Tips & Tricks Category
Selling Your Own Home in Media, PA
20 Tips on Selling Your Own Home in Media, PA
I had a man call me one day to say that he was selling his home on his own. He had the home under contract for $325,000. After the buyer did their home inspection, they wanted an additional $5,000 from the seller. The buyer did not use an ASCI inspector. After explaining to the seller what that meant, he told the buyer ‘no’, and the buyer walked from the transaction. The seller called me to list his home. I sold the home in less than a month for $360,000. The seller told me at settlement that I was the best decision he ever made. Before selling your own home, I caution you to consider the following:
1. Do Your Research!
Carefully research information regarding the prices and terms of sales in today’s real estate market. Investigate recent sale prices for properties similar to yours in your immediate area. Then establish a realistic price for your property based on that information. This is most important due to today’s mortgage market and appraisal process in order to keep a sale together.
2. Make A Check List
~Fresh, clean paint thoughout
~Clean windows and window coverings
~Well-manicured lawn and yard
~Plumbing and all appliances in working order
~New or clean carpet
~All sealants (window, tub, shower, sink) in good condition
~Roof and gutters in good condition
3. Fix It Early
Make all necessary repairs and improvments before you begin to advertise your property
4. Offer Options
Meet with local lenders and determine financing alternative for your prospective buyers
5. Know Where To Advertise
Determine which Internet sites, newspapers and home magazines, etc., will best advertise your property. Call them for rates and deadlines.
6. Determine an Advertising Budget
Establish an advertising budget. Prepare a contingency advertising budget in case your home does not sell as quickly as you anticipate.
7. Attract the Right Buyers
Visualize where your buyers are coming from, what interests them, and focus your marketing based on that knowledge. Prepare a professional, attention-getting advertisement that will attract the right buyers to your property. Place your ad in the newspaper(s). Upload your information and photos on all the most popular and high traffic websites.
8. Extend Your Market
Prepare a plan to reach out-of-town buyers who account for a major portion of home purchasers.
9. Post a Yard Sign
Purchase an eye-catching and weatherproof yard sign, intall it in the front of your property. (Be sure to check with your municipality as their are certain restrictions that could result in a fine)
10. Advertise Your Open House
Purchase special “open house” signs and position them in paths that lead from main roads or thoroughfares, through the neighborhoods and to the property. Put these signs out each time you hold an open house (be sure to check with your municipality with these to as some do not allow them at all or for certain timeframes. Also be sure to remove all signs after the open house)
11. List Key Home Features
Prepare a “feature” fact sheet outlining specific features of your home and the corresponding benefits to prospective purchasers.
12. Welcome Buyer
Schedule and conduct open house “weekdays” as well as open house weekends. Make your property more inviting by placing freshly cut flowers in several rooms. You might burn scented candles in the living room, kitchen and baths. The aroma of fresly baked bread or cookies also adds to the ambiance of your property.
13. Be Available
Be available at all times so that you can walk through the property with prospective buyers to answer their questions and offer information about local schools, parks, transportation, shopping, places of worship, etc.
14. Return Calls Promptly
Respond to telephone and email requests for information in a timely manner. Learn how to separate the “lookers” from qualified buyers. Ask for names and phone numbers and be sure to follow up.
15. Keep It Professional
Be prepared to negotiate with the buyer(s) as though you are an impartial third party. Remain calm and refrain from any emotional outburst that might spoil a sale.
16. Be Prepared For a Sale
Obtain all forms necessary for the legal sale of real property such as:
~Deposit Receipt and Offer to Purchase
~Buyer’s Cost Sheet
~Seller’s Disclosure Form. In our increasingly litigious society, it is imperative that all known defects be disclosed to the buyer(s).
17. Financing Options
Determine the type(s) of financing that you are willing to consider, such as FHA, VA, Conventional, Seller Carryback Loan, Conventional Loan with Seller Carryback Second Loan, or a “Wrap Around” Loan. Remember that certain loans have diffent requirements where you may be responsible for additonal repairs.
18. Cover the Details
Negotiate with the buyer(s) all final terms of the sale including price, financing, inspections, date of closing, date of possession and other pertinent considerations.
19. Offer a Walk-Through
Plan a final walkthrough with the buyer before the settlement process is complete in order to resolve and disputes. Have a witness present.
20. Coordinate Your Move
While you are marketing your current property. locate and negotiate to purchase your next home. Attempts to schedule both transaction so that they close simultaneously. In this way, you and the buyer are able to move al the same time.
Questions? Comments? Please use the contact form below!
