Navy Fellas Realty Group

Real Estate, Residential sales and purchase

Why Go To Open Houses Even If You Don’t Want To Move?

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Why Go To Open Houses Even If You Don't Want To Move?If you take a drive around your neighborhood, there is a high chance that you will see a bunch of houses for sale. All of a sudden, you feel a bit of curiosity strike you. You might not be looking to move, but you might want to go look at that house anyway. There is nothing wrong with doing so! There are several reasons why you should still go and take a look at houses that are for sale even if you are not looking to move.

You Can Estimate The Value Of Your House

One of the first reasons why you should check out an open house is that you get an estimate of the value of your home. Your house is an investment, and it is important to treat it as such. You can’t look up a stock ticker symbol for your house, but you can take a look at what other houses in your neighborhood are selling for. You can use this information to estimate the value of your home.

You Get Decorating Ideas

If you are looking for a way to remodel your house, you may want to figure out what is trendy right now. If you take a look at an open house, the style should be current because it is for sale. You can get some great ideas that you might want to use to update your own house.

You Learn What To Avoid

Even though it is important to figure out what you want to do with your house, it is also important to figure out what you don’t want to do. There may be an awkward living room configuration, there might be something blocking a major window, or you might notice a converted room that did not work out. Make a mental note of this.

Check Out A Few Open Houses

The next time you see an open house in your neighborhood, consider showing up. Sure, you might get a free snack out of it, but this is also an opportunity to take a look at what is “in,” what the prices look like right now, and what you might want to avoid in your own house. 

 

4 Simple Tips To Make Sure Your Home Smells Inviting

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4 Simple Tips To Make Sure Your Home Smells InvitingAs a diligent home seller, you’ve taken all your real estate agent’s advice about preparing your home for showings. You’ve de-cluttered, enhanced curb appeal and developed efficient strategies for leaving your home while viewings are taking place.

But have you given any thought to how your home smells to strangers?

Newcomers to your home will naturally be more sensitive to the smells of your house. Your nose is likely desensitized to your common household odors, but a prospective buyer may be put off by how it smells. Here are some ways to make sure your home smells inviting.

Don’t Burn Incense

If you enjoy burning incense, you might think this is a nice way to impart a lovely scent in your home. But don’t burn incense before showings. The visitors may be unfamiliar with common incense smells like patchouli, myrrh, jasmine and others. And if they can’t identify it, even a pleasant scent can be off putting. The best thing is to save your incense for when you’ve moved into your new home.

Move The Litter Box

If your cat uses a litter box, be sure to change or refresh it daily. This will help keep the scent from spreading throughout the home. Also, move the litter box to a less noticeable part of the home, such as the mudroom, garage or basement.

An odorous kitty litter box is more forgivable if it’s in an out of the way spot. And, as long as you let your cat know where it is, it will likely have no trouble adjusting.

Have Your Pets Professionally Groomed

Invest in professional pet grooming services to reduce the smell of dogs and/or cats in the home. Pet dander is not only an allergen; it imparts a musky scent that some homebuyers may not enjoy. A once a month grooming should be sufficient unless your pet is exposed to heavy rains or muddy conditions; in which case an extra grooming session is recommended.

Avoid Cooking Prior To Showings

Just like incense, if a homebuyer can’t recognize a scent, it can be off putting. Avoid cooking just before showings, if possible. Things like onions and garlic smell wonderful if you’re hungry, but not necessarily to a homebuyer. Of course, the scent of a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies is always appreciated – let’s be honest!

Don’t forget to take your home’s smell into consideration when preparing it for showings. These tips will help ensure your home smells its very best.

Be sure to communicate with your trusted real estate professional for more tips and tricks to help make your home appealing to the most buyers.

How To Host A Successful Open House

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How To Host A Successful Open HouseFrom fixing up all the minor repairs to cleaning the house top-to-bottom, there are a lot of small details that go into organizing the perfect open house. However, in the rush to organize everything, there are a number of to-do’s that are easy to forget about. If you’re currently prepping your home and don’t want to miss the important stuff, here are some things you should contemplate before setting the date.

The Outside Look

The first thing potential homebuyers will notice when they arrive at your home is the outside, and that’s why it’s so important not to neglect it. Before organizing your open house, make sure the lawn is mowed, any unsightly hedges are trimmed and that your entrance area and flowerbeds are well maintained. Since potential homebuyers will see the outside before anything else, there’s no sense in losing them for having a disheveled lawn before they’ve even walked through the door.

Effectively Market The Event

Many home sellers want to believe that their house will sell itself, but if no one knows about your open house or bothers to show up, there’s no chance of getting any offers. While your real estate agent should be featuring your home on their website, you may also want to hand out flyers to your neighbors and make a few posts on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook to get the word out. There are no assurances when it comes to drumming up interest, but spreading the word with as many people as possible will likely find a few interested parties.

Use The Five Senses

It may not be the most common advice, but engaging potential buyers on a number of different levels can actually enhance the appeal of your home. Playing a little music can be a good way to make them feel comfortable, and you may want to do a little baking beforehand since the sense of smell can have a powerful impact. It may seem a little bit quirky, but there’s nothing to make people feel comfortable and at home like the scent of freshly baked treats and a little music.

There’s plenty of cleaning and organizing when it comes to an open house but it’s also important to look at the big picture when it comes to prepping for your home showing. If you’re nearly ready to put your home on the market, contact your local real estate professional for more information.

The Essentials for a Successful Open House

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The Essentials for a Successful Open HouseFrom the cleaning to the organizing to the small fix-ups around the house, there can be a lot of minor details that go into staging a successful open house. However, there are a few essential items you should be sure not to forget about when you prep your home for an influx of potential buyers.

Choose The Right Time

If you happen to be selling your home in the busy season, it’s important to set your open house at a time that gives potential buyers room to breathe. While weekends are a popular time for open houses, you may want to choose a day or time that is a little different from other homes in your area. This means visitors to your home will be able to take their time and really see the details that make your home distinct and worth a second look.

The Exterior Speaks Volumes

With so much cleaning and so many small maintenance duties, it can be easy to forget about the first thing that guests will see when they show up at your doorstep, the exterior. However, this will provide the initial impression so you’ll want to ensure that it’s a positive one. Before organizing your open house, make sure the lawn is cleared and cut, the hedges are trimmed and your doorway is well maintained.

Make The Marketing Count

If you’ve primed your home for your open house, it’s important to ensure your marketing efforts are up to snuff and will get people through the door. While your real estate agent should feature your home and some professional photos on their website, you should also consider handing out flyers to your neighbors and advertising on social media to reach anyone who might be interested.

Engage All The Senses

It might sound strange, but a house that smells and sounds good in addition to a house that looks good can actually work wonders in swinging a buyer in the direction of your home. While having a clean, clutter-free place is ideal, you may want to consider baking beforehand or even leaving a little music on so people will feel relaxed and right at home.

There are a lot of little tricks that go into a successful open house and it’s important to utilize all of them to get the best results. If you’re putting your home on the market, contact your trusted local real estate professional for more information.