Avoid These Mistakes When Selling Your House

Whether you are relocating for work or need an upgrade for a growing family, selling your home often comes with a wave of emotion. With packing and moving on your mind, stressing about selling your home is the last thing you should be worried about. The award-winning agents at Choice Properties are here to help make the process smooth and worry-free. However, there are a few key points to keep in mind when making this transition! Avoid these mistakes when selling your house to make the move easier.

Staying Emotionally Attached

When owning a home for the past few (or many) years, it's natural to form an attachment to a place you have nested and created memories with loved ones. Once you decide to sell, you will have to learn to detach and think objectively about your home's strengths and weaknesses.

Not Making Repairs

It's no secret that most homes need some maintenance or repairs. Most buyers are not interested in purchasing a home that comes with a list of updates. If your cooling/heating system is broken or the roof is missing some shingles, consider repairing these issues before listing your home on the market. Expensive repairs may be deal breakers for buyers but updating small stuff, like a broken door knob or leaking faucet, will leave a positive impression.

Not Staging Your Home

Staging your home is perhaps the most important step when selling. This gives buyers an opportunity to envision themselves in the space, increasing the likelihood of them making an offer. After you've thoroughly cleaned and decluttered, consider whether your furniture arrangements show your home at its best. If your rooms feel crowded, consider donating, selling, or giving away some items, or put them in storage.

Neglecting Curb Appeal

First impressions are everything when listing your home on the selling market. Landscaping and gardening should not be neglected during this time. Make sure the lawn is properly mowed, and even plant some flower to bring color and life to the area. Consider adding a new wreath or doormat to the front porch so buyers feel welcomed and relaxed.

Choice Properties offers you a chance to find the home of your dreams. We work with your budget and ideas in mind to support your ultimate vision. Call us if you are ready to check out the available inventory or to speak with a reputable agent who can assist you with your home buying needs.

Adapt Your Home to its Selling Season for Best Results

There is a home-selling myth that spring is the best season to sell a home. Although spring is the busiest time for real estate, people are looking to buy homes everyday of the year. When making the decision to sell your home in the off peak season, consider adapting your home to its selling season for best results. Emphasizing seasonal amenities will gain the attention buyers who are looking to enjoy every feature a home has to offer. At Choice Properties, we look forward to helping you sell your home during any season, focusing on the home's features and amenities.

Decide Your Selling Season

The real estate market starts to heat up as early as February, since most families are looking to move in the spring or summer. Moving before a new school year and summer vacations is a goal commonly shared, making spring a popular season to buy or sell. Although these are peak dates to sell, not everyone's situation will be the same. Deciding how quickly you need to move will determine the urgency of needing to sell. If your moving dates are flexible, you may consider holding off until early spring for a higher sale price.

Location

The location of your home also plays an important role on when to sell. Early spring and summer are ideal times to sell a beach or lake house, while a ski cabin is more likely to sell in the winter. Playing off the features your house offers will attract the interested buyer.

Staging Tips for Selling a Home

Stage the Outside

With selling a home comes with staging the space, offering a chance for potential buyers to envision their future. Playing off the season will make the home feel welcoming and inviting, such as hanging beautiful door wreaths in the winter or planting colorful flowers in the summer.

Lawn Maintenance

Ensuring your lawn is maintained and weeds are pulled will give buyers a clean perspective on the house. If selling in the winter, consider sprinkling salt after shoveling the driveway and walkways to create a safe entryway. The outside of your house is the first impression buyers will see, so it is important to present a well-cut landscape.

Tidy Up the Inside

When entering your house, guests should walk into a space that is clean, well organized, and comfortable. Be sure to take all factors into consideration, such as welcoming smells, comfortable temperatures, and simple staging. Giving individuals inspiration with how you stage your space helps them envision their own design.

Choice Properties understands your needs and desires when it comes to the home search. We are here to help you define what you want, seek the best property and move forward feeling educated and able to make good decisions throughout the process. You can trust us to help you navigate it with the best real estate agents working for you. Call us to get started on your dream home search today.

 You Should Buy Your Retirement Home Before You Retire

Planning to leave the workforce and retire in five to 10 years can seem a long ways away. Buying a retirement home now can actually pay off in the long term to capitalize on some benefits offered to homeowners. Learn five reasons to buy a home while still fully employed.

Easier Approval for Mortgage

Mortgage lenders evaluate loan applications based on debt-to-income ratio, the total monthly debt divided by gross monthly income. It is easier to qualify for a home loan while earning a steady paycheck. Waiting until retirement to apply for a mortgage can limit the size of loan which can be qualified for with lenders.

Cash Flow

Most people want to make some renovations and changes to a property once purchased. Setting a budget can help plan for the changes. A regular income is nice to have when updating or modifying a home. Working full-time can protect a person financially if major issues are uncovered. Retirement may not afford for life's inevitabilities when it comes to repair work including mold issues or water damage to a property that becomes an unexpected expense.

Get Ahead

To become debt-free in retirement, many retirees decide to rent rather than own. Becoming a homeowner has benefits if the home is bought early. Tackling mortgage debt can put a person in a position to accelerate payments while working.

Long Term Vision

One of the biggest challenges is knowing how to predict expenses in retirement. It is usually difficult to know how much money will be needed for housing. Purchasing a home provides the broader picture of what monthly expenses will look like in retirement and supports creation of a more accurate budget. The largest monthly expense in a person's budget is usually a mortgage. Knowing what payments can be will prove beneficial for long term planning.

Expand Portfolio

Financially if a person is able to carry two mortgages at the same time, it may make sense to buy the home and rent it for a few years until it is time to move. Owning a rental property can help a person retire sooner if the stream of income provides extra cash flow for the nest egg. Tax benefits can also be given for the rental property. It is best to contact the IRS to find out what benefits exist for people who rent out a property. In addition, more money in a retirement nest egg can be set aside for those changes that need to be made to the property or for emergencies.