Easy Recipes For Busy Lifestyles in Media, PA – Creamy Beef Dip
Worried About Getting Something Nutritious on the Table Tonight?
Shirley Booth is an expert cook at well as an top Real Estate Agent in Media, PA. These are recipes she shares with sellers who have busy lifestyles paired with selling a home. “Anything to make my client’s life easier during this time is well worth the effort!” says Shirley Booth.
Please check back often for more easy recipes posted under the ‘Tips and Tricks’ category on www.shirleyboothteam.com
Creamy Beef Dip
1 package of Dried Beef
1 package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 small onion (chopped)
1 stalk of celery (chopped)
1/4 of a bell pepper (chopped)1 packet of Onion Soup mix
Milk
1/4 stick of butter
Sautee dried beef, onion, celery, and bell pepper with butter in a frying pan until veggies are tender.
Pour mixture on top of cream cheese and mix well.
Add small amounts of mil until the misture becomes a soft consistency.
Heat Beef Dip in a microwavable bowl and heat to taste.
Serve with crackers or corn chips! It’s YUMMY!
Please leave us a comment on how you liked this recipe!
ShirleyBoothTeam.com – Your source for homes in Media, PA!
Easy Recipes For Busy Lifestyles in Media, PA
Worried About Getting Something Nutritious on the Table Tonight?
Shirley Booth is an expert cook at well as an top Real Estate Agent in Media, PA. These are recipes she shares with sellers who have busy lifestyles paired with selling a home. “Anything to make my client’s life easier during this time is well worth the effort!” says Shirley Booth.
Please check back often for more easy recipes posted under the ‘Tips and Tricks’ category on www.shirleyboothteam.com
Seafood Stuffed Filet Mignon
1/2 of a Whole Filet
1 lb of cooked shrimp (cleaned)
1 lb scallops cooked and drained
1 lb of crabmeat
2 cans of Cream of Shrimp soup
1 packet of Onion Soup mix
8 oz of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Preheat oven to 425
Cut roast down the center and make cross cut across the top to make a well.
Stuff the well with Aluminum Foil to hold it open while baking.
Place the Filet (aluminum side down) in a deep baking pan.
Top with Onion Soup mix.
Bake until the center reaches a temperature of 160.
Remove filet and turn the oven down to 350.
Mix cooked/drained shrimp, scallops, crab meat, and Cream of Shrimp soup in a sauce pan.
Heat and stir to remove lumps.
Turn filet over, remove foil, and pour seafood mixture in the well.
Heat in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.
Remove and top with cheddar cheese. Place it back in the oven until cheese is melted.
Please leave us a comment on how you liked this recipe!
ShirleyBoothTeam.com – Your source for homes in Media, PA!
Easy Recipes For Busy Lifestyles in Media, PA!
Worried About Getting Something Nutritious on the Table Tonight?
Shirley Booth is an expert cook at well as a top real estate agent in Media, PA. These are recipes she shares with sellers who have busy lifestyles paired with selling a home. “Anything to make my client’s life easier during this time is well worth the effort!” says Shirley Booth.
Please check back often for more easy recipes posted under the ‘Tips and Tricks’ category on www.shirleyboothteam.com
Shirley Booth’s Easy Ham
1 Boneless Precooked Ham
2 Heads of Cabbage (take out core and cut into quarters)
1 Large Spanish Onion
3 Tbsp of Worshire Sauce
3 Tbsp of A-1 Steaksauce
1 Cup of Sweet Vermouth
2 Tsp of Oregano
2 Tsp of Basil
2 Tsp of Parsley
Combine all ingredients in a large soup pot.
Cover and Simmer until cabbage is tender. About 40 minutes.
Please leave us a comment on how you liked this recipe!
ShirleyBoothTeam.com – Your souce for Homes in Media, PA!
How To Get Rid of Hazardous Household Wastes in Media, PA
Delaware County is providing us a way to get rid of our household wastes in a way that is safe to our environment. I don’t know about you but their efforts make me proud to live in Delaware County.
Did You Know…
- Did you know that you can recycle things like Computers, TV’s, Household cleaners, etc…
- If you discard a household cleaner in the regular trash or down the drain, you are polluting the soil and water.
- *TIP*Also, did you know that you can discard latex paint in your regular trash. Yes! All you need to do is remove the lid and allow to air dry OR you can add cat little to dry the paint faster. You can put the dried up paint on your curbside with the rest of your regular trash.
Where To Dispose Of Household Wastes….
Click Here For A ’Printable’ Collection Schedule and More Information on what you can, or can’t, recycle.
