Kristin and I are very demanding of our home sellers before it hits the market. We have them clear the clutter and organize their closets and cabinets. I wish I had the discipline to do this in my own house, but I never seem to find the time. This is one of the best blogs on how to organize and de-clutter that I have read. I am so inspired that I am going to take the rest of the afternoon off and get started on clearing the clutter in my own house.
Not everyone wants to spend part of a Monday in an attorney’s office, but in the real estate world it’s a great day! This week started off with the closing of one of our listings, a wonderful young couple off to pursue their dreams at the beach. 
I had helped them find their home in Charlotte less than two years ago, and while they loved their house and neighborhood, a business opportunity at the beach was too enticing to pass up. It would normally be very difficult to sell your home after less than two years to cover the cost of selling, but this couple covered their costs and more. How did they manage that? A lot of sweat equity and some smart renovations.
Their house had great bones when they bought it, but needed some updating. Vintage 80’s wallpaper covered the walls in many of the rooms. Removing the wallpaper, scraping the popcorn ceilings, and painting took lots of time and elbow grease, but just look at the result. The master bathroom was original 80’s as well, and the new owners wisely decided a renovation was in order. Just look at the result. 
Doing the updating, making a smart bathroom renovation without over-improving, were exactly what this couple needed to do to put themselves in a great position to sell their home in a very short amount of time for a great price. They were also smart enough to hire us to list it, knowing that we use a professional photographer for every listing, offer staging advice, and use multiple methods to market their home. They were under contract in one day with multiple offers. If you are thinking of selling your home contact us to discuss how to get the maximum possible price for your home.
It’s no secret that the two most critical rooms in a house when trying to sell it are the kitchen and the master bathroom. Buyers will overlook many flaws in a house if it has an updated, functional kitchen and a spacious master bath. 
We are currently working with a seller on prepping their home for the market and while looking for ideas for the master bath I came across the following from Houzz. Disclaimer: I am a huge Game of Thrones fan and this post is for my fellow fans.
Spring in Charlotte is a beautiful time of year. The trees are budding, flowers blooming, grass is green, and the weather is generally spectacular. It is also the busiest time of year in real estate. I am generally so busy that I don’t have time to go through my closet and switch out my heavy winter clothes for lightweight spring ones. Instead I pull everything out piecemeal and soon I have a real mess on my hands. I tried to attack my closet this weekend but quickly became overwhelmed. For years I have been talking about coming up with a plan to organize my closet. I have all the contacts I need, whether I want to plan it myself and hire a handyman for the install, or if I want a turn key operation. After reading this great blog post on Houzz on custom closet design I am going to put my money where my mouth is and do it!
The real estate market in Charlotte is extremely hot right now. The median Days on Market for the areas in which we work, the Ballantyne and Arboreteum areas, is 16 days. 
So why do some homes sit on the market, while their competition is consumed by a feeding frenzy of competing buyers? It all starts with hiring the right real estate agent to list your home.
Choose carefully in selecting a real estate agent to sell your home.
A great photographer is a real estate agents best friend. We use Cal Mitchner of Charlotte Virtual Home Tours
Many sellers love their home. It may be their first home that they put a lot of sweat equity into, or where they raised their kids, or where they spent the last days with a departed partner or spouse. While this is generally very emotional for the seller, a potential buyer attaches no sentimental value to your home. Buyers willing to pay top dollar are looking for an updated, move-in ready home. You need a real estate agent who will be honest with you about your home’s potential and what needs to be done to prepare your home for the market. If a real estate agent is only telling you what you want to hear then they are probably not being as honest with you as is necessary to get your home sold for top dollar. Interview agents until you find the one that is honest and willing to put themselves out there for you. We hope that agent is us.
Homes sales in January fell by 10.6% in the Charlotte metropolitan area over January 2015 according to the Charlotte Area Realtors Association. The main reason for the drop is the lack of inventory. Inventory of available homes in Mecklenburg county is at a 1.9 month supply, compared to a 3 month supply in January 2015. A stable market is considered to be a 6 month supply, anything below that is considered to be a seller’s market. The median sales price increase of 7.8% over last year support this fact.
But what does mean for the average home seller? Will buyers come beating down the doors once the home is on the market? Some home sellers seem to think so, and are pricing their homes high with little preparation or upgrades. These homes are generally sitting on the market. While inventory may be low, many buyers are willing to wait for the right house at the right price.
From our Sold listing in Ardrey. Photo courtesy of Cal Mitchner.
Homes in high demand areas that are properly prepped for sale are going under contract very quickly, sometimes with multiple offers. What do we mean by properly prepped? Clean, neutral paint, free of clutter, including rooms with too much furniture, and updating light fixtures. These are things that won’t break the bank but make your home attractive to buyers.
When Kristen and I consult with clients on preparing their home to go on the market, a big focus is usually on removing the clutter. Almost everyone has some type of clutter in their homes, whether it’s as simple as a pile of magazines to closets bursting with clothes. Many of us know we need to do something, but the task is overwhelming. I might spend a token hour here or there going though my possessions, but soon lose my inspiration. I found this great article on Houzz that discusses different philosophies or methods for clearing clutter.
I particularly like this idea from Mindy Starns Clark, author of The House That Cleans Itself, says: “My technique for clearing clutter is based on the understanding that every possession you own, from the tiniest button to the biggest couch, consumes a piece of your time — time to clean it, store it, move it, fix it, lose it, find it, wash it, wipe it and on and on. The more things we own, the more time we sacrifice to that ownership. Thus, when decluttering, ask yourself, ‘Is this item worth the total time investment that owning it requires?’ If it is, then keep it. If it isn’t, then get rid of it. It’s that simple — unless the item also carries an emotional component.” Check out the full article here:
It’s a new year and the gyms are packed. Everyone is wanting to get in shape for the spring or just trying to have a healthier lifestyle. That’s great, but why not resolve to get your house in shape as well? One way to do that is to look at your home as if you were a buyer seeing it for the first time. Does your home have curb appeal or is your landscaping overgrown? Is there any rotten wood or does your home need a fresh coat of paint?
What is the first impression when you walk through the front door? Have you changed the décor since you originally moved in? Are your kitchen appliances twenty years old? Do you have too much furniture? Do you have organized closets and decent storage? Be honest and make a list of what you fix or update if you were planning to sell your home and do some of the work now.
For example, I love my house, but a prospective buyer would most likely be disappointed at the relatively small closets and lack of storage. I know that I need to make effective use of every inch of space. My plan for this year is to have closet organizers installed and add shelving in some dead space in one of the bathrooms. I can help free myself from clutter and I will have turned a negative into a positive when I sell my house in the future.
Go online and check out some of the sold homes in your neighborhood. How do they compare to yours? Do they have granite in the baths while you still have the standard white cultured marble? Do they have newer appliances? Do they have a lot of hardwood flooring or new carpet? How is the landscaping?
Almost every seller wants top dollar for their home. They often have to make changes in order to get that price. Many of the changes made are ones that the seller thought about in the past but never got around to making. Why not enjoy the updates now? Ones that will stand the test of time? If you are unsure of what updates make sense then contact us and we will be happy to offer our opinion.
One of our listing photos courtesy of Cal Mitchner of Charlotte Virtual Home Tours
