Kailua Kona Real Estate Blog

HOW TO SELL YOUR HOUSE FAST!

Questions: Are you getting ready to put your house on the market in Kailua Kona, Hawaii?

Do you want to sell fast?

Do you want to sell for top dollar?

Here are MY 5 TOP “must DO’S” WHEN TRYING TO SELL YOUR HOUSE FAST AND for TOP DOLLAR ! Ching Ching….$$$$

AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT AND AN INTERIOR DESIGNER…..these are MY top 5 things to do to sell your house FAST

1.   THE FIRST IMPRESSION IS THE ONLY IMPRESSION

No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression.

Many people will judge your home from the street….some even just do a “drive by” and make a judgement on your home….

SO….It’s important to make your home feel warm, inviting, welcome and safe as they approach the house.

How to get them from the curb into your home:

**CURB APPEAL:   Spruce up your home’s exterior and make it ATTRACTIVE !

You can typically get a 100-percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal.

Get buyers in the door by doing the following:

•        Brightly colored flowers and lots of them!
•        Green, clean cut shrubbery
•        Power-wash your house and walkways.
•        Clean your windows
•        Mow the lawn.
•        Put a welcome mat and potted plants on your front stoop.
•        If you have a porch, include  outdoor furniture to create a small, inviting, colorful seating area …make sure to include bright cushions, pillows and flowers!

 So…now we have gotten the potential buyer from the Curb to the Front Door….

Open that front door….ONCE INSIDE THE HOUSE: Entryways are extremely important as they are the GATEWAY to the rest of the house.

SO….Give that entry a touch of Pizazz…large, beautiful vase of REAL flowers and a nice table or, bench  is all you need.

Something that says “WOW” ……I want to see more of this house!

IF You set the tone at the front door with QUALITY AND GOOD TASTE…..THEN, that feeling will set the tone for the entire house.

2.   DECLUTTER!

GET RID OF that CLUTTER.

•      Remove knick-knacks and personal items from all surfaces. TAKE THE HOME OUT OF YOUR HOUSE

o   One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it.

o  The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there.

•      Remove all items from the KITCHEN AND BATHROOM countertops! Less is more here….

o  Cleared off and clean, shiny countertops make the room look larger. Go minimal here…fresh flowers are the best accessory!

o  In the kitchen; put away all the small appliances i.e. toaster, blender, etc…

o  You can keep the coffee maker on the counter and create a “Coffee Station” area complete with 2 attractive mugs.

o  (in the bathroom; no one wants to see your toothbrush, toothpaste, your scale on the floor)

•      And don’t just put the “stuff” in closets; potential buyers usually look in the closets…

o  People love large closets and large storage areas…so make sure your closets are half EMPTY AND appear large and roomy.

•      Box up extra “stuff” and get it out of the house….into the garage or into Storage….

o  Its ok to put boxes in the garage….Boxes stacked in the garage can be a good sign to buyers because it shows that you have left the building and they can move in!

•      Remove all rugs:

I like to remove rugs especially in the kitchen and bathrooms because they clutter the room. The floors and rooms look bigger and uncluttered without rugs.

I keep rugs in:  the bedrooms, under the dining room table, in the Living Room to anchor furniture IF the rugs are muted tones,  in good condition and up to date and not overwhelming for the room.

Rugs that are old, bold colors or design are distracting and take the emphasis off the room and focus on the rug.

I can’t tell you how many times I have been showing houses and my potential buyer notices the rug in the room instead of the room itself. You don’t want the rug to be the focus of your house!

AFTER REMOVING CLUTTER, NEXT…IT’S TIME TO ….. 

CLEAN THE HOUSE!

•      Make your KITCHEN and BATHROOMS clean AND sparkling

o  No dirty dishes, put them in dishwasher

o   Clean showers and toilets: be sure to close the toilet lid before any showing!

o  Vacuum or mop all floors….no dust bunnies!

o  Put all clothing in drawers or closets…no clothing left in sight!

o  Make the BEDS!

•      Air out the entire house…..Bad, musty, smells are a BIG turn off for buyers. So, make sure to use air fresheners, candles to make the house smell clean!
•      Your house needs to be "show-ready" at all times –

This part is definitely annoying and cumbersome …especially if you have kids…….

but,  a little inconvenience….will pay off and get your house sold.

3.   Home REPAIRS AND Quick fixes before selling always pays off:

 Oil a squeaky door, fix a leaky faucet, repair missing or bad grout, patch holes and touch up where you removed pictures from the walls, touch up chipped paint.

**If wall color is dated or dirty…if possible, Get a new fresh coat of white paint on the walls AND ceilings.

If you are not able to do these repairs…hire a handyman for the day!

Making these repairs will show buyers that your house is in good shape and is move-in ready….

Nobody wants to move into a house with a list of problems and a to-do list ….

UNLESS …..they are getting the house at a bargain!

