17 Inexpensive ways to make your home sell faster

With all of the competition that is in our Madison market, heck every market, why not put your best foot forward when it comes to easy and inexpensive fixes you can do to your home to make it more ready to sell.

1. Paint or stain the front and garage doors, especially if they show any weathering. These are the first visuals where a potential buyer focuses. If garage doors are metal and dented, they may need to be replaced.
2. Any old, basically abandoned sheds or small structures, must be removed, the area graded and the grass replaced.
3. Change any dated, outside light fixtures.
4. Fix that driveway. If it is blacktop, make sure cracks and crumbling areas are dug out and filled and then the whole driveway sealed. If it is cement, have large cracks filled and repaired professionally. The buyer must at least feel they can drive the moving truck in confidently!
5. Make sure landscaping bricks are in their proper placement. Mowing, weed-whipping sometimes moves them and this is something the homeowner rarely notices, but makes the property look unsightly.
6. Fill in bare dirt under large shade trees. Plant shade-tolerant plants in defined planters or groundcover. Landscape properly for that area.
7. All landscaping beds should be cleaned out and updated for the time of year it is in your region. Place new bedding material down.
8. Have trees and bushes pruned and trimmed. If a bush or tree is looking old or about to expire, remove it and replace it with a similar size and type if you can. If there is a tree limb(s) over the roof, have them removed.
9. If the house needs painting and a full paint job is not in the cards; have it touched up professionally in the worst, most visible spots. Paint shutters and fix them if they are hanging crooked. At least this may help get your client in the front door, even if they negotiate a full paint job into the sale later.
10. If the house is sided, have it power-washed and have gutters and windows cleaned. Window cleaning inside and out makes the house feel updated and fresh, rather than old and dingy.
11. Make sure grass is in good shape, weeds are removed, trimming done regularly. So many sellers fall down on this job the minute the house is listed, and this is critical to selling a house quickly, especially one where the owners have already moved out. In snowy climates, removal must be done regularly too. If owners have moved out, make sure you have an HWA Home Warranty to re-assure buyers.
12. Keep garbage and recycle containers inside the garage, along with all toys and equipment. Make sure the garage is neat and organized. Painted walls and floors also go a long way in this area and are inexpensive to do.
13. Decks should be washed and repainted or re-sealed; plantings around them cleaned, weed-free and looking good. Patio furniture should be in excellent condition. Even though it is in the backyard, this is the area where the family can envision enjoying the warm days and the new yard.
14. If the roof has missing shingles and they can be replaced inexpensively, suggest this be done as it may save negotiation over a completely new roof. Roof repair needs and costs should be minor or the homeowner might as well replace the entire roof.
15. If the homeowner wants to do a bit more, suggest solar lights lining the driveway or installing a more attractive front door with lead glass inserts and replacing plain doorknobs with something more custom.
16. If you have an evening showing, make sure lights are on outside and inside the house. This is warm and inviting.
17. If it’s a holiday season, by all means decorate the home! Just like sugar cookies or vanilla scent on the inside of the house, this really says “it’s a home” and I can see myself enjoying life here! In the least, always have some greenery or flowers for the season on the front step or porch; even a birdbath with a little garden around it says home.

Remember, buyers usually can't invision your home if all they can think about is the flaking paint around all of the windows and garage. After you are done, have friends and family make a final walk through of your home. This will make sure that there are no more areas for a buyer to be distracted by. Make it attractive and it will sell faster and for more money!

Happy buying and selling!
Charlie

Wisconsin Economies: Are We Affected by Mortgage Problems

In the January addition of Wisconsin Real Estate magazine there is a great article showing how localized real estate really is. A new report issued by the U.S. Conference of Mayors states that the "fallout from the mortgage crisis will be minimal in Wisconsin compared to much of the rest of the country". Even though the economy is declining, the decline is not coming from Wisconsin. Most of the major metropolitian areas in Wiscosin are projected to have product growth. They are Appleton (2.7%), Eau Claire (2.8%), Fond du Lac (3.1%), Green Bay (2.9%), La Crosse (3.1%), Madison (3.4%), and Milwaukee (2.5%). They also believe that west central and northern Wisconsin are not expected to lose any ground due to the mortgage crisis.

Wisconsin's, especially Madison's, economy is diversified and continues to grow at a steady pace. Our economy has historically been very even. This keeps Wisconsin from booming in a really good market and a bubble from bursting in a bad market. As projected by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue the"higher growth rates in Madison, Appleton, Green Bay and La Crosse metro areas" will offset any slower growth in other regions like Milwaukee and Racine.

Facts:

• Wisconsin's foreclosure rate is half the national average.
• Wisconsin consumers have an above average credit score and lower debt levels.
• Wisconsin technology, and other business sectors, are expanding and creating wealth.
• Export sales are up 50% from 2006 numbers.

Overall, the economy will be strong and with interest rates at near historic lows, the real estate market is projected to be a good year. What a great Buyer's market in 2008!