Tag Archives: Selling a home

Looking to sell a home in Austin? Doreen Zelma is a real estate professional ready to help. Doreen is a seasoned listing agent and offers only best marketing in Austin.

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.

Home Improvements and Accessories

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360-2006_10_15_(5)_kitchen_viewThe difference between a house and a home is you.  The memories, the pictures, the furniture, even the paint color combine to create a unique blend that reflects your own personality and style.  Improvements and accessories personalize, improve and/or allow for added functionality that a home may not have had before.  Consider them enhancements when it is time to sell an Austin home because they add appeal whether it’s monetary or simply enhances the functionality of a room.

So what items convey with the property and what items move with you when selling your home?  There are often many assumptions made here by the seller but make no mistake, the opposite thought process is often made by the buyer.  When I have a listing appointment I try to go through items I see and review a contract since many of the items are noted.

Austin Homes for Sale

When buying an Austin home Improvements generally affixed to the dwelling or property are considered permanently installed and built-in so they convey with the sale as real property.  They include items like: shrubbery, plumbing, light fixtures, wall-to-wall carpeting, garage door openers, shutters, mounts and brackets for televisions and speakers.

Accessories include items like stoves, curtains and rods, blinds, draperies, artificial fireplace logs, above ground pools and pool equipment.

Sometimes there are items Sellers want to take typically because they have some sort of personal attachment to them.  Grandma’s chandelier is hanging in the dining room, there are bookcases in the living room or maybe you just really like the curtains.  If it is yours and you want to take it with you, the best thing to do is to remove the item before we list it.  Removing grandma’s chandelier and replacing it with another fixture is simple enough to do and avoids discussions or assumptions later on.

If there is something that is going to stay visible that a Buyer would expect is staying, the best thing to do is to post of little sign on it so that potential buyers know up front that the item is not conveying.  Later on when an offer arrives any improvements and accessories that will be retained by the Seller should be listed into the contract under the exclusions section.  This way it is crystal clear to both parties.

Austin Inspection in Home Buying Process

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searchPart of the Austin home buying process is a home inspection which takes place during an option period and typically signifies the mental transition of stepping off cloud 9 for a minute. Buyer’s remorse, if it’s going to happen, usually occurs within the first 24 hours of signing the contract to purchase. If the buyer is not having second thoughts, the inspection puts emotions aside and brings the buyer back to earth to explore the data.

Austin Home Inspection Process

A home inspector will test systems like heating and air, review construction and materials. If present, the inspector will review some of the highlights in person with the buyer and will then email a copy of the full report typically that evening.

An inspection report is generally about 40 pages long and can be overwhelming partially just due to building code changes. Like anything else, we all learn more overtime so technology changes along with construction because there are simply better or safer ways of doing things then there were years ago. GFCI outlets are a perfect simple example of this – many older homes don’t have them.

General and specific inspections in Austin should be done during the option period in order to protect the buyer’s earnest money

Think of an inspector as a general practitioner. An inspector may not be able to pin point what is wrong with a specific system like a dishwasher, but will help the buyer determine whether a plumber is then needed to further diagnose the problem. Time is of the essence here to bring a specialist in the look at the item of concern. Yes, there is an added cost, but the onus is on the buyer to determine whether or not they want the home. That does not necessarily mean pay for the repair, but if the buyer still wants the home, the buyer needs to bring specific knowledge to the seller. Understand, it is in the buyer’s best interest to understand what needs to be done.

Getting to Yes

If a buyer comes up with a list of 20 items they want repaired or a concession for them, the seller is going to be overwhelmed very quickly and will more often than not say just say no. A seller is often more emotionally tied to a home than a buyer is. The message that the buyer is sending is that he isn’t even ‘in like’ with the house anymore and doesn’t really want it.

I tell buyers to pick the top 3-5 areas of concern along with estimates to support what those concerns equate to, if significant, and those are the items we go back and discuss with the seller. Understand it is still the seller’s home and he can do whatever he wants. He can still simply say no. He can also ask to extend the option period to protect the buyer and allow time to do his own inspection. How the repairs are handled is often based on what the cost will be or how invasive the repair is.

The outcome of an inspection amendment is as unique as the people involved. When the right match of seller and buyer come together, the universe has a way of working things out. Everyone feels good which is how you get to a place of yes.

 

Buyers are Guests too

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happy familyBuyers come back for a second showing when they really like a house. If buyers don’t like a house the first time, they don’t come back. It’s important, for a seller, to make every showing count and not to let anyone in until they are 100% ready. It is often about the little things that make a good first impression. Replacing burnt light bulbs, lampshades, throw rugs, sweeping the walkway and cleaning the windows can give a house a mini face lift and really show pride of ownership. One of the benefits of selling a home this time of year is that many of those things happen anyway.

