Tag Archives: listing a house

The Best Time to Sell a Home in Austin

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Cottages at NorthwoodsIt’s that time of year again when homeowners start to question whether to sell now or wait. The answer lies in the advantage for each individual seller.  If the goal is to sell for the highest price, that number is determined by what the market will bare.  Remember the real estate market when you are selling is centered around the price, condition and location of the home in question. 

Where Homes are Selling in the Austin

The only thing that matters is how the market specific to that home is moving.  If there are a lot of similiar homes currently on the market (competition), then it may best to wait.  If there is hardly any inventory out there, you are in a good position to sell now.  Waiting for more competition to hit the market doesn’t make much sense when you ideally want scarcity.

The Holiday Season has Ready, Willing and Able Buyers in Austin for Ready and Willing Sellers

The holiday season is upon us and if that means to a potential seller that friends and family are coming every weekend making it hard to show the house – wait until January.  After all, it is hard to sell a home that can’t be shown. If a seller is not ready and willing to sell a home, it is best not to introduce potential buyers to it prematurely.

The Best Time to Sell a Home in Austin

We don’t have magic potion to predict the future.  What a specific real estate market is going to look like for any particular seller in January or even April is dependent on what the competition looks like at that particular time.  The market now, combined with the owner’s willingness to show it during the holidays, will help determine whether it is the right time to sell.

May the Chi be with You

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zenTake a look at the dining room table you never use, the toys on the floor or maybe the pile of dishes in the sink. Clutter, for many people, can induce stress and is often the source when you can’t quite put a finger on what is bothering you. Understanding some basic principles of Feng Shui can help bring you and your home back into balance. A stress free home is not only important for every homeowner, but it is important to a potential buyer as well. A happy home is easier to sell.

Feng Shui Principles when Selling a Home

Chi is energy. Star Wars fans may identify more with the idea of The Force. The energy that binds the galaxy together is the chi that flows through us and our homes. When our chi is blocked, energy is zapped and we feel sad. Houses are no different than living beings when it comes to chi. When chi is constantly flowing through our homes – we feel good. That is why we often feel better after cleaning them. Clutter blocks chi, which is why we feel suffocated when it starts to build up.

Buyers pick up on positive and negative chi very quickly. When the energy is good, they immediately light up even if the house is not exactly a match. On the flip side, when the energy is bad, buyers either can’t wait to leave or start picking the house apart.

Home Selling Tips

If you are just trying to feel more at harmony with your home, sometimes a good cleaning is all you need. That cleaning also includes a certain level of decluttering. Everything on that dining room table needs to go to its proper home, papers need to be filed and everything lining the stairs needs to go to the second floor. If you are selling a home, it is time to take things to the next level. You have all seen the TV shows – it’s time to keep it, sell it, toss it or donate it. Don’t move things you don’t want and don’t shove them in the closet either.

Good Chi in Homes

When selling, living space needs to have good chi and closets do as well. Buyers want to open closets and feel like there is room. When a closet is disorganized and stuffed to the max – the buyer’s brain says “there is no room in here for my things.” Garages and cabinets need to be organized too. If you want to keep things, but know your house is overstuffed, renting self-storage space may help. You can often rent climate controlled space for just a few months until closing on a new home. You may not need a very large space and can cram things in to your heart’s content.

Giving a home space to breathe will help you do so as well. The positive chi will flow, which will not only make you feel good, but feel good to be home.

1814 Village Oak Court, Austin TX 78704

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1814 Village Oak Ct-MLS_Size-001-Front yardUnder contract but accepting back-up offers, 1814 Village Oak Court in Austin’s trendy 78704 zip code offers an ideal balance of living in a suburban area while enjoying the convenience of an urban lifestyle.

SoLa district in Austin 78704

Austin’s 78704 zip code is home to hot spots like Zilker Park, the ZACH Topfer Theatre, the Long Center and Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail. 1814 Village Oak Court is located in the SoLA district of 78704, where South Lamar local favorites include The Broken Spoke, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and a variety of retail and eateries.
1814 Village Oak Ct Austin, TX 78704This South Lamar area beauty features a well-balanced floor plan, soaring ceiling in living area, 3-sided fireplace borders living and dining, bonus loft space upstairs perfect for home office, cherry wood floors, cherry cabinets, island kitchen w/ granite counters, masonry siding, 3-sided wood burning fireplace, crown molding, flagstone patio, fenced backyard and no home owner’s association.

1814 Village Oak Court Austin, TX 78704

• 3 bedrooms
• 2.5 baths
• 2,002 sq. ft (tax records)
• Year built: 2004
• 1 car attached garage
• loft/study space
• fenced backyard with flagstone patio and deck
• 2nd floor deck
• cul-de-sac street

ML# 1584727

Get Your Home Sold

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IMG_2346Listing appointments are more than just about the paperwork, market data and pricing.  I tour the home with a buyer’s eyes pointing out things along the way that have often been there for so long the owner doesn’t even see them anymore.

My suggestions start from the street, not inside the house.  I tell sellers all of the time that I want the house to look ‘light, bright and happy.’ I want buyers to feel good when they visit one of my listings from the moment they pull up to the house.

Here are some tips to get your home show ready or maybe just a little happier:

Creating Curb Appeal

•Replace dead plants with flowers
•Place garbage bins and recycling containers on the side of the house or in the garage. Doing so increases curb appeal and aids in parking in front of the house.
•Put the garden hose away when not in use.  Buyers don’t want to be walking over it to get to the front door.
•Paint your mail box and door knocker (if rusting) with some metallic paint.
•Replace the door mat.
•Hose off the front of the house, if needed (you can power wash but just be prepared to paint)
•Clean the gutters
•Rake and sweep dead leaves

Buyers are guests too.  Make the house clean enough for company.

