Tag: selling home

Does Anyone Buy or Sell in the Fall?

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If you think “Back-to-School” and the upcoming foliage season signals an end to the Vermont real estate market, then let’s dig into the “fall market” mentality. To understand where we are in the calendar let’s recap where we’ve been. Vermont has it’s own “timing” for real estate sales. You’ve heard that spring is the best time to sell. We call that the “spring market.” For us, that starts when the snow stops, usually by mid-April. If you plan to put your house on the market before mid-April you may end up with “snow photos” rather than “spring photos.” Then, we transition to the “summer market” which is a rollercoaster ride of buyers in and out of the market based on their summer obligations – traveling, boating, grilling, and chilling. Now, in September we are settled into a “fall market.”

Why would someone list their house in September or October? Here’s what we have learned after decades of tracking buyer and seller trends:

Curb Appeal – In September and October “curb appeal” has maximum impact. Mulch has been spread, driveways resealed, and annual flowers are blooming. Who doesn’t love walking up to a house with a few pumpkins on the steps?

Cooler Weather – The cooler mornings and evenings help sellers keep their houses comfortable for showings. Outdoor spaces are easier to view when you’re not frying in the mid-day sun or sweltering in the humidity.

Serious Buyers and Sellers Only – Sellers in the spring may try to “test” the market with high list prices with the intention to reduce as the season goes on if their house doesn’t sell. Fall market sellers know that they have a shorter amount of time and want to price their homes to attract the maximum number of buyers. Buyers in the fall market may have been looking since the spring. Once September hits they know this is their last chance to buy until next year.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling don’t wait until next year, we can help you get your home ready to list this fall. Contact us to get started.

Why You Need a Real Human (Not Just AI) When Selling a Home

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You need a local expert when it’s time to sell your home. If you try ChatGPT or another AI tool you will get a quick “overview.” But at the end of the day, artificial intelligence is just scraping the internet to patch together answers.

All real estate is local. Home values can change street by street and neighborhood by neighborhood. Pricing a home is one of the most difficult parts of helping our clients.

Because Vermont is so small, and there aren’t that many houses, we run into a lack of “comparable sales.”

Here’s an example, if you have a one-level ranch and you want us to run a report showing the value of your house compared to other sales then we will most likely have to adjust our final report if there have not been any other recent sales for that style house. Best practice is to compare house styles that are similar as they attract different buyers.

Spend some time on the internet and then give us a call for our expert opinion to help you reach your selling goals. If you’re interested in talking with us about your house in relation to others that we have seen and sold, reach out – you’ll get in touch with a real person, not a bot 😉

What Stays With the House?

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All buyers want to know “what stays with the house?” In other words, what personal items convey with the sale, or, what the seller is going to “leave” at the property. In most cases your buyer’s agent will point out the items that “stay” and the items that may “go” as the seller’s pack up. Here’s what you need to know:

Read your Purchase and Sale Contract. This is the definitive source for contractual obligations between the buyer and the seller. In the Vermont Association of Realtor’s Purchase and Sale Agreement, for example, “curtain rods” stay but not curtains.

Appliances are personal property. This means that the refrigerator, range, washer/dryer, etc. may or may not convey with the sale. Be sure to have an addendum to the contract to list appliances if they are to “stay” with the house. Be aware that personal property is typically in “as is” condition. If the microwave has a loose handle, for example, it is not the seller’s obligation to fix it.

What about furniture? In the last few years buyers began to express interest in purchasing furniture and art from the sellers. This is becoming more and more common and sellers and buyers are working out this transaction on their own. We refer to it as “outside of closing” meaning that it is a private sale that is not part of the Purchase and Sale Contract. If you’re a seller, have your Realtor check with the buyer’s agent before you post on Facebook Marketplace, you may be able to sell directly to the buyer.

Have more questions about the buying or selling process? Feel free to get in touch, we’d love to help you out!

