Seller Information

Staging Your Home’s Exterior

August 15, 2013 by admin

Spruce Up Your Homes' Curb Appeal - Wallingford PA Real Estate - Wallingford, PA 19086

Make A Good First Impression From The Curb

It has been said time and time again that you only get one chance to make a good impression, and that a prospective home buyer begins forming an opinion of your home as soon as they drive up to the property. With that said you need to make sure that you home’s exterior is at it’s best for a potential buyers vital first impression.

These four exterior areas of your home can be easily staged – just like the interior of your home – in order to maximize your curb appeal.

EXTERIOR: Peeling paint is an is an obvious item to check for. Scrape and repaint any areas that need attention. Do you also know that financing such as FHA insured mortgages requires that all peeling paint be remedied? Exterior hardware, such as house numbers and door latches should be shining, or replaced if tarnished beyond help. Does your roof have any missing shingles? If your vinyl siding is dirty, have it power washed. Your windows should be sparkling clean both outside and inside. Your gutters should be free of debris, preferably with nothing growing from them, and while you are at it make sure your downspouts extend away from the foundation.

PATIO AND DECK: Rid your patio of any weeds or moss build up. Pressure wash bricks, pavers, and outdoor furniture that is looking dingy, and make a clean sweep of the patio. In warm weather add some flower pots or planters to add a splash of seasonal color. Do you have a patio table with an umbrella.? Why not open the umbrella and set the table for an outdoor meal? Make sure you patio, walkways, and deck are swept clean of debris. If your wooden deck is in bad shape replace any badly split decking and consider repainting or resealing the deck for a fresh look. Home Depot has some new deck restoration products that can easily remedy neglected decking.

DRIVEWAYS AND WALKWAYS: Is your driveway in good condition? Does it need a fresh sealcoating? Your driveway serves as the initial entry point to your property and should be in the best condition possible. If you have sidewalks, are they in good condition, are the concrete blocks level with each other and free of cracks? Many municipalities will require you to make sidewalk repairs as a condition for obtaining a Use And Occupancy permit if they are judged to be in poor condition, so if you are going to have to do it anyway you might as well make any necessary repairs before you start showing your home. Brick or paver walkways should be kept clean and examined for uneven surfaces.

YARD: You will need to mow and weed the lawn regularly in the warmer months, and keep on top of leaf removal in the fall and snow removal in the winter. Overgrown shrubbery should be cut back or removed to prevent blocking the view of your home from the street. Laying down fresh mulch is an inexpensive way to spruce up your borders and flower beds, and complement the flowers that you have planted.

It will take a little effort to stage your home’s exterior, but it is gratifying to see the improved curb appeal that these relatively simple tasks can bring to your home.

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Is The First Offer Always The Best Offer?

August 14, 2013 by admin

Wallingford Real Estate - Wallingford, PA - Multiple Offers - Bidding Wars

Do Offers Get Better With Time?

Unlike fine wine, offers to purchase your home do not get better over time.

Believe me, your first buyer is more often than not your best buyer. Real estate agents everywhere will tell you that they have seen this to be the case time and time again. I was speaking with a agent recently who has been in the business for thirty plus years and she could not ever recall an instance where a subsequent offer bested the first. Generally speaking, the potential buyer who makes the first offer is motivated and ready to do business. The first offer might be lower than you would like, but that’s what negotiations are for.

You can hold off in hopes of better offers, but many times properties sit on the market too long growing stale because the seller did not work with the first buyer. Months later, the seller ends up taking less than the first offer they received. By this time, that first buyer has already bought and moved on. The seller is kicking themselves for not making it work.

Remember time is not on your side as a seller. Time is a seller’s enemy, and a buyer’s ally. As days on market increase buyers seize the opportunity to drive the price lower, and are very cognizant of how many days your home has been listed. They will use time as ammunition in the defense of their offer.

While you may see it as an insulting “low ball” offer coming out of left field, you should still look closely at a first offer. Who is the buyer? How long have they been looking? Are they testing the waters with the initial offer, trying to see how motivated you are? Have they written other offers nearby? Is this offer actually a number that is close to the number your real estate agent initially suggested?

