If you are thinking about selling and wondering if it would be better to wait until spring, here are few reasons why it may make sense to list now:
- There are fewer homes for sale which means less competition for your property.
- There may not be as many buyers out looking but those who are house hunting are serious buyers.
- Prices are expected to appreciate 5% over the next year (CoreLogic). If you are moving to a higher priced home, it could cost more if you wait.
- The process will be quicker as lenders and appraisers are not swamped this time of year.
If you feel it’s time to move on with your life then it may not be worth waiting for the spring market. With proper pricing and enhancing your home for maximum effect, a house will sell regardless of the month. Give me a call to get the Better Homes & Gardens The Milestone Team advantage any time of year. Donna Forest 603-526-4116, www.DonnaForest.com, Donna@DonnaForest.com
Want a higher price and shorter time on the market for your home? You should be staging your house by adding decorative touches and updates. Here are a few “To Do’s” before going on the market:
- Have your Realtor go room to room making suggestions for improvement. Ask them to be honest and be prepared for constructive criticism.
- Pay attention to the kitchen. Put away cookbooks, utensils, excess cooking machines, etc. Put new hardware on the cabinets for a quick update. Clean off windowsills, organize cabinets.
- Update bedrooms and baths. Buy new bedcovers. Add a new shower curtain with matching towels. Clear off countertops, nightstands, and dressers.
- Boost curb appeal with fresh mulch, potted flowers, add new exterior lighting, and paint the front door.
Remember, first impressions count. If this sounds like too much for you to attempt, there are professional staging companies in the area that can do as much or as little as you’d like. Simple changes can have a big impact on the appeal of your home. Contact me if you’d like more advice on selling. 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com
Selling your house can be scary: It’s been your home, where you’ve lived and made memories. Chances are good it’s your most important asset and your biggest investment so far. Wrestling with the emotional heft of putting your home on the market is a difficult byproduct of real estate — but once a closing date has been set, the hard work is done. Right?
Actually, it’s not uncommon for sellers to feel pangs of regret when a buyer gets serious. If you’re feeling remorse for your soon-to-be-former home, don’t panic: You’re far from alone.
“When you’re selling a house, you’re not selling an object,” says Bill Primavera, a REALTOR® in Westchester County, N.Y., and “The Home Guru” blogger. “A house provides shelter and is probably the biggest thing we ever acquire, so it has a bigger impact on our life.”
The Origins of Seller's Remorse
Moving is one of life’s biggest stressors. According to Daryl Cioffi, a Rhode Island counselor and co-owner of Polaris Counseling & Consulting, it’s one of the biggest instigators for depression.
“There’s a lot of latent stuff that happens when change occurs,” Cioffi says. Are you feeling insecure? Are you wondering if you made the right decision? Those feelings are normal reactions to change — but when they get tangled up with the sale of your biggest investment, they can be downright terrifying.
Related: 9 Feelings That Are Totally Normal When You Sell Your Home
Here are some things you can do to help you manage the emotional roller coaster that comes with selling your home:
Do the Emotional Work Beforehand
Doing the emotional work before it’s time to sell is the best way to avoid regret.
“Look at the flaws of what makes it not the perfect home for you,” Cioffi says. Is it just too small for your family? Does your Great Dane need a bigger backyard? Ask yourself, “How can I close this chapter?”
That doesn’t mean you have to develop negative feelings toward your current home. You’re just trying to remind yourself of why you decided to move on.
Here's how to cope:
“Begin the detachment process by saying: ‘This works for me now, but it won’t work for me forever,’” Cioffi says.
Once you’ve processed your reasons for selling the home, give yourself space to grieve the house you’ve loved and the memories you’ve made inside its walls. It’s OK to be sad you’ll never step inside your child’s first bedroom again; conversely, that’s not a reason to stay in a home forever. You can even have fun with your grief. Why not acknowledge your feelings by throwing a goodbye party for your house?
Focus On the Future
Working through your feelings early will make the selling process smoother, but even if you spent time grieving before putting your home on the market, it’s still normal to feel some pangs of sadness during closing. While it’s easy to tell yourself you’re overreacting, getting past remorse isn’t a simple process.
How can you do it? Say goodbye to your old home and prepare yourself for what’s next. If you’re still feeling remorse after the sale has gone through, don’t overthink it: Even if you did make the wrong decision — and chances are good you didn’t — it doesn’t matter. The deed is, quite literally, done.
The next step is distraction. If you’ve already moved into your new home, throw yourself into fixing it up. Redo the shelving in the kitchen. Start a garden. Primavera recommends taking your mind off of homes completely by picking up a new hobby or exploring your new neighborhood to find fun activities, like yoga or pottery classes.
“Keep your mind focused on what’s ahead,” says Cioffi. “The fact is, it’s done. Now what? Look forward and focus on how you can make this new place something to be excited about.”
