Coral Gables is considered as an urban city in South Florida. Being such, it is the middle of commerce and business outside the beach front. The city is relatively little, with a population of not over fifty thousand people, according to the two thousand census , however , the growth since that time in has been substantial particularly in the commercial sector.
The news from the housing industry is that their sector is starting to make a recovery. The housing market have reported an 18 month rise in house prices, and the average amount of homes being sold are double what they were in August 2008. The council of mortgage lenders are saying that the amount of banks granting loans for mortgages has increased by thirty six percent.
Preparing your house for sale is a necessary task if you want to better your chances of an offer being presented. These steps not only can get you a quicker sell but maybe even a better offer. Here is a checklist of 7 things you should do before your house is shown to a potential buyer.
Get rid of clutter – Clutter makes a house look smaller, even if the buyer knows the square footage, it is the visual aspect they will react to. This means you may need to pack up a few things, maybe rent a storage unit. Remember, this includes closets. Everyone is concerned about storage space so keep closets clean and organized.
Make the beds – If you don’t usually make the bed in the morning before you leave for work, you will need to change your ways. Since your agent may want to bring prospective buyers to your house at any time it is best to just make a habit of keeping the beds made. An un-made bed may not be a deal breaker but it can leave a bad impression with some people.
Light – Use natural light as much as possible by leaving your curtains drawn to let in light. Although artificial light may be needed for the interior of the home, it can give off a gloomy feeling.
Clean the yard – Just like the interior, the exterior need to be keep up. Keep the grass cut, clean out any sheds or other exterior buildings as well.
Pet – Although you may have the sweetest dog in the world, plan ahead on how to handle keeping the dog or other pets confined while potential buyers are viewing the home. Some people have aversions to animals, especially inside the home so be aware you may run off a buyer if you let the pets roam free inside.
Smell – Be sure your home does not have any bad smells. Scented candles and other air fresheners can help avoid any problems in this area.
Leave the house – Let the agent do the showing around. The presence of the current owner can leave potential buyers apprehensive about giving the house a thorough looking over and being able to speak frankly about it. At the same time though, be accessible to the agent in case there are any questions which need to be answered.
These days, when buying or selling a home, a home inspector is a must. Since getting a home inspector is crucial in buying or selling a house, here are a few points to consider when choosing the best home inspector out there?
Most states today have licensing board for home inspectors. Inspectors are usually required to complete a substantial amount of training before they can qualify for their license. Along with a license, your inspector should carry insurance to protect himself as well as you.
References from past clients or those in the real estate industry is another way to gain insight about your potential inspector. Also, you may want to check with your local BBB for any complaints. Keep in mind though, that a few complaints does not a mean the inspector is bad. After all, it is hard to please everybody all of the time so be sure to look into the nature of the complaints and judge from there.
Also, ask to get a sample report from the inspector. Some of the aspects of your home which they should cover are:
And the last consideration you will have to make is on the price. As with most things, products and services, cheaper is usually not better. A good, thorough inspection is in everybody’s best interest.
Once you have the report it is best for the person responsible for getting the work done to hire their own contractor or handyman to do the work. If the inspector offers to do the work or have someone they know do the work, the integrity of the inspection is compromised. This is a self-serving act and should be avoided.
Your home is an investment and it needs to be treated as such. Go ahead and do what you want. However, if it is not in common taste you may not get your money back. Therefore, all you need to do is account for it. That really cool pink wood stain may actually cost you more than anticipated.
