November 6, 2008
Home inventories are at an all time high. There is a lot of competition with not only resales but new homes as well. Your home needs to stand out from the competition on the market. You only have one change to make a good first impression. Your home should look it’s best for all showings. I am not saying that you need renovate or update your home. The majority of the things that need be done are small and don’t take a whole lot of time to address. These small things could mean an offer coming in or not. I will go though some things that you can do ensure you home sets a good impression for the buyers that come through.
Starting with the interior of the home.
De-clutter – It’s amazing how much you can accumulate over the years. It happens to most of us. Too much clutter in the home distracts home buyers looking at your home, and can also make rooms appear smaller than they are. Here are a few tips to lighten the load:
- If you don’t need it, why not donate it or throw it away?
- Clean off everything from Kitchen Counters.
- Pack up small items or knickknacks and put them in the closet for showings.
- Think of it as a headstart to packing for the move.
Remove Unnecessary Furniture.
Almost every home shows better with less furniture. Remove pieces of furniture that block or hamper paths and walkways and put them in storage. Since your bookcases are now empty, store them. Remove extra leaves from your dining room table to make the room appear larger. Leave just enough furniture in each room to showcase the room’s purpose and plenty of room to move around. You don’t want buyers scratching their heads and saying, ” what is this room used for anyway?”
Small Repairs.
Making small repairs can go a long way. Many buyers spot small things that are broken and get the impression the home has not been taken care of. Things to address are burnt out light bulbs, loose door handles, marks on the wall, and leaky faucets.
Cleanliness is key. If prospective buyers walk in a home that is not clean they get tuned off quickly.
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Keep the carpet vacuumed on a regular basis.
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Don’t keep dishes in the sink.
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Clean the kitchen and bathroom counter tops.
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Sweep and mop floors when necessary.
The Home’s Exterior and Yard
Now lets take a look at the exterior of the home. Curb appeal is the most important. The front of the home is the first thing a buyer notices when looking at a photo on the web or advertising, or when they pull up to the home. Here are few things to look at in the yard and the outside of the home.
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Keep the sidewalks cleared.
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Mow the grass and keep the bushes trimmed.
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Powerwash the siding if needed.
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Plant yellow flowers. Yellow evokes a buying emotion and marigolds are pretty inexpensive.
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Clean decks and porches.
These are just a few tips to get your home ready for the market. They will definitely help and put you above your competition. You can get more advice on the Affinity Realty website.
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Home Sellers | Tagged: Home Sellers, Home Seller Information, Selling Your Home | 
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Posted by gravescarey
November 5, 2008
For the past several years the use of the internet has increased for home buyers performing home searches. Right now NAR estimates over 80 percent of home buyers are using the internet for searching homes. This has helped the buyers and agents greatly. Virtual Tours and multiple photos are first 2 things that get looked at online. Buyers want to know what the home looks like, how it is lay-ed out, and what the neighborhood looks like.
Many of the buyers in our area are moving here from more than an hour or two away. Photos and Virtual Tour help them prequalify homes and narrow down the search. This helps them key in the homes that fit their needs and criteria. In return saving the agent and the buyer time and fustration looking for the right home. Affinity Realty has a virtual tour on every home we list unless the seller does not want one. We also take as many photos of the listing that we can to post online. Not only of the home it’s self, but the neighborhood and it’s ammenities. Communities are the selling point as well. Some may have pools, tennis courts, community centers, boat ramps, boat slips, and even golf courses.
We use a local company, 360 Visions, for our still shot photography and virtual tours. They use the latest in technology with features like mapping, satellite mapping, and music. They supply us with a links package that makes it easy for us to get the tours on the Internet. We post the tours on the Affinity Realty website, the multilist system, REALTOR.com, and other syndicated websites like Craig’s List.
If you are a seller who has their property listed with an agent and do not have a virtual tour, request one. You are missing out. If you are getting ready to list, make sure your listing agent is going to have a virtual tour on your home. If you are getting ready to sell your home in Sussex County, Delaware let us show you how we will market your home.
Leave a Comment » | Real Estate Marketing | Tagged: Affinity Realty, Lewes Real Estate, Real Estate, Rehoboth Beach Real Estate, sussex county delaware | Permalink
Posted by Graves Carey
November 5, 2008
Now is the time for home Buyers to buy for the following reasons:
- Home prices have come down and, in most cases, can be negtiated to even a lower sale price.
- The selection in all price ranges is at it’s best.
- Mortgage money is available at terrific rates around 6% for a 30 year fixed rate.
- Even if you have to sell a house at a lower price than what you would like, you then buy at a much lower price, too. Put this to your advantage as a Buyer.
- The election is over! Now, when everything is in the Buyer’s favor, there is no reason to wait any longer. Go to the Affinity Realty Property Search page and take a look.
Leave a Comment » | Home Buyers | Tagged: Affinity Realty, Home Buyers, Lewes Real Estate, Rehoboth Beach Real Estate | Permalink
Posted by Paul
November 5, 2008
Affinity Realty has moved to the Creekside Profession Center just east of Peddler’s Village. We have been in our new office for only a month, and so far we have received really good feedback from our clients, friends, and vendors. This has made us certain that we have made the right desision. The new location is very convenient for the Angola homeowners, yet still within reach of the Lewes and Rehoboth Beach areas as well. Angola has been without a real estate brokerage for about a year now. We hope to fill that void.
Many of you know about Affinity Realty, but for those of you who do not I will give you a little history. We are a locally owned real estate brokerage that opened our doors almost 5 years ago. The company is young most of our agents have years of experience. Our slogan,”Working Together for Your Best Interest!” is what we live by on every transaction. As a smaller brokerage, we feel that we are little more personal with our clients. Smaller doesn’t mean you receive less though. We employ as much technology and resources as the larger brokerages. Visit the Affinity Realty site and you will see what a great marketing and resource tool it is. We also market all our listings with virtual tours and multiple photos.
Thank you for stopping by our blog. Please visit as often as you like, and feel free to post a comment, or send us message in topics you would like to hear about concering the market, or any topic on real estate.
The next time you are driving by our office, stop by. We love to see you. Here is the address:
Creekside Professional Center
20684 John J. Williams Hwy, Suite 4
Lewes, DE 19958
(302) 947-2800 or Toll Free: (800) 995-4789
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Posted by Graves Carey