♦The #1 thing I want owners to do when I list a house is clean.  When buyers see a 1970’s kitchen that is spotless, they comment on how clean it is.  It’s a blank canvas that can be updated someday and is considered usable the way it is.  When the same Buyers see a modern kitchen, that is dirty, it is a turn off.  It’s funny how the brain works, it doesn’t say “I can clean this”, like you would think; instead it says “I could never cook in here”.  If you don’t like to clean, hire someone – it is money well spent.

♦De-clutter kitchen counter tops by moving vitamins, medicine, knives and every appliance that is not essential into a cabinet or storage bin.  The more you remove from the counter — the bigger and cleaner it will look.  In the bathroom, find a new home for the toothpaste, mouthwash, toothbrush and makeup.  Clutter becomes visual noise for buyers.

♦Organize kitchen drawers, pantries, shelves and closets.  Buyers will be looking in them.

Pride of Ownership

How a seller presents a home to a buyer says a lot about how they have taken care of it. A clean, organized home shows pride of ownership which gives the buyer a bit of confidence in terms of its overall condition.

Where are you going?

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When I go on a listing appointment my first question is to ask where the owners are planning to go when their house sells. If plan A is to buy another home, we still need a backup plan.

Buy a Home in Austin

Contracts contingent on the sale of a current property are not desirable in current Central Texas real estate market because there are plenty of buyers to come by. If a seller is getting decent traffic on a home they are going to be less likely to accept an offer that may never close if proceeds are needed from the sale of the buyer’s current home. It is considered a house of cards and a risk in any market.

Selling Austin Homes

A seller is most likely not going to even consider a contingency offer if the buyer’s current home is not under contract. A potential seller can’t really have a specific house in mind to purchase until they are under contract with their current house and the desired house they want to buy may not be available when they do. Having a plan A, a plan B and even a plan C will alleviate some stress because the decisions will already be made.

The plan B alternative may include an extended stay hotel, renting a storage facility or converting to a month-to-month when a lease is involved. It may even mean staying with family (that’s typically plan z).

There is stress considering a plan B, because nobody wants to go there, but there is more stress when you don’t have one so it’s better to have a backup plan.

Turning Projects into Home Improvements

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kitchen floorsThe last month in Austin has been a little crazy for many people. School is out which means graduations, graduation parties and vacations. Memorial Day weekend and Father’s Day lend themselves more to backyard barbeques then house hunting. Austin also hosted the X Games.

South and Central Austin Home Finds

I have been spending quite a bit of time in South and Central Austin with buyers looking for homes, specifically Circle C Ranch, Hyde Park and just south of South Park Meadows. I’ve seen some of great laminate that looks so much like wood you can’t tell the difference and really nice stained concrete; both great – low maintenance alternatives to wood and tile.

Turning a Project into a Home Improvement before Selling

I’ve also seen a few unfinished projects. We have all been there. We start projects with the best intentions full of excitement and a tank of energy. Home improvement projects vary from installing new flooring, to replacing windows or even repairing a water leak. Whether it is a do-it yourself project or professional remodel there are typically things left undone when the project is over. Quarter-round molding, a ceiling or even window sills may need to be repainted.

I know, I know – those new floors look great and you are tired, wanting the furniture back in place and your life back. I get it, but finishing the project completely is like putting a ‘period’ on the end of a sentence. Buyers are looking in the now, they do not know the history of the stress and aggravation you endured getting the project done. The Seller sees the beautiful windows and the buyer sees that the windows need to be painted. To the Seller, it is almost done but to the buyer the project is just starting.

When you run out of steam, the best thing to do is hire a handyman. The truth is most people run out of steam when the project is about 90% complete. Having a handyman come in a finish the job with make the project go away and allow prospective buyers to appreciate your hard work for the masterpiece it is.

Staging with a Thinking Chair

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Where do you put a dining room table or large TV?   The answers may seem obvious, but for potential real estate buyers – they often are not. In Austin’s current hot sellers market, owners are often moving on prior to selling their current home. Home owners  move first because of a job transfer or owners can afford to buy without having to sell. Buying another home often leads to moving furniture, which often leads to an empty home.

Vacant homes for sale can be harder to sell

When a house for sale is vacant it is often hard for a buyer to figure out how to place furniture. It becomes more of a mental stumbling block and less of a question than one might think. When a buyer cannot figure out where a table might go or if a couch will fit somewhere, it takes them from enjoying the space to now figuring out the space – which means they aren’t even looking at the house anymore. When agent feedback starts coming back that the floor plan is odd or where did the owner put a couch, staging is often needed. Renting furniture can be expensive and there are some strategies to that can be taken before going that route.

Staging Strategies

  • Have pictures taken before the move to give buyers a visual of what the home looked like furnished. Pictures can be very helpful in dining areas and flex space. Flex rooms often confuse buyers so knowing how a seller utilized the space can be very helpful.
  • Don’t move everything at once. Yes, it is more expensive to move twice, but the alternative of keeping your house on the market or renting furniture could cost you more.
  • Floor plans that show furniture, pool tables and even pianos can be produced to show a buyer options on how to configure a space.

The Power of the Thinking chair

Often the best part about staging has nothing has nothing to do with furniture placement at all. It is about the buyers feeling at home when they are looking at a house. Sometimes a buyer just wants to sit and take in the space to envision actually living there. When there is a table and chairs or a sofa to sit on, buyers feel like they can take a breather and just take it all in. Every house for sale needs to have a thinking chair. As a seller, you want the buyer to stay and feel at home. Staging can not only make a house look like home, but feel like home too.