BUT….YOU are trying to get TOP DOLLAR…not sell at a BARGAIN price….  you don’t want buyers to beat you up on your price because of small repairs.

So, Do the repairs….it will pay off!

4.  STAGING

Staging simply means arranging your furniture and décor to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space, which helps buyers imagine themselves living in it.

WHY STAGE YOUR HOME?:

Staging a house allows you to present it in its best light.

 It helps you standout in competitive markets, as homebuyers are becoming accustomed to seeing professionally staged homes—in person, on home decorating shows, and in online listings.

Staging affects the buyers’ positive view of a home.

Staging can also increase the sales price. In a NAR survey, 29 percent of sellers’ agents said the sales price for staged homes were between 1 and 5 percent higher than unstaged homes. Staged homes sell faster, too—39 percent of sellers’ agents reported that staging a home “greatly decreases” days on the market.

•      If you want to stage your entire house, that’s great. But if you don’t have the time or money to stage the whole thing, you can get the most bang for your buck by staging certain rooms.
•      The living room is the most crucial space to stage,
•      Next …. the Primary bedroom, where ALL you need is clean white comforters and pillows!
•       followed by the kitchen; clear countertops and fresh flowers
•      And your last priority should be any extra bedrooms, where once again…all you need is clean, white comforters and pillows.
•      Remove about half your furniture. Your house will look bigger and more appealing to most buyers with less furniture in it.
•       And, the furniture must be in good shape …the buyer associates good or bad furniture with the VALUE of the house.
•      Rearrange furniture
•      Once your furniture has been thinned out, position couches, chairs, and tables away from your walls. This is a design technique called “floating” the furniture.
•      Anchor the space with an area rug, even if the room has wall-to-wall carpet. This creates a cozy, intimate space, ideal for chatting with friends and family.
•      If you don’t have the time or energy or knowledge to stage your home; You may Consider hiring a home stager to maximize the full potential of your home. A stager can focus on the buyer… they can view your HOME as a product and prepare the space properly for maximum buyer appeal.

……  staging your home makes a big difference in selling fast at Top Dollar!

**LIGHT IT UP

 Maximize the light in your home. AIM FOR LIGHT AND BRIGHT LOOK!

 After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer says that they want in a home.

•      Buyers like to see bright rooms, so lighting is an essential part of staging a home.
•      So CLEAN THE WINDOWS, open the blinds or pull your curtains back before a showing.
•      Increase the wattage of your light bulbs
•      CUT THE BUSHES OUTSIDE AND LET THE SUN SHINE IN!
•      MAKE your house bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable.

**FINISHING TOUCHES

People love to see fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter. Here in Hawaii, I always use fresh Hawaiian Pineapples, Mangoes, papayas for that “island feel”, and lots of Hawaiian flowers in EVERY ROOM!

•      In the kitchen:  A TRAY OF FRESH BAKED COOKIES….mmmmmm……
•      In the bathrooms:  folded clean, white towels and fresh bar of good smelling soap

AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST……!

5.  HIRE A KNOWLEDGEABLE, EXPERIENCED, HARDWORKING REAL ESTATE AGENT!

 A secret sale killer to selling your home is hiring the wrong agent.

Make sure you have an agent who is knowledgeable and totally informed about the market. They must constantly monitor the multiple listing service (MLS), know what properties are on the market, sold properties and know the comps in your neighborhood.

Experienced Real estate agents are highly needed ADVISORS in people’s largest asset sale….the sale of their home!

A knowledgeable real estate agent will:

1.PRICE IT RIGHT:  Find out what your home is worth via a current Market Analysis.

 Overpricing your home can result in sitting on the market … having it sit on the market, the listing gets “stale” and creates a feeling of “something is wrong with the house”

2. Maximize the exposure of your home in your area AND the rest of the country.

3. Agent embraces technology – a tech-savvy agent has MANY tools to get your house sold….using many different websites, social media, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook.

4. Market knowledge: WE LIVE AND WORK HERE ON THE BIG ISLAND of Hawaii We have knowledge of the different areas of the island. We relocated here years ago and can relate to moving here: buying a home, selling a home and getting established here on the Big Island.

5. Value Added Services:  I am Real Estate Agent AND an INTERIOR DESIGNER, which allows me to bring “ADDED VALUE in Interior Design, home remodeling and renovations experience” to each and every one of my clients…SELLERS AND BUYERS!

6. Hardworking: As a TEAM and our focus in on our CLIENT! WE will help you every step of the way to ASSIST YOU IN GETTING YOUR HOUSE SOLD FAST AND FOR TOP DOLLAR!

If you like more information or would like this information sent to you, PLEASE contact us below and we are here to answer any questions or provide additional information to you!

Stephen Proski 808-300-9393

 &

Therese McCarthy 808-300-9099

stephen@realestatekailuakona.com

therese@realestatekailuakona.com