Pick a Date It’s Time to Move

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When it’s time to sell your house, your priority should be picking an ideal closing time frame, and ultimately a moving date. You need to decide when you need to be at your next destination, whether it’s a rental, a new home, or an interim stop on the way to your final destination. Most of the time sellers have a vague idea of when they need to be out of their home. Your time frame will compress as the vague idea turns into a firm date. Once your house hits the public market you need to be prepared to pack and move.

To alleviate the stress of timing, packing, and moving here are three helpful tips:

Contact a Moving Company. Let them know you are selling your house and moving. Ask about a storage unit or a pod for short-term use while you are packing your house. Ideally you should secure a spot where you can start moving your belongings “out” of the house prior to photos. Packing and moving items that you don’t use every day out of the house and into a storage unit or pod jump starts the process. Be ruthless. Let’s face it, you aren’t going to be baking muffins or making a cheesecake in that spring form pan, pack ‘em up!

Pick a Date for the Moving Truck. Even before your house is under contract communicate with the movers. Throw out hypothetical dates to check on their availability. If a buyer makes an offer on your house the offer will have a closing date – this is the date that the buyers will buy your house. You need to be moved “out” prior to this date. For example, if the closing date is December 19th, you and your belongings need to be “out” of the house ideally by December 17th, so you have a day to clean prior to the buyer’s walk through.

Find a Place to Stay. Let’s be real, moving is chaos. You won’t have items that you usually use in your daily routine during the move-out. Once the movers have moved all the items that are going on the truck you will still have your personal items, pets, and maybe even special plants in tow. To alleviate this stress, we suggest moving to another place prior to “moving truck day.” Gather your clothes, toothbrushes, etc. and camp at a friend’s house or a hotel for a few nights while preparing for the movers. It will be a respite from the endless boxes and keep you organized.

These are just a few tips based on our “real life” experiences with sellers. If you have been thinking about selling, we are happy to meet with you to start the process and set you up for a successful move. Contact us to get started!

Let’s Take it Outdoors: What is ‘Curb Appeal’ Anyway?

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Curb appeal is the feeling that people get when they drive past your house. Is the landscaping maintained or overgrown? Is the front door faded or vibrant? Is the driveway smooth or full of potholes? The exterior presentation of your property sets the tone for the buyer experience when you are selling your home.

It’s important to have “drive-by” curb appeal when your house is on the market, which is common knowledge. However, many sellers are surprised when we show them that the concept of curb appeal applies to the whole exterior presentation of the property.

Recently I met with a seller who wanted to get her house ready for sale. I drove by the property, and it looked neat, tidy, and well-maintained from the “curb” view. A closer look at the exterior, however, revealed many exterior flaws that would be fatal if I was a buyer.

Here are the three things that need repair prior to getting your house on the market:

1. Rot on garage door trim. This is very common. If the wood can’t be salvaged, then the trim needs to be replaced.

2. Sinking front steps and walkway. This, too, is very common. Over time, concrete front steps sink into the ground and the paved walkways can shift.

3. Garage door damage. It’s not surprising that some people have backed into their garage door when it’s still closed leaving a dent. Also, it’s common to have a broken window (hockey puck or baseball).

In these examples, the curb appeal of the house extends all the way to the front door for buyers. Driving up to the house and then walking to the front door sets the tone for the interior of the house. If the first impression is that the exterior of the house has been neglected, then the interior of the house will be scrutinized for any signs of deferred maintenance as well.

If you’ve been thinking about selling and want to get your house on the market, contact us to get started and we will ensure your exterior is in tip top shape to attract buyers from the first drive-by.

Is the Highest Price Offer the Best Offer?

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How difficult is it to decide on an offer on your property? It all seems so simple. You put your house on the market with your trusted real estate professional. Buyer’s Agents show you property and then submit offers. Now what? Let’s look at three considerations when assessing an offer:

1. Price

2. Terms

3. Conditions

Price: Sometimes the highest price offer may not yield the best terms and conditions. For example, you receive an offer that is “over” your list price, but the buyer has a house to sell that is in a remote part of Minnesota where it is always a buyer’s market. Of course, you would want to explore the particulars of the house sale situation but, for now, this has a contingency that may not be satisfied for a long while. While the highest price is tempting it may cost you in time and frustration waiting for the buyer’s house to sell.