If you’re still having problems adjusting to your new life, your old home might just be a stand-in for bigger problems: Perhaps a depression worsened by moving, or it has triggered anxiety about your life in general. A long-term struggle to resolve your grief indicates you should speak with a professional counselor about your situation.
Cioffi says a good therapist will help you answer the questions, “What’s going on that you can’t let go?” and “What’s keeping you from moving forward?”
No matter how deep your seller’s remorse may be, uncovering the reasons behind it and focusing on the future are the best ways to let go of the stress of leaving a former home behind. Give yourself time to get used to the change and focus on creating new memories. After all, the happy life you had in the home you sold was the reason you loved it so much. Someday, with a new set of memories made, you’ll love your new home just as deeply.
By J
is a writer and editor with a focus on home improvement and design. Previously, she worked as a web editor for “House Beautiful,” “ELLE Decor,” and “Veranda.”
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the National Association of REALTORS
Selling and in the throes of packing and moving? Below are some helpful tips to help get through those final days so you don't end up creating more work for yourself at the last minute.
1. Don't leave personal items unless the buyers agreed to it. While you may think you are doing them a favor by leaving that sofa and bar stools, the buyers could view it differently. You don't want to be coming back to remove things right before the closing. Always check first.
2. Leftover paint, tile, and cleaning supplies. All useful for the new owners, right? Again, confirm that buyers want it left. It's not that easy to get rid of this stuff at the eleventh hour.
3. You may be closing in a week, but you still need to maintain the yard. Having buyers pull up to a house with foot high grass to do their walk-through inspection could be contentious.
Thinking of selling? Contact me and put my 23 years of real estate knowledge to work for you! 603-526-4116, www.DonnaForest.com, Donna@DonnaForest.com.
If you want to sell your home faster and most likely for more money, consider hiring a home stager. Home staging is not decorating or interior design. It is the act of preparing and showcasing a home for sale to attract buyers. A home should be merchandised and marketed just like any other product, but somehow this is woefully overlooked by most sellers. Staging is a proven marketing strategy - staged homes present and show better, they sell lifestyle and emotion, and they don't give buyers a reason to offer less money. Buyers are willing to pay a premium for a move in home.
Professionally staged homes stand out above the competition and also photograph better - a key component in online marketing. It's hard to make the mental leap from this is your home to now being a commodity on the market.
Stagers are trained professionals who understand exactly what is needed to get your property prepared for sale. Bottom line, it is money well spent to properly prepare a house for sale. Contact me for more useful tips if you are thinking of selling. Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com, 526-4116
There are common mistakes many sellers make when they go to sell. As a professional with over 23 years of experience, here are my top 5 picks sellers should avoid.
1. Overpricing. It's the kiss of death in any market. Be realistic in your pricing.
2. Not getting the house ready to sell. Don't expect to sell if you have done nothing to prep it for the market. De-clutter, update, paint, repair, the list goes on. Ask your REALTOR what you need to do before putting it on the market.
3. Being emotionally attached. Yes, your house is your home - except for when you go to sell. Your house is now a commodity that is competing with other properties for a buyer.
4. Not trusting your REALTOR. Listen to and solicit advice from your agent. We do this for a living day in and day out; take advantage of our knowledge.
5. Ignoring lowball offers. Don't be insulted with a low offer. Set emotions aside and view it as a starting point for negotiations.
If you are thinking of selling, then contact me. As an Accredited Seller Representative Specialist, I can provide you with invaluable advice on getting your house sold. 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
Not all remodeling projects deliver the same bang for the buck when it comes to resale. If you are planning to sell soon and think renovations will increase the value of your home, then some research might be in order. While most renovation projects do increase the price of a house, the increase is almost always less than the cost of the project. The 2017 Cost vs Value Report points out of the 29 projects they tracked, the payback was an average of 64 cents to the dollar. Curb appeal projects such as changes to doors, windows, & siding, generated higher returns than interior projects. Cost and value vary dramatically depending on where you live. The hotter the market, the bigger the payback. In New England, the project with the highest return was adding attic insulation where 86% of the cost is recouped. The lowest return is a bathroom addition at 47%. The biggest advantage remodeling has is it increases the appeal of your home to buyers. A gleaming state of the art kitchen will sell a house more quickly than a home with an outdated kitchen and old appliances. Contact me if you’d like more advice on how to cost effectively prepare your house to sell. Donna Forest 603-526-4116; www.DonnaForest.com; Donna@DonnaForest.com
If you are thinking about selling but plan to wait until spring – you may want to reconsider. Redfin (an online real estate company) analyzed 7 million home sales over the past 4 years and divided the data into 4 seasons. They evaluated which season was best for listing a home according to the 2 most common goals for sellers; selling over list price and in the shortest time. Spring was the best time to list a home, but just barely. And surprisingly, winter came in a close second.