Love to recycle like we do? Leave us a comment below on what you do to ‘Be Green’!
ShirleyBoothTeam.com – Your souce for Homes in Media, PA!
Want a Quick Tip To Improve Your Curb Appeal in the Spring?
It is apparent that buyers love Media, PA. Welcome them by having your home ready to charm the pants off of them! Always start with your curb appeal.
Easy Way to Quickly Improve Your Garden For The Spring.
Plant Impatients! These annuals are a great ground cover and have a welcoming effect. They are known for their vast growth and with proper care can blanket dull areas with a stunning array of color. They come in White, Red, Orange, Liliac, Purple, and all different shades of Pink.
Easy Tips to Plant & Maintain
Impatients love rich and loose soil. Dig about 5″ down and plant. They usually only need to be fertilized once a month. Plant them on an overcast day or late in the day if the sun is hot. They love full or partially shaded areas so they are great to use in the darker, drerier areas of your yard. If you plant them in partial sunlight, try to make sure it is in an area that get only about two hours of sunlight a day, preferably morning sun.
Check back often for more gardening tips or contact us for more ways to improve your home for sale! Three members of The Shirley Booth Team are avid gardeners and would love to share our expertise with you!
Do you have any gardening tips? We would love to hear what you have to say. Please leave us a comment below!
ShirleyBoothTeam.com – Your souce for Homes in Media, PA!
How to ‘Curb’ Your Enthusiam and Influence Your Buyer!
Have a Marquee
If you do, your buyer will envision “Dancing with the Stars” You ask who are the Stars are? Well, they are possibly the perennials that you may already have that are desperately trying to get center stage or they may be the hearty cast of characters waiting in the wings at your local garden store. Either way they will add a much needed Marquee to announce the big picture or in other words, your home.
Be Your Biggest Critic
Start by objectively analyzing the ‘big picture’ from the street and be a critic. Those weeds cannot run the show. Trim over grown bushes and low branches that block the ‘picture’. Add dark mulch to the flower beds, but never red mulch.
Don’t Let ‘Your Picture’ Get An ‘R’ Rating
Ignoring your landscape will detract from your value and push buyers away. Buyers always want to do a preview before they call an agent and they will not purchase a ticket if the first impression is a show stopper. Also, do not have your buyer thinking that your property is a Halloween Adventure. We may love those cobwebs in the Fall, but in the Spring they want it fresh and clean.
In This Case, ‘Don’t Break A Leg’
Ok, now you think you have it covered. Wrong! You do not want them to “Break a Leg” before the “Curtain” goes up. Check all walkways and surfaces for tripping hazards.
Get A Standing Ovation
You now have them lining up at the front door, refer to ‘How To Turn Your Buyer On’ and ’8 Low Cost and Effective Ways to Prepare Your Home For Sale‘.
Heed my advice, get applause, and then you (the seller) will be taking all bows.
Contact us for more tips and advice on preparing your home for sale!
We love to give advice but we also love to hear suggestions! Please leave us a comment if you have any advice for other sellers.
8 Low Cost And Effective Ways to Prepare Your Home For Sale
Upgrading the kitchen and bath(s) are still a smart bet, but forego the super expensive, deluxe projects if you are getting ready to list your home. Here are some tips that I give to my sellers to prepare their homes for sale.
1. Freshen Up Your Kitchen Cabinets
Kitchens are very important to buyers. If updating is not in the budget for you, some fresh paint, new hardware, and rollout organizing trays can do wonders. Buyers do ‘peek’ in your cabinets, so make sure they feel like there’s lots of room for their stuff.
2. Add or Replace Tile
By Retiling, you make a room look a lot cleaner. There are stores that offer reasonable tile, so you have to pay only for the low-cost tile and labor to replace a dated backsplash or add a new one. You can do this in your bath as well!
3. Add a Breakfast Bar
When a wall separates a kitchen from a family room, I suggest cutting out an opening to create a breakfast bar. This can dramatically change and ‘open up’ the kitchen to create a great use of space. Consider a granite topped bar that matches your existing countertops.
4. Install Granite Tile Instead of Slab
Buyers love granite, but that can be a very expensive upgrade. Instead, put in 12-inch granite tiles and get very high impact for less money.
5. Freshen Up Bathroom(s)
In dated bathrooms, I recommend putting in a new medicine cabinet, light fixtures, a faucet and possibly a vanity. And instead of replacing the tile, the existing grout can be scraped and regrouted, and can make the tile look brand new. Also, install seamless glass shower doors. A glass door adds a lot of elegance. With all that, you’ve done a bathroom remodel for a much lower cost then a total renovation.