Terms: In another case, the price may be right, but the terms of the offer may not be reasonable. For example, one term of the offer may be that the buyer’s financing is contingent upon a mortgage loan at an interest rate that is no longer available. It’s important to verify that the lender letter and the contract reflect the current interest rate. The buyer’s financing letter may not be updated, and, with the current interest rate, the buyer may not actually qualify for the purchase. It’s important to make sure that the buyer’s lender letter is updated before accepting an offer.

Conditions: Lastly, some of the offer conditions may not be able to be satisfied per the contract. For example, if a buyer requests that a roof be replaced, or a buried oil tank removed prior to closing and if it’s the middle of winter, then this condition may not be realistic. Evaluate the buyer’s conditions and make sure that you can meet their request.

In summary, each offer is unique. It’s important to have an experienced professional real estate agent to help you navigate offers so you can choose the buyer who best fits with your goals. If you’ve been thinking about selling, get in touch and we can discuss next steps and what to expect from the selling process.

Anxiety and Selling Your Home

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How stressful is selling your home? There are many reasons why selling your home is overwhelming. As a Realtor in Vermont I was overwhelmed with selling a family house out-of-state. The lack of familiarity with the process, the pricing, and the current buyer preferences in the area were all a mystery to me. After choosing a top agent who is a local expert in the area I realized that her job was to alleviate my stress and anxiety and guide me through the process. Let’s explore the major issues that cause anxiety and how we can help alleviate some of your fear and worries.

Here are the top 3 questions that we answer:

1. What do I have to do to my house to get it on the market? It depends. We need to visit your house to see what projects, repairs, updates, etc. would benefit you most with today’s buyers. It’s a good idea to have a budget set aside for these items and we will prioritize your “to do” list.

2. Will I be able to move by a date of my choosing? Most likely, yes. We are experts at getting you out and moving to your next destination in the time frame that works for you. Let us know your plans and we will work with your schedule.

3. How do showings work? With us, we schedule the showings with your lifestyle in mind. If you need to work at home certain days we will schedule around your meetings and work schedule. To minimize the stress of having your house “show ready” all the time we make sure you have enough time to prepare for buyers.

These are just some of the questions that we answer early in the process of selling your home. Make sure you choose a Realtor that has experience to lead you through the entire process, from prepping your house for sale to guiding you through the inspection and closing. If you are thinking about selling, contact us to get started!

Why You Should Never “Enter Your Address and Find Your Home Value”

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home search-polina-zimmermanWhy do some houses sell for less than their Zillow estimate? Do you think your house will sell for more than the online estimates? In our area, many of you, whether selling or buying, are a bit vexed when they search online. This may lead you to “Enter Your Address and Find Your Home Value,” which just triggers many, many phone calls from real estate agents.

Here’s how it works:

1. You enter you address and email, sometimes phone number is optional.

2. Your personal information is then sent to dozens of local real estate agents.

3. You will receive multiple calls, text messages, and emails.

Your private information, including your street address, and your intent to sell is telegraphed to random real estate agents who will do anything, including drive to your house, for your business.

Why risk your privacy just to obtain a value on your house? We know that pricing a house is both an art and a science. The online estimates on Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, etc. are based on complex algorithms that mainly assess on square footage and do not “sort” for types of properties such as condominiums or single family homes, for example.

What should you do if you can’t trust the internet? Stay calm and contact us! Consult with Carolyn and she will prepare a personalized home value estimate based on similar recently sold properties, similar under contract properties, and similar properties for sale. If you prefer to start online, you can fill out OUR form for your free home valuation – this information is ONLY sent to Carolyn, no other agents.