“Among spring listings, 18.7 percent of homes fetched above asking, with winter listings not far behind at 17.5 percent. While 48.0 percent of homes listed in spring sold within 30 days, 46.2 percent of homes in winter did the same.”
If you plan to sell, hibernating until spring may not be in your best interest. Contact me if you want to find out how to take advantage of getting a jump on the selling season! 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
The process of selling your home can be a tough one. You’ve spent a significant amount of time staging it and even scrubbed every room top to bottom. It’s in immaculate shape, but what may surprise you is that your behavior also plays a vital role in the way potential buyers feel. Here are the 5 etiquette rules every seller should know to ensure that her or his home is showcased in the best possible light.
1. Leave Your Home During Showings
When there is a showing, it is important to leave your home and let your real estate agent do their job. Although you’re dying to see the reaction potential buyers have to your home, remaining there will make them feel uncomfortable. Removing yourself during a showing also allows the buyers to more easily visualize living there themselves, which is a huge selling point.
2. Take your pets with you
There is nothing more distracting than a barking dog or playful kitten running around your home during a showing. In addition, potential buyers could be allergic, and animals in the home may deter them from buying. Provide your buyers with a comfortable, stress-free experience when viewing your home by removing your pets. From caged to uncaged companions, take them with you to ensure that you don’t alienate potential buyers.
3. Provide parking
Keep your home warm and inviting by providing buyers with quick and convenient parking options, if possible. It’s important to move your vehicles in order to make it easy for visitors to park and view your home. There is nothing more frustrating than parking issues, and if someone has to park far away just to view your home, they may skip the event altogether.
4. Provide important documents
Many potential homebuyers will have questions about your home. Since you won’t be there to answer them (if you follow the first rule of seller etiquette), you still want to be able to answer all questions quickly and effectively. This can increase the chances of receiving an offer, and make the potential buyers’ experience more enjoyable. Leave all necessary documents, such as the inspection report, home warranty, monthly bill information, proof of repairs, appraisal, and such, with your agent. These are all things potential buyers may want to see. Most states offer a Seller’s Disclosure that is provided to all interested parties before an offer is made. It is important to have that filled out as best as possible for all potential buyers as well.
5. Be patient
You may have countless showings before your home is sold. It is important to be patient with every buyer who walks through the door. You’re eager to know how the showings went and what the prospects thought of your home, but it can take some time for buyers to process what they’ve seen before making an offer.
Reprinted from www.bhgrelife.com
No one wants to spend money on a home they aren’t going to be living in, so when it comes time to prep your house for the market, you may wonder what kind of fixes will bring the most value to your home without breaking the bank. Consider making these five fixes to help your property sell.
1. Paint the walls
A bucket of paint doesn’t have to break the bank, and can make a world of difference. Tone down any vibrant wall colors and spruce up the other walls with a fresh coat of neutral paint. Avoid any tones that are intense and dark to ensure that your home appeals to the widest range of people.
2. Make repairs you’ve been putting off
If you’ve been working on some simple home repairs that have yet to be finished, or you know of some necessary maintenance needs that have to be handled, now is the time to take care of them. The buyer’s home inspector will find these issues anyway, so you’re better off fixing them now without holding up offers you could be getting in the meantime. In addition, it is not uncommon for a buyer to revoke an offer if the home inspection report comes back with an abundance of safety concerns and needed repairs.
3. Change up the flooring
Changing the flooring may seem like an expensive “fix,” but it doesn’t have to be. If you have a wood floor, re-stain it. If you have old carpeting, hire a professional cleaning company to make it look brand-new again, and replace any old, torn vinyl flooring. You also have the option of adding an area rug onto old flooring or carpets. Floors take up a huge part of the home, and if they are stained or dated, potential buyers will take notice—and more importantly, they will be turned off.
4. Install new countertops
Similar to the prior fix, this one can sound a little pricey, but as you’ve probably heard before, the kitchen and bathrooms are the main selling points of a home. If you’re serious about selling your property quickly, you may want to consider updating these areas with new countertops. Get rid of the laminate, and opt for natural stone, quartz or solid surface countertops. Buyers will notice.
5. Hire a stager
You will be amazed at how moving around some furniture can completely change the aesthetics of your home. Hire a stager, and let his or her expertise bring more value to your property, and a higher number than your asking price. It’s key to hire an experienced stager who has an excellent track record, and an even better portfolio, to ensure that you reap all the benefits.
With a few fixes, your home will be ready and primed to be put on the market. If possible, space these five fixes out over the course of a couple months prior to listing your home, and the renovations won’t feel like a major investment at all. With these small but effective tweaks, now you’ll be in a great position to sell your home and move on!
Reprinted from www.bhgrelife.com
Teamwork from the Team that works –Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team