6. Freshen Up the Basement
If you have cement or concrete walls, I suggest you have a contractor fill in cracks with hydraulic cement and then paint with waterproofing paint. They can then add a top coat to add color. Also, paint the basement floor with a good floor paint, which spiffs it up. The basement may not be finished, but it’s no longer a damp dungeon!
7. Add a Room
Look for large spaces that can be enclosed to create a new bedroom for just the price of creating a few walls. Increasing the number of bedrooms for example from 2 bedrooms to 3 can dramatically increase your home’s value. Keep in mind that to be considered a bedroom, there must be a closet and if it is located in a basement, there must at least a 5’ ingress/egress as stated in the BOCA building code. Of course, if you have a walkout basement, you already have your ingress/egress.
8. Replace Light Fixtures
Replacing light fixtures provides a lot of pop for a little money. Keep in mind that having recessed or pendant lighting is very desired by today’s buyer. If possible, have your electrician put it on a dimmer switch to add ambience. Upgrading fixtures is just another way to inexpensively add impact to value.
Contact us for more information on selling your home.
Have an idea about a low cost way to improve your home. We would love to get your input. Leave us a comment below!
3 Important Safety Tips When Listing Your Home For Sale In Media, PA
Follow these tips below to protect your family and your valuables:
We are lucky to live in Media, PA that has such a low crime rate. However, I still stress to all of my sellers to play it safe while their home is listed for sale. Here are three very important tips to remember:
1. All Buyers Must Be Accompanied By An Agent.
Sure, some people may see your sign and take it upon themselves to knock at your front door. Do not let them walk through on their own or give them information about the home. Most agents have their cell numbers on the sale sign. Tell them for more information or to schedule an appointment, to call your agent.
2. Put All Valuables Away.
When you list your home for sale, please put away or better yet, lock up all valuables. Most real estate agents have a comfort level with their buyer but it is impossible to screen every person that wants to look at your home. Most Realtors never leave their clients alone but it can still be easy to slip a piece of jewelry into a pocket. Also, make sure ALL valuables are safely put away during a public open house. If we get a good turnout, it is nearly impossible to keep an eye on everyone that walks through.
3. When Returning Home After A Showing Check Every Doorway.
Agents are responsible for securing a property when leaving however, they may be so intent on showing the property that they forget to lock a door.
Contact us for more great tips when listing your home for sale.
Have a thought about the above information. We would love to hear it! Please leave a comment below.
3 Tips/Trade Secrets To Turn A Buyer On
Want to know what advice we give all of our sellers in and around Media, PA which includes some of our trade secrets?
There is nothing more important, inexpensive, and attractive than the following:
1. Clean
- Always start at the front door since this is the first and last impression. Remove cob webs and scrub the main doorway. A fresh coat of paint on an older door does wonders.
- TRADE SECRET - Spray 9 Multi Use cleaner is a miracle worker on stains/scuffs on walls and baseboards. It is also great at removing fingerprints!
- Scrub sinks, counters, tubs, and really everything in your home.
2. Deodorize
- TRADE SECRET – Have a musty odor in your basement? Buy charcoal briskets from your local hardware or grocery store. Poke holes in the bag and leave in any area of the basement. For larger basements, use two bags. At first, you will need to replace the bags once a week for a few weeks and then less frequent as the odor dissipates.
IMPORTANT * If you use a de-humidifier, put it away for showings. Buyers tend to assume you have water issues.
- Do Not Burn Candles! You never know what scent will be offensive to a buyer no matter how much you like it. They now sell lightly scented ‘flameless’ battery operated candles. This also gives the home a very nice ambiance.
- Do Not Smoke – No one likes being told what to do in their own home. But, I have had countless buyers dismiss a great home just because of a smoke odor.
3. Declutter And Depersonalize – Get Into the Mindset That You Are Moving
- Start Packing – Nothings shouts ‘a home with no storage’ more than a cluttered home. Also, don’t forget your kitchen and bath counters. Counter space is very important to a buyer. For the kitchen, just a coffee pot and maybe a toaster should be left of the counter. Pack items that you do not use on a daily basis. Either stack the boxes neatly in the corner of the basement or better yet, rent a storage unit.
- Remove Personal Pictures and Items – You can leave a few personal pictures but it you have a wall full of personal pictures, it is hard for Buyers to visualize that this could be their home.
Contact us to learn more tips for selling your home.
We’d love to hear what you did to prepare your home for sale. Leave us a comment!
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