6 Types of Flooring to Consider for Your Home

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lotus-design-n-print-Ae-KSk1yM_A-unsplashPaint can transform a space, but flooring is a key design element that is just as visually impactful. The flooring you choose can set the stage for your space, making it feel modern, cozy, or rustic – whatever look you are going for. There are many components to consider when choosing the type flooring, from aesthetics to price, durability, and upkeep. So how do you choose?

Here are 6 popular flooring materials, along with the pros and cons for each:

Hardwood – Hardwood flooring is timeless and has been a long-time favorite due to its beauty, warmth, and durability. If the material gets damaged or scratched it can be sanded and refinished multiple times and can last for decades. Wood flooring tends to be the most expensive and it’s best to avoid installing in ‘wet’ environments like a bathroom or basement.

Engineered Wood – A thin veneer of real wood is bonded to layers of structural plywood to create engineered wood flooring. Just as durable as hardwood, easier to install, and slightly easier on the wallet, engineered wood floors are a great alternative to hardwood and will achieve the same look. The biggest con – the thinner top layer can’t take as much refinishing so it requires more looking after.

Vinyl – The fastest growing category of flooring, vinyl ranges from inexpensive sheets and adhesive tiles to luxury vinyl tile (LVT) that imitates natural wood planks and tiles. Vinyl is easy to install, budget-friendly, and waterproof – making it a great option for bathrooms and basements. The material is durable, but once it starts to show wear or is damaged, it cannot be refinished, only replaced.

Laminate – Dense fiberboard is topped with a photo of the actual material and a layer of laminate to protect the surface. An affordable option, laminate is offered in wide range of colors and styles to suit your aesthetic and is DIY-friendly, eliminating the cost of installation. The material is susceptible to moisture damage and cannot be refinished, only replaced. Laminate can offer a high-end look, but the repetition of pattern tends to give away its ‘fakeness.’

Tile – Available in countless colors, shapes, and styles, tile is the perfect choice to add some character to a space. Tile is durable, waterproof, and low-maintenance, but can be difficult to install and cold on the feet.

Carpet – Soft underfoot, carpet is the most comfortable flooring material and also offers noise reduction and thermal insulating qualities. It is available in a wide range of colors and patterns, as well as synthetic and natural fibers that vary significantly in price and quality. Carpet holds dirt and dust and will eventually wear and need replacing.

If you are thinking of updating your space with new flooring, consider your budget, home aesthetic, and goals as a homeowner. Need a second opinion? Contact us to see what will get you the biggest bang for your buck when selling your home.

Photo Ready: 3 Essential Tasks to Prepare Your Bedroom for a Refresh

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adam-winger-nclN_J0UtJ8-unsplashSometimes even real estate professionals need help organizing. When I decided to refresh my bedroom space the first thing I did was call Jennie for her expertise. Jennie has helped many of our clients reset and reconfigure their living spaces. Because my attempts to reorganize and reconfigure my bedroom continue to frustrate me, I hired Jennie myself to solve my organizational issues.

After our virtual consultation Jennie outlined three essential tasks to complete:

1. Buy quality hangers. Jennie suggested the Amazon Basics Slim, Velvet, Non-Slip Clothes Hangers – their slim profile helps to maximize closet space. Replacing the hangers offers the perfect opportunity to sort through all clothing choosing what to keep, donate, and trash. Once we were ready to rehang the clothing I was keeping, we implemented a color-coded system that added order to my closet so I can easily pull and put outfits together.

2. Remove unnecessary furniture. Bookcases, tables, chairs, and any furniture that is not directly necessary in the room was removed. After relocating a bookcase, chair, and small table the room was surprisingly more spacious.

3. Purchase a new bedspread or comforter. This was my favorite task, of course! It’s amazing the impact new bedding will make on your space. After poring over many color combinations and fabrics I settled on a cotton quilt with matching shams. This elevated the bedroom “look” as the bed is in the center of the room.

From the hangers to the bedding the photo ready refresh was a success. While I was just looking to get organized, a photo ready refresh is perfect for prepping your home for sale. If you are thinking about listing or just want a fresh, new space for the New Year, check out Jennie’s organizing business, Home Organized, to see how she can help you!