gave them the price after doing some market research and could hear they didn’t agree with my assessment. Needless to say, they listed about $40 000 over market value, and did not do half of the upgrades I suggested. After about 2 months and no buyers yet, they decided to take some of the advice I gave in the beginning, and repainted and put new floors in the home. Now if I was their realtor, I could advise them of current trends in the market, and color schemes to go with.. but I was not their realtor, and the next pictures I saw was the saddest thing…. They went with colors that was fashionable 10 years ago!  It is now 4 months later, and I am sure they can’t understand why the house is not selling. By now they dropped the price twice already and is on the price I suggested in the beginning, but as you all know….it is too late. They lost all the buyers that might have decided to buy the house if it was priced right from the start.

All I can say is, get an experienced realtor! Not your cousin, aunty, sister’s husband’s brother, or anyone else in the family. Don’t mix business with pleasure, or rather something as important as selling your home with an inexperienced family member. You will always have it in your mind that you know better if listing with a family member…..And I am sorry to say, you are not a realtor, so not a good idea!

Tips on getting your home ready to sell are below, and please feel free to call me for current trends in the market.

l Edge, mow and fertilize the lawn. Reseed sparse areas.

l Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees. Cut back overgrown shrubbery.

l Reseal cracks in foundation, steps, walkways, walls and patios. Power-wash the exterior.

l Clean and align gutters and downspouts; clean the chimney.

l Remove oil stains from driveway and garage. Keep walks and driveway swept or free of ice.

l Wash the windows inside and out.

l Hire a cleaning service to thoroughly clean the interior.

l Paint the walls and ceilings off white or beige.

l Repair cracks, holes and damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.

l Replace damaged windowpanes, moldings and woodwork.

l Repair drippy faucets and showerheads. Unclog slow drains.

l Shampoo carpets, scrub and wax linoleum or wood floors.

l Clean out the fireplace and lay some logs in it.

l Mend torn screens. Clean out all window tracks.

l Replace burned-out light bulbs. Use brighter light bulbs.

l Renail creaking boards or stairs; lubricate squeaking doors.

l Clean all appliances (especially refrigerator and oven).

l Replace old toilet seats and shower curtains.

l Clear all cobwebs from corners and doorways.

l Wash all light switches, handrails and doorknobs.