As hard as it may seem to contemplate an offer lower than your asking price, serious sellers should look at all the signs leading up to it and consider if this is the offer to accept. Trust the phrase:

The first offer is always your best offer.

Wallingford Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Garage Doors Add To A Home’s Curb Appeal

August 8, 2013 by admin

Garage Doors Enhance A Home’s Curb Appeal

Garage doors are often overlooked when considering what parts of your home to remodel or replace, and serve as a crucial component of a home’s curb appeal.

According to Remodeling Magazine’s 2013 Cost vs Value Report replacing a garage door will return 71.4% of the original cost in the Middle Atlantic region. Garage door replacement ranks as one of the highest return projects on the list.

In addition, garage doors can be a significant source of heat loss. Without breaking the bank, a typical wood or fiberglass garage door can be replaced with an insulated steel door that could save a homeowner hundreds of dollars a year in heating costs.

Installing an automatic garage door opener continues to be popular among homeowners. Newer automatic doors are quieter and many can be wired to run on a backup battery. Additionally, all new automatic openers have federally mandated safety features. For example, a photoelectric eye six inches from the bottom allows the door to immediately stop closing if a toy or child breaks the beam.

Garage doors should not be overlooked as they can increase curb appeal, protect against heat loss, and be an attractive feature to potential homebuyers.

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Hardwood Floors – Show Them If You Have Them

July 22, 2013 by admin

Wallingford PA Real Estate - wallingford PA - Hardwood Flooring IIs Among Buyers Favorits Items

Hardwood Flooring Is High On Buyer Wish Lists

Wood floors are in high demand among home buyers. If you believe a survey by the National Wood Flooring Association, 90 percent of real estate agents say that homes with hardwood floors are easier to sell, and 90 percent also say that homes with hardwood flooring tend to sell for up to 10 percent more than homes that don’t have it.

I would definitely concur that the vast majority of buyers prefer wood floors, not so much with the conclusion about the increase in overall value.

I never recall a buyer asking to show homes with carpeting, but plenty have specified that wood floors are on the top on their wish list. I have been in homes that have brand new carpeting, and been asked by the buyers to inquire with the listing agent whether or not there are hardwood floors underneath.

So if you are considering selling your home, by all means show off one of it’s best assets – your hardwood floors, if you have them.

If you are not sure about what is beneath your carpet, go into a closet and pull up the carpet in a corner. Pull it back a few inches and you will be able to determine if there are hardwoods underneath.

The age of you home can also help determine whether or not you have hardwood floors. Plywood unerlayment coupled with wall to wall carpeting became the flooring option of choice in the late 60’s, and solid wood flooring became an option instead of being commonplace. So if you home is more than 45 years old chances are good that you might have hardwood flooring.

Tearing up carpeting is not a task that requires a lot of skill, but it is time consuming. Removing the tack strips and staples, especially on stairs where they proliferate, means a lot of time on your knees with a pair of pliers.

Hardwood floors that have been covered for a long period of time often do not require a lot of effort to bring them back to shape, but pet stains from current or past pets can pose a potential problem that can prove difficult to remove.

Attractive hardwood floors make your home more marketable, and creates a postive impression in a potential buyer’s mind. Give them what they are looking for!

Wallingford Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

Sellers – Don’t Give Your Buyers An Easy Way Out!

June 25, 2013 by admin

Maximum Interest Rate On The Contract Should Reflect Current Rates

Interest Rate Limits On The Contract Need To Reflect The Current Rate Environment

Buyer agrees to accept the interest rate as may be committed by the mortgage lender not to exceed a maximum interest rate of XX%

Congratulations seller, you have a contract that has a mortgage contingency clause included, and interest rates has just gone up 1/2 point. Do you know the buyer can terminate the contract if the interest rate quoted by the lender exceeds the maximum rate set forth in the contract?

In the past few weeks rapidly rising interest rates pose some potential stumbling blocks to a successful closing. Listing agents need to be aware of current mortgage rates and their potential upward or downward movements. The maximum rate that is acceptable to the buyer needs to reflect current rates, with some reasonable allowance for upward movement.

A contract today with a ceiling of 3.75%, and rates hovering around 4.5%, could present an easy way out for a buyer looking to get terminate their contract.

Wallingford PA Real Estate – Wallingford, PA 19086

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S. Clark Kendus