The Austin Home Buying Season is Year Round

Real estate does not slow down in Austin anymore during the winter months.  When selling a house any time of the year, you want to make it clean enough for company. This time of year getting a home ready to sell is easier since owners often have guests over, which adds some needed motivation to get a home spic and span. Making a buyer feel like a guest, will make them want to stay – which is exactly what you want them to do.

1415 Laurel Glen Boulevard For Sale

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White stone front single story beauty features professionally landscaped front and backyard with nice tree canopy, white stone wood burning fireplace in living, laminate and tile flooring throughout with large closets. Nice floor plan with master bedroom suite separate from secondary bedrooms. One bedroom could double as a study. Updates include: double-hung windows, tile bathtub surround, French glass back door, garage doors, kitchen counters and stainless steel sink. Large deck with storage shed in the backyard.  Close to Pleasant Hill Elementary

1415 Laurel Glen Boulevard, Leander Texas 78641

  • 1,377 square feet (per tax record)
  • 3 bedrooms
  • 2 baths
  • Single Story
  • 2 car garage
  • no carpet
  • Fireplace
  • Year built 1986

Oak Ridge Subdivision in Leander

1415 Laurel Glen Boulevard is located in the Oak Ridge subdivision.  Oak Ridge features a community pool, playground, tennis and sports court.

1415 Laurel Glen Blvd. is a home for sale in Leander, Texas

 

 

 

Pool Season

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PoolSwimming pools: the instant source for entertainment, relaxation and exercise. They provide a backyard retreat and a tranquil view that is a luxury marker some buyers dream about having. For those buyers who want a pool, houses with them are much easier to sell. Forget the condition of the house– that oasis in the backyard, especially on a hot day kind of sells itself, doesn’t it?

Pools can be more of a hindrance than a help. Not everyone wants a pool. In fact, I would say 70% of people don’t. Pools cost money and time to maintain. In addition, there are safety concerns for people with small children and pets. They can also take up a lot of yard space.

Swimming Pool Tips for both Buyers and Sellers

Swimming Pool Owners
•Maintain and update your pool. Nobody wants to buy a money pit (literally).
•If you can afford switch to saline — do it, it is a selling feature.
•If you own in a subdivision where most homes have a private pool…buyers will be comparing your ‘pool’ appeal.
•Make sure the pool area looks clean, maintained and inviting.

Buying a Home with a pool
•A general inspector will not inspect a pool, but many pool companies do. Have a pool inspection – they can be costly to fix.
•If you want to know how much it costs to maintain a pool including what you will spend on chemicals, electric and water — the answer is — you don’t want a pool! They can be costly, and if you are already watching your budget — a pool is going to blow it.
•Remember, pools limit your potential number of buyers, so they can take longer to sell when the time comes.

As someone who grew up having a pool, I understand the appeal of having one from a lifestyle perspective. My experience is that they are great for moments in time. You will spend more time staring at a pool during your ownership, then you will spend in it. If you have a pool, don’t let it become another 4-letter word make sure it shines because it can make or break a sale.

Pools in Austin

Austin Texas has a variety of options for people who want to enjoy a pool, but don’t want to maintain one. Many planned single family home communities in Austin have pools that are included with HOA fees or may require a nominal additional fee. Condominium communities in Austin often have a private pool as well for residents. An automated home search can be customized to only include properties with community with pools.

There are many public pools in Austin as well. There are 27 neighborhood pools and 6 municipal pools in total. The most well known pool is Barton Springs, located in Zilker Park. Centrally located in the neighborhood of Barton Hills, Barton Springs Pool is spring fed, just over 900 feet long and maintains a consistent temperature of 68 degrees year round.

Just Sold in Barton Hills

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1304 Robert E LeeJust sold, 1304 Robert E Lee Road in Barton Hills offers nearly 3,000 square feet of living space in this 2-story duplex.  Side A has 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and a loft space, with the master located on the main floor.  Side B features 3 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths with the master on the second floor.  Each side of the duplex has it’s own private outdoor yard space, a wood burning fireplace, separate utility closets and carport space.

1304 Robert E Lee Road, Austin, TX 78704

1304 Robert E lee Road was an attractive investment property due to it’s hot 78704 location.  The zip code 78704 in Austin is the home of Zilker Park, Barton Springs Restaurant Row, South Congress Avenue in the SoCo District, the Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail, Lady Bird Lake, the SoLa District on South Lamar and the SoFi District on South First.

Barton Hills, Austin 78704

1304 Robert E Lee Road is very close to Barton Springs Pool, Zilker Park and the Umlauf Sculpture Garden.  This Luxury location is convenient when Austin’s local festivals like the Zilker Park Kite Festival, SXSW and the Austin City Limits Music Festival are taking place.