Selling a Home in Rochester MN

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STAGING YOUR HOME TO SELL – Is it really that important?

You bet it is! Just check out HGTV’s Designed to Sell, Sell This House, and numerous House Hunter programs that show potential buyers’ reactions to a home in the first 15 minutes of viewing it. Did you know that right from the curb, while buyers are still in the car with their Realtor, they are already forming an opinion of your home from it’s “curb appeal”? Did you know that the walk to the front door of your home is just as important as the tour of the interior of your home? Staging helps create a positive reaction/opinion of your home from the front door to the family room; staging is a successful re-organization of your home to allow it to show it’s best light, setting your home apart from other homes on the market, with the assistance of The Williams Home Team.

We believe that successful home staging requires analyzing each room in your home and using our expertise in determining what techniques to use that will make your home appealing to all potential buyers. Having your home staged by a certified professional will set your home apart from the other homes on the market. Our goal is to create an environment that is beautiful, clean, and stress free that welcomes everyone. We have two licensed Realtors on The Williams Home Team, and an additional Professional Stager that can assist you in these steps from FOR SALE to SOLD:

We use an 8 step” Feel Home” staging philosophy that is successful in creating several “emotional connection points” through out the home.

First Impressions – Room by room we will walk through and take note of our first impressions. What grabs us, what glares at us, and what gives us a feeling of home?
Eliminating Clutter – We will start packing things away in order to create a more open and spacious feel. Potential buyers are looking for square footage.
Emphasizing the Positives and Downplaying the Negatives – Finding the natural focal points, we will emphasize what we love about the room and hide or detract from the negative aspects.
Lighten Up – Focusing on lighting and color, we make each room into a bright, warm, and inviting space that buyers can respond to.
Home Buyers Appeal – In order for a buyer to feel at home, they need NOT be reminded of this being someone else’s home. We’ll therefore “de-personalize” the space while retaining its warmth.
Odors/Cleaning/Repairs – The “dirty work” is sometimes overlooked because you’ve lived here for so long. Let’s get rid of the buyers’ mental “repair list” by doing it ourselves.
Modernizing – We will update the style so the buyers feel they are getting the latest and greatest in decorating trends.
Emotional Connection Points – We want to create the “WOW” factor. This is a huge focus for our strategy. We build these connection points into each room so the buyers subconsciously desire to buy this house.

Our mission is to “exceed the expectations” of home sellers in the beautiful Rochester, Minnesota area and the surrounding Southeastern Suburbs.

Home Staging

Staging F.A.Q.'s
Home Staging is not an expense but an investment!
Staging Step Sheet
Staging Statistics

Real Estate Calculators

What's My Home Worth?
Real Estate Calculators
Current Interest Rates
Real Estate Glossary

Selling a Home in Southern Minnesota
Resources
Get Ready to Show
Room to Room
Finishing Touches
The Offer

Selling a Home in Southern Minnesota

Your home will likely be the largest investment you make in your life. Thus, the importance of selling your home quickly and at a fair value cannot be underestimated. Hiring a REALTOR® can have a huge impact on your ability to successfully sell your house.

One major advantage that can be gained from using a REALTOR® is an effective marketing presence. They can pool resources to spotlight your home in large promotional campaigns and provide you with a premium Internet showcase for your property. They will also perform a competitive market analysis to determine your home’s value on the open market.

A REALTOR® will also be able to offer you sage advice throughout the home selling process and will work through all of the pitfalls and challenges that can come up in any real estate transaction. They will teach you proper ways to showcase your home through simple, inexpensive techniques that will best impact a buyer’s first impression. Their expert advice will allow you to earn maximum value for your home. A REALTOR® is truly your advocate in the confusing world or real estate.

Resources

Selling a home is one of the most stressful experiences an individual can go through and with the money involved, mistakes can really impact your bottom line. A Rochester REALTOR® understands the complexities of modern real estate transactions and understands the current market conditions. Also, your REALTOR® has access to the MLS and the backing of a company with a significant advertising and marketing presence in the market. This will allow your REALTOR® to sell your home as quickly as possible with maximum profit for you.

In this economy, buyers are savvy and well informed. Over price your home and it will sit on the market for months with little interest. Under price your home and it will sell in days – at the expense of your profits. Your REALTOR® will help you set a price that will align with your needs and compare favorably with other homes in the area by comparing size, layout, condition and location. Your REALTOR® will put a lot of research into this process to ensure you make the right decision.

