10 Ways to Make Your House More Saleable

1.      Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.

2.      Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.

3.      Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.

4.      Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

5.      Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.

6.      Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.

7.      Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

8.      Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9.      Clean your gutters.

10.  Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.

5 Things to Do Before You Sell

1.      Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2.      Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

3.      Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.

4.      Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5.      Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.

5 Ways to Speed up Your Sale

1.      Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range.

2.      Get your house market ready for at least two weeks before you begin showing it.

3.      Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.

4.      Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.

5.      Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking price.

© 2005 – 2007 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®

OUR BUYER BENEFITS

1. You will find a new Listing faster!

You will be contacted or see Properties sometimes before they even hit our Multiple Listing Service and other agents.  Some of the best properties and deals are made quickly in this market. 

1. You will save time!

We know every property, every street and have access to all of the necessary documents that you need to get the right information to make a decision.

1. You will save money!

Our 25 years of negotiation, can help you identify savings including: title insurance, surveys, rental maximization (if chosen), negotiation strategies and how to identify opportunities.  (Sellers pay commission with a published co-op)

1. You Will Get The Help You Need!

Jane Hyers and I are full time and on call every step of the purchasing process. You will find that we love helping you with every detail and are on call from the time you start your search, through negotiation and closing…

1. You Will Love Our Convenience!

We are located in the center of Hilton Head Island on 278 at Palmetto Dunes entry. (M-S, 7:30am-6pm, or Sundays, noon- 6.  We love visitors to share a cup of coffee and our latest properties and best buys.

Robbie Bunting

& Jane Hyers     

                     842-0805 or (800)932-3652                           
Fax: (866)680-1137

islandrealtor@hargray.com

www.robbiebunting.com

Are you ready for the New Year?

We are grateful for the real estate relationships that we have been able to share with you in 2008.  We’ve been able to counsel and serve you in ways that have impacted our lives and effected the businesses of many. We have worked with excellent Realtors in the area and put together real estate transactions including trades and negotiations that were incredibly challenging, yet we both persisted and closed.  We want to thank each and every one of you and let you know that we wish to continue building this relationship long after that closing.

In this New Year, we will deliver huge value you in 09.  We will provide insight to the market that includes trends that we follow and timing opportunities that the market presents to agents, sellers and buyers.  We resolve to continue to bring powerful, impactful, relevant, and timely information to you.  We believe that 2009 is the year for our clients to make their real estate and their lives what they want it to be and we want to be the catalyst that ensures these successes.

My question for you is what do you want to achieve in 2009?  What is it that you dream of?  If you are not quite sure, let’s sit down eye to eye or on the phone and develop a real estate strategy.  We have a team that include appraisers, lenders, tax attorneys, repair people and contractors that can help us get headed in the right direction.  The strategy session is free and informative.  To schedule a strategy session, simply email me at robbie@robbiebunting.com .  Who knows where this path will take you?

Stay safe and warm and we hope and pray that each of you have a wonderful 2009.  To Your Achievement of Real Estate Success in 2009!  We hope to provide excellent information in this Blog in the days ahead.  If you would like us to publish an article or do some research that we can share with others, simply let us know via email or phone….thank you!

Our light bows to you….

Robbie Bunting & Jane Hyers

P.S.  By the way, personally speaking in 2008 I found great challenge and growth.  I completed my 3rd Marathon(the training was the real goal) and I earned the top Agent Award at Dunes Marketing for Closed Transactions and more improtantly Top agent for CLOSED LISTINGS.  I share this award with Jane Hyers and the great clients that trusted their properties with me and most importantly reacted to market conditions in a timely manner.