The Star: July 06, 2017

48 Thursday July 6 2017
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Your Earthquake
damaged home!
Talk to us if you are serious about
selling your “As is Where is” home.
We have sold over
100 “As is Where is”
homes and we have
a huge database of
qualified buyers.
We have
achieved record
breaking prices
recently!
The Best Kept Secrets
to Selling Your Home
Selling Secret #1: The first impression is the
only impression
No matter how good the interior of your home looks,
buyers have already judged your home before they walk
through the door. You never have a second chance to
make a first impression. It’s important to make people
feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the
house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive
shrubs and brightly colored flowers. Entry ways are also
important. You use it as a utility space for your coat and
keys. But, when you’re selling, make it welcoming by
putting in a small bench or a vase of fresh-cut flowers.
Selling Secret #2: Always be ready to show
Your house needs to be “show-ready” at all times – you
never know when your buyer is going to walk through
the door. You have to be available whenever they want
to come see the place and it has to be in tip-top shape.
Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher
cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure
there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little
inconvenient, but it will get your house sold.
Selling Secret #3: The kitchen comes first
You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling
your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of
remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part
of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back.
It may be a few thousand dollars to replace countertops
where a buyer may knock $10,000 off the asking
price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most
inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new
cabinet hardware. Use a neutral-color paint so you can
present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start
envisioning their own style. If you have a little money
to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance. Why
one? Because when people see one high-end appliance
they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates
the kitchen.
Selling Secret #4: Take the home out of your house
One of the most important things to do when selling
your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal
stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can
imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your
stuff – put it in storage. This includes family photos,
memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes.
Staging simply means arranging your furniture to best
showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space.
Selling Secret #5: Don’t over-upgrade
Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth
makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your
money back if you do a huge improvement project before
you put your house on the market. Instead, do updates
that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh
coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy
some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles,
cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track,
fix leaky faucets and clean the grout.
Selling Secret #6: Conceal the critters
You might think a cuddly dog would warm the hearts
of potential buyers, but you’d be wrong. Not everybody
is a dog- or cat-lover. Buyers don’t want to walk in your
home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell the kitty
litter box or have tufts of pet hair stuck to their clothes.
It will give buyers the impression that your house is not
clean. If you’re planning an open home don’t leave your
pets around.
Selling Secret #7: Play the agent field
A secret sale killer is hiring the wrong real estate agent.
Make sure you have an agent who is totally informed.
They must constantly monitor the multiple listing
service (MLS), know what properties are going on the
market and know the comps in your neighborhood. Find
an agent who embraces technology – a tech-savvy one
has many tools to get your house sold.
Selling Secret #8: Light it up
Maximize the light in your home. After location, good
light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they
want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the
windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage
of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let
in sunshine. Do what you have to do make your house
bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable.
Selling Secret #9: Half-empty closets
Storage is something every buyer is looking for and
can never have enough of. Take half the stuff out of
your closets then neatly organize what’s left in there.
Buyers will snoop, so be sure to keep all your closets and
cabinets clean and tidy.
For more information:
Mike Fulham
P 364 7406
E mike@christchurchstar.co.nz
OPEN HOMES
Come to an open home
or make a time to view.
Cashmere: 75 Valley Road
Stunning City Views: Brand new executive home.
Collapsed sale, back on the market, be quick! 4
bdrms, 2 bthrms, single gge. Extra parking.
See it, love it, get it! Enquiry over $850,000.
Sunday 2.15 – 2.45pm
Linwood: 1a Clive St
Affordable, Sizable & Practical: Very tidy 3 dble
bdrm home. Modern kitchen, new paint, carpet.
Off street parking. Great value for money.
Sunday 12 – 12.30pm
North New Brighton: 12 Saltaire Street
Selling $20,000 Below R.V: Reduced to sell now.
2/3 bdrms. Woodburner on wetback. Re-wired,
re-roofed, re-painted. New dble garage. Enquiry
over $355,000 (RV $375,000).
Sunday 1 – 1.30pm
"Successfully selling
real estate city-wide
since 1993"
THE MARKET
Phil & Holly Jones
Ph 03-382-2230
Phil 027 435 7711
Holly 027 222 0220
phil.jones@raywhite.com
Yes, everyone is saying sales have slowed
down with solicitors saying that contracts
coming in are noticeably fewer and the
Christchurch City Council LIMS taking only a
couple of days. In fact today as I write this
there are only 39 LIM applications showing.
But there are definitely buyers out there, a
lot of them pre-approved and just waiting
to find their new home. It is an excellent
time to do real estate business if you are
buying and selling on the same market.
DOING A REAL ESTATE
TRANSACTION IN WINTER
It’s not for everyone, but it is an excellent
time to sell. There are always buyers in the
market and winter buyers are usually very
serious and motivated to be out in all
weathers. The number of houses available
is usually less which gives you an advantage
over those who may decide to sell in Spring.
Viewing a house in winter will give a buyer
the opportunity to see how it performs in
terms of winter sun, heating and insulation.
Some buyers prefer to buy in winter.
Presentation is always important inside and
out, so do you best to show your home in its
very best light. Ensure you have done any
small maintenance jobs such as cleaning the
guttering or chimney.
