Competency
Market Knowledge
Communication
My Experience

Under the program, the buyer’s Realtor and seller’s Realtor each receive an e-mail asking for their client’s e-mail address when a for-sale property listing’s status is changed to “sold,” according to HAR’s Web site.

“Asking clients to evaluate their Realtors in a number of areas enables our members to easily gauge what they’re doing well and identify areas of improvement,” HAR Chairwoman Vicki Fullerton said in a statement.

In areas like Citrus and Hernando County, an out of town Buyer may have difficulty finding an agent they enjoy working with. Perhaps this is a way to help resolve that potential issue. CENTURY 21 Alliance prides itself on having the finest agents in both of these Counties.

1. Clear out all the spider webs and replace the door mat, it makes a world of difference.
2. If the front porch has vinyl railings, give them a good scrubbing, a car washing cleaner works well. If the railings are wood, consider giving them a fresh coat of paint or stain.
3. Place some potted flowers or plants by the front door.
4. Clean up the front door, or give it a new coat of paint.
5. Consider changing the hardware on the door.

Remember that the front entryway is the place where your potential home buyers will be spending a large amount of time waiting for the door to open.

Before you put your home on the market, ask your agent to update the evaluation that was done on your home before you listed it. If the price range has changed, adjust the price before you place your home on the market. The best time to lower your price is as soon as you learn the price is too high. So, keep a close eye on the market, this will ensure that you are offering a good product at the right price.

First thing you should do is clean up your home inside and out. Many buyers will drive by your home first to see if they like it. Make sure that your yard is cleaned up and that any noticeable repairs that need to be done are taken care of. Replace any torn screens, pressure wash the home, cut the grass and trim back the weeds. You want to entice the drive by buyers to want to see the inside of the home. The interior of your home also needs to be organized and cleaned up. After you have everything cleaned up to your satisfaction, have a friend stop by and pick out the things that you may have missed, four eyes is better than two! Make sure that your home has that warm cozy feeling. Potential buyers want to come into a home and feel like they don’t want to leave it.

Make sure that you have answers to the questions that the potential buyers will ask. “How old is the home, the a/c, the roof, do you have any plumbing issues?” If you have any repairs that need to be done, make sure that you take care of them before you put your home on the market. Buyers today want to move in right away, they don’t want to spend time making the repairs to the house that are necessary. Sometimes it takes a little money to make money. In the tricky market of today, be prepared to negotiate. You will increase your chances of selling your home if you place a reasonable price on the house and work around it.

Here, in West Central Florida your deck is subject to all kinds of different weather. The best thing you can do is keep your deck looking brand new by applying a heavy duty waterproofing sealant that is fade resistant and pressure clean your deck at least once a month. These few steps, will insure that your deck doesn’t get dull and dingy.

If your deck is already in trouble, fixing it up is something most people can do on thier own. Clean off your deck and check to see if any of the wood is cracked. If any wood is cracked, you’ll need to sand these areas down. After all the cleaning and sanding is done, add some stain. You have the choice to change the color at this point, or keep it the same. After the stain is dry, apply a few coats of sealant to give it a great shine. Having a beautiful deck is always a great selling point to new home buyers.

Certain Faux Finishes are a bit too complex to do yourself, but others are simple, easy and very attractive. One faux finish that I have done personally that is inexpensive and simple, was done with an old tee shirt. Pick the room that you would like to paint and purchase a medium shade and a lighter shade of paint that are the same color. I used an olive green and a lighter green. Paint the walls of the room with the medium shade of paint and be certain to cover all areas of the walls making sure that you tape off the electrical outlets and the ceilings. Wait 24 hours until the paint is dry. Start with the upper right hand corner of one of the walls and roll on the lighter shade in a “M” pattern. Make your “M” about two feet by two feet. Then take the tee shirt and get it nice and wet and dab the “M” into a nice pattern that still shows the medium shade paint as well. This will create a sort of “cloud” effect. Repeat this pattern until the wall is complete working in 2×2 sections. This faux finish leaves a nice soft effect.

By spending a little extra time working on the exterior of your home your can make those homebuyers feel welcome enough to want to come inside. The next time you come home, stop and look at your house as if you were seeing it for the first time. Take notes of the things you think you can improve. Make sure the windows and the gutters are clean, pressure wash any dirty sidings or dingy decks, (If you don’t have a pressure washer, you can rent one pretty inexpensively at most home improvement stores) and kill any mold or mildew you see on the house, roof, driveway and sidewalks.

Take note of the landscaping, how does your lawn look? If the lawn needs some extra work, start with spraying it down with weed killer and water it regularly. Keep it mowed down and edge out the sidewalks and driveway. Remove any weeds you see creeping up from cracks in your concrete or bricks. Rake and dispose of any leaves and trim back some of your tree limbs, especially those touching the roof of your house. If you don’t have any flowers in your yard, consider planting some. Flowers can really add to the curb appeal of your home.

Another quick way to add some curb appeal is with some lighting. It will also give your home a safe feel. Check out the front door. Changing the hardware or adding a brass knocker can really add to the appeal of the home.

Giving your home some curb appeal can be inexpensive and fun. It will make all the difference in the world when trying to sell your home in West Central Florida.

Line your walkways with a variety of different types of flowers, this will not only add color to your front yard but can also bring in hummingbirds and butterflies. Start a flower bed and design it by size and color. Flower beds can be fun to design, there are so many things that you can add to a flower bed to make it unique. Add a bird bath, a bench, lay some stones down for a pathway, the additions to a flower bed can be endless. Plant trees in your front yard for shade and privacy, but take note of the size of the tree at full growth. You wouldn’t want to plant a large tree to close to the house or the driveway. Some trees have roots that can do some real damage to concrete structures and underground pipes.

Start an herb garden by the front door. Herbs are not only aromatic, medicinal and useful in cooking but some herbs have beautiful flowers that can add a unique beauty to the front entryway. Add a solar powered lamp post to the front yard. Lamp posts not only light up the yard but can be very decorative, as well.

Get rid of the clutter. Make the rooms of the house look spacious and clean. Pack away the things that you won’t be using anytime soon, or donate them. I’ve found that after I donate a large amount of items to a charity, in a month’s time I can’t even remember what I donated. Clean out your closets. You want to show buyers the most amount of storage space that your home provides. Turn any little nook and cranny into something functional, special features are something that buyers will remember.

Create a relaxing setting with soft colors. If your doors and baseboards look old, give them a fresh coat of white paint. This will make your whole house look cleaner. Get rid of those blinds, window treatments are an easy and inexpensive way to change a rooms look. Put away most of your small kitchen appliances and leave your counter space clean and clear, less is more. Place a bowl of fresh fruit or a vase of flowers in the kitchen. Clean out any bathroom cabinets so they look spacious and neat, buyers do look at those. Clean up any tile grout that needs it, bleach and water usually does a great job with that.

Now that your home is ready for selling, it’s time to get with an agent and get that home on the market.

Between 85-90% of all potential buyers start looking for homes online. Why wouldn’t they? They can browse through a multitude of homes and find out all the particulars and never leave the comfort of their office chair. A picture paints a thousand words and buyers love to look at them. Browse through some real estate web sites in your area. Look for agents that market homes in the fashion that you would want your home marketed in. See if the agent is easily accessible by phone or email. Take note if they respond to your calls quickly. Is the agent pleasurable and easy to talk to? Do you feel like the agent has your interest at heart? After taking the first step towards finding the right agent for you, the rest of the journey to selling your home should be easy.