Get Ready to Show

In order to sell your home you have to dress it up and make it look its best. Detach yourself from the sentiment of it being your home and look at it from an outsider’s perspective. It is these little things that can often make the difference in how quickly a home sells.

First, start with the outside of your home and its “curb appeal.” Remove junk and clutter from the yard, trim shrubbery and hedges and keep a green, well-maintained lawn. Wash your decks and porches and ensure your wood features (including doors) are stained or painted. Clean out your gutters and downspouts and ensure walkways are clean and easily traversed. Exterior windows and lights should be clean and operational. Also, make sure to keep your garage door closed at all times.

Inside your house, make sure your walls are in pristine shape and freshly painted. Flooring should be steam-cleaned or washed. Worn and stained carpeting should be replaced as well as cracked flooring. Broken windows should be replaced and lights should be cleaned and all light bulbs should be working. Your home should be regularly cleaned and smell fresh. Remove all items that are not essential to your day to day life – the less clutter the more inviting your home will appear. Keep your closets neat and maintained. These simple tips will showcase your home in its best possible light and increase your chances of completing a sale.

Room to Room

Here are some tips to follow as you try to make each room look its very best:

As you go through your home, make sure all of your rooms are well lit and clutter free. Test all light switches to ensure they work. Keep furniture polished and dust free and clean windows and drapes in all of your rooms. In rooms with tile or hardwoods, make sure to keep the floors mopped and polished. In rooms with carpet, be sure to regularly vacuum.

Potential buyers will be traveling through your home so make sure to align furniture in a way that allows for an easy flow of traffic and gives the buyer the ability to visualize themselves living in that space. If rooms have a fireplace, clean out the ashes and debris. If any of your rooms are damp or musty, use a dehumidifier to air out the room.

Two types of rooms need some specific work done – kitchens and bathrooms. In your kitchen, clean the exterior of all appliances (including the stove hood filter) and all countertops and cabinet faces. Pay close attention to the floors and keep them as shiny and bright as possible. Keep the area free of clutter, specifically removing magnets and messages from the front of the refrigerator.

In your bathroom, make sure all lights have the highest wattage that is safe for each fixture. Remove all stains from fixtures and mildew from sinks, showers and bathtubs. If drains clog or faucets drip, get these replaced. Make sure your shower doors sparkle and put out fresh, clean towels that will make the room seem more inviting.

Finishing Touches

You will likely be given advance notice before a showing of your home is to take place. Use this time to place your house in the best positive light for the buyer and add some of these finishing touches to make it feel like a cozy home.

Set a comfortable temperature in your house and put on some relaxing music. The more comfortable the atmosphere, the easier it is for a buyer to feel they could be happy living in your house. Open all window treatments to allow in the maximum natural light and turn on all of your indoor and outdoor lights – this is much more psychologically pleasing to a buyer.

Go through your home and empty out all of the trash from wastebaskets. Trash, even in small amounts, sends negative images to a buyer. Also, give your home a fragrant scent. Scented sprays are very obvious and may even be disturbing to some buyers. Instead, quickly make some refrigerator cookies or boil some water on your stove and add cinnamon or vanilla extract. This will also add to the pleasant atmosphere in your home.

Finally, and most importantly, get out (and take your pets with you if possible)! Prospective buyers are much more likely to feel uncomfortable with you there and it may not allow the REALTOR® the opportunity to speak freely with and establish a rapport with the buyer.

The Offer

Eventually, all your hard work will pay off and someone will make an offer to purchase your home. Things happen fast in this phase and difficult decisions need to be made very quickly so it is important to understand your priorities in selling your home to aid with negotiations. Until you agree to the sales contract, the buyer can revoke it at any time, so it is best to respond quickly with either a signature or a counter-offer. A counter offer always contains an element of risk because even a minor change to the contract language provides the buyer with an opportunity to change their mind.

Once both sides have agreed on the terms and signed the contract, your last step in the process is the closing. Simply put, it is the time between the signing of the sales contract to the day the deed is recorded. Once all parties have signed all of the documents, you will hand over the keys and receive your check. Congratulations! You have just sold your home.

However, selling a home means finding a new place to live and moving out. As you prepare to move, be sure to notify the post office of your forwarding address and change all subscriptions, utilities and billing addresses to your new address. As you pack up your possessions, make sure you pack one room at a time and keep your boxes light enough for easy transport. Be sure to use packing materials or towels and blankets to keep your possessions safe and secure during the move. Try to keep your most valued possessions with you during the actual move if possible. Also, remember to plan for the needs of children or pets (if you have any) during your move and make sure you are carrying enough cash to get you through the moving process.