7 House Selling Pitfalls to Avoid

There are a lot of mistakes you can make when selling a home. Here are seven specific mistakes to avoid.

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

Selling a home is a complicated process. If you aren’t careful or you don’t have the right person guiding you through the transaction, it can lead to a lot of headaches. Here are seven mistakes that you should avoid when selling to ensure a successful transaction:

1. Don’t take your own photos. We hire a professional photographer to come out and take pictures of our listings. It’s so important to have good photos, so that’s an expense we take on ourselves.

2. Don’t try to sell your home by yourself. You hire a professional Realtor to sell your home because they know that homes sell for more with an agent than you would save on commission if you didn’t hire one.

3. Don’t argue with your agent about price. Although you have the final say on price, you should use the data and information your agent gives you to make an informed decision.

4. Don’t trust Zillow as the word of God. We use an equity evaluation, among other models, to see four different angles of your market value and decide what the best price is. Don’t take Zillow too seriously.

5. Don’t be present during a showing. We highly suggest you get away while the home is being shown.

6. Don’t refuse to negotiate. Buyers have a tendency to lowball you and it might hurt your feelings. Don’t take it personally, use it to start the negotiations.

7. Don’t ignore your agent’s requests for repairs or cleaning. I’m a big advocate of putting your best foot forward when selling. If there are any small repairs or extra cleaning that could be done, you should do them if your agent recommends it. The more work you put into staging your home, the more it will attract buyers.

Paying special attention to these seven things can make or break your home sale. If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why Won't Your Richmond Home Sell?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

In a previous video, I mentioned that if you sent me a question, I would answer it here on the blog. Well, today I want to answer a user-submitted question: What keeps a home from selling? 

We get this question a lot, so I want to share three reasons why you might have trouble selling.

1. Improper pricing strategy: This is something we can dive into deeper with a one-on-one meeting. The right strategy is dependent on your specific situation.
2. Improper condition and showability: There are some things we do to ensure your home is in tip-top condition and ready to sell! 
3. Improper marketing strategy: The home must be properly marketed with a proven strategy to ensure your home is going to sell.

You need to focus on these three things if you want your home to sell quickly and for top dollar. If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are always here to help!

Should You Get Help When Selling Your Richmond Home?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

Many homeowners in Richmond think they can sell their home without an agent. Today, I explain why that's not always the best strategy for a successful home sale!

We never try to discourage people from selling their home without an agent; in fact, we'll send you a document that will help you do so! Here at the Richmond Realty Team, we pride ourselves on not painting anyone into a corner. If you want to sell your home yourself, we would love to help you be successful! 

When it comes to selling without help, putting a price on your time can be a helpful way to determine whether it's worth it. There are a few things to think about before you decide to sell by yourself: 

• Did you know homes listed with an agent sell for more money? 
• Do you know contracts? 
• Are you patient?
• Are you fully committed to the process?

If you can answer these questions confidently, reach out to us and we'll send you our FSBO home selling packet to help you reach your selling goals. If you aren't so sure, give us a call or send us an email so we can discuss your situation. As always, our expertise and resources are at your disposal! 

What's the Secret to a Smooth Transition When Moving in Richmond?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

With the spring selling season in full swing, we thought we should address a few common questions we've received lately. Today, we'll address these two questions: If you're selling your home, can the buyer charge you a fee to remain in it after closing? If so, how much?

If you're still looking for a new home, but you've closed on your current one, you can have the buyer of your current home rent it back to you until you are able to close on your next home. This is done on a per diem basis; if the new buyer's mortgage payment is $1,500 per month, we'll break that down into a per day cost. 

If you have any questions about how to make this happen or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. I would love to give you a hand! 

How Can a Pre-Listing Inspection Save You Money Down the Road?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

As the spring real estate season moves into full gear, there is no better time to discuss pre-listing home inspections and how they can benefit your home sale. 

First, what exactly is a pre-listing home inspection? If you have ever purchased a home, you had a home inspection done as part of your due diligence before purchasing. The goal of the inspection is to find any structural defects with the home, the repairs of which are discussed during negotiations. While it's not all that common for sellers get an inspection done on their home before listing it, we highly recommend it. 

