News and thoughts from behind the FrontDoor
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 17, 2009
In this week’s vlog, we hear from San Diego real estate broker and blogger Kris Berg about her tips for buying and selling a home in today’s market.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | June 30, 2009
During the real estate boom, no one really cared about staging — the act of preparing a home before putting it on the market so it can sell quickly and for top dollar. Back then, homes practically sold themselves. Sellers would get their asking price (or more in many cases) even if the place was dirty or filled with clutter.
Today, staging is the new buzz word. It’s become especially important in this highly competitive market, where traditional sellers are up against foreclosures and short sales (so-called distressed properties) that can offer rock-bottom prices for bargain hunters. And that’s what today’s buyers crave — a bargain.
But a nicely staged property offers that “move-in ready” appeal that buyers are willing to pay a bit more for. They want to see that the current owner is taking care of the home, not allowing it to fall apart, like the abandoned foreclosure down the street. If they see a fixer-upper, they’ll offer a fixer-upper price.
Luckily, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on home improvements or hire a professional stager to reap the benefits of a staged home. There are simple, inexpensive things you can do, including:
1) Clear out the clutter. If you don’t use it, sell it, give it away or throw it out. Hold a garage sale, donate it to Goodwill or post it on Craigslist. People are always looking for free or cheap stuff. If you simply can’t part with something that’s taking up a lot of space, like your winter clothes, pack it up and put it in storage.
2) Clean and repair. Cleaniness is next to godliness, especially in real estate. And be sure to fix what’s broken, including a squeaky cabinet door, leaky faucet or a torn screen door. If you like, replace outdated hardware and fixtures. They’re inexpensive and add that shiny new feel buyers love.
3) Make room and lighten up. Remove extra furniture or use a smaller couch or bed if they’re too big. Cramped rooms give buyers the impression that your house is small and lacks space. Store some of your clothes so your closets look bigger. Choose window treatments and lighting that brighten each room.
We’ve got tons more staging advice on FrontDoor.com. Staging Diva and FrontDoor Insider Debra Gould shares her top staging tips, including replacing family photos and personal items with tasteful art.
And if you have a little bit of a budget, get inspired by the experts on HGTV’s hit show “Designed to Sell,” who find creative ways to turn a slow mover into a showpiece for under $2,000.
You can see the dramatic makeovers in FrontDoor’s Designed to Sell: Room by Room Staging Guide. Check out these before and after pictures. As you can see, staging doesn’t just refer to the inside of your home. See what a difference curb appeal can make?
We just added 21 new videos and slideshows, so you get more cool ideas to bring out the best in your home!
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Posted by Annalisa Burgos | May 19, 2009
Let’s face it. Sellers in this market need as much help as they can get. When you’re competing with foreclosures and heavily-discounted new construction, your home needs to stand out. Play up your strengths, whether it’s a great view or amazing kitchen. And if you’ve got a REALLY unique feature, FrontDoor.com is the perfect place for you to market your one-of-a-kind property!
FrontDoor’s Cool Houses Daily (www.frontdoor.com/coolhouses) highlights the coolest, kookiest and most unique homes for sale across the U.S., from a custom-built grown-up treehouse for sale in Texas to the former home of gangster Al Capone listed in Chicago.
Each day, we showcase one new property that has a great story or very unusual selling feature, chosen from our more than 3.6 million for sale real estate listings.
Each Cool House is featured for about two weeks and actively promoted through FrontDoor’s weekly newsletter sent to 400,000 engaged home lovers and via various social networks such as Facebook (www.facebook.com/FrontDoor) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/HGTVFrontDoor), plus throughout the Web site itself.
Realtors and brokers can add value to their clients’ listings with CHD. Just go to the CHD page (www.frontdoor.com/coolhouses) for details on how to submit your cool house for sale. “Our audience appreciates a good story and we are always on the look out for new and unique ways to highlight homes available through FrontDoor,” says Rich Lacy, vice president and site director of FrontDoor.com. “This feature showcases additional dimensions to a listing.”
And for home lovers like me, it’s cool just to see what’s out there.
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Posted by Annalisa Burgos | May 7, 2009
During the height of the real estate boom, pricing a home was more like a technicality in the selling process, a suggestion to buyers. More often than not, the home would sell for more than what it was listed for, especially in hot markets. Back in the good ‘ol days, selling a home for at least your asking price was a sure thing.
Welcome to 2009. Pricing is no longer just a technicality. It means the difference between getting multiple showings or none. A home’s price can make or break a deal and affect whether your home will sell quickly or languish on the market for months.
FrontDoor’s new Pricing Guide (www.frontdoor.com/pricing) breaks down the various pricing strategies and factors you should consider to determine what your home is worth and get it sold.
One of the most common pricing faux-pas sellers make is getting emotionally involved. Sure, you may have invested a lot of time, sweat and money into your home, but if you’re selling in this market, forget about getting any love back. Pricing it below your competition will help you get it sold quickly. Learn how to avoid six common pricing mistakes and get solutions to four pricing dilemmas.
Also, special thanks to Nancy Spearrin, a seller from Solon, Maine, who shared her selling nightmare. Read her story in “My House is Worth What?” And if you’ve got a story to share, let us know by posting a comment.
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Posted by Annalisa Burgos | April 16, 2009
Selling a home is a challenging job racked with potential pitfalls. Those of us who’ve experienced those pitfalls know the misery. Well people, misery loves company!
FrontDoor.com wants to hear your stories about surviving a home selling nightmare! Did your home sit on the MLS for three months without one offer? Did your real estate agent list your home too high and you had to reduce the price every week? Did the professional stager charge you an arm and a leg for some new paint and candles? Did the appraisal come back lower than your sale price? Did the home inspection reveal thousands of dollars in necessary repairs and your buyer threatened to bail?
We want to hear about it! Email your home selling nightmares to egray@scrippsnetworks.com. We could feature you on FrontDoor.com’s new Pricing Your Home Guide, due out in May!
Everyone wants to get the most money out of their home when they sell, but you can’t always get what you want. If you really have to sell now, do the research so you can price your home based on fair market value and market trends. Be realistic. You may have to do a lot of compromising to get your home sold.
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