Typically, buyers will go out and pay their own contractor to give them what's called a cost-secure for any defects that are identified by the inspector. We have found that it's much more cost-effective for the seller to hire their own inspector and contractor. Fixing the problems found in the home inspection just prior to or just after listing will save you money, plain and simple. In fact, we've found that in many cases, you can fix problems for half the cost of what the buyer would have you spend.

In general, a pre-listing inspection gives the seller a good deal of leverage when it comes time to negotiate with a buyer. The pre-listing inspection is part of our home selling package, and we have seen great results with it! If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you! 

What's the Best Way to Show Your Richmond Home?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

Hello, and welcome back to the blog! The Richmond market continues to heat up, so we feel it's a good time to offer some advice to sellers. We often get asked whether it's best to sell a vacant property or one that is still occupied. Today, we answer that question and more, so you can get the best results when selling your home this spring! 

We ALWAYS recommend that you sell your home with an occupied appearance. Often, buyers feel they have leverage with you as a seller if your home has a vacant appearance. We think this is due, in large part, to the number of distressed sales we've had over the past 4-5 years. When someone goes into a vacant home, they automatically associate it with a distressed sale. It then has a psychological impact on the offer you end up getting. 

Every time we list someone's home, we pay for a staging consultation. While we understand it's not always an option, we highly recommend taking advantage of a professional stager if you have the option. On average, homes sell for between 6-8% more money when they are staged. 

It's clear: buyers prefer homes that have an occupied appearance!

If you have any questions about staging, or if you would like real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to help you have a smooth and successful real estate experience!  

Five Common Home Buyer Mistakes

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

As the spring selling season comes into full swing here in Richmond, I thought I'd offer some
advice to home buyers. Purchasing a home is not a complex process, but many different things can go awry. If you can steer clear of these road bumps, you should have a rather painless real estate experience.

1. Moving too fast: Don't jump on top of the first home that you see. At least take a look at all of the properties that match your purchasing criteria before you commit to a single home. Also, setting your heart on a single home can cause disappointment down the road if your offer is not accepted. It's best to keep your options open.
2. Not researching the neighborhood: You should know about the neighborhood, the schools, and the amenities of different neighborhoods before you commit to buying a home. This can certainly affect your future, so don't let this slip past you while you're busy looking for properties.
3. Skipping a home inspection: We would never let our clients do this, but it still happens every now and then. This is an absolutely disastrous decision, and we would never recommend foregoing a home inspection on any property.
4. Making an unconditional offer: Making a sale contingent upon something else is a good way to protect your own interests. If you need to sell your home before you buy another, then let the seller know this. It might put some people off, but we don't want to risk your well-being.
5. Not getting pre-approved or pre-qualified: Sellers like to see serious buyers that have been approved for a loan, and this will help you immensely in a competitive housing market such as the one here in Richmond. This also gives us a lot of leverage when we negotiate a good deal for you.

If you're looking to purchase a home this spring, please get into contact with my team. We're full of good advice and would love to assist you in any way possible.

We're your #1 resource for real estate in Richmond!

What's the Secret to a Successful Richmond Home Sale?

Selling your Richmond area home? Get a free home value report  

Buying a Richmond area home? Click here for full MLS access. 

It doesn't feel like spring is anywhere near, as we continue to have unseasonably cold weather here in Richmond. However, it will be here before you know it, so I thought I would take the time today to share some tips on how to add value to your home once the spring selling season arrives.

1. Appliances: Updating your appliances is the number one way to add value to your home. Kitchens and bathrooms sell homes - making sure they look nice will go a long way toward getting you top dollar. 
2. Painting: Adding a fresh layer of neutral-colored paint to your walls will make a huge difference when showing your home.
3. Staging: Homes that are professionally staged sell for 3%-6% more money on a national level. Here at the Richmond Realty Team, we pay to have a staging consultation done for all of our clients. It's a very effective way to draw buyers to your home, and we strongly encourage it. 
4. Depersonalize: Sometimes it's hard for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home. We recommend taking personal pictures and items off the walls and surfaces.

If you have any questions about how you can add value to your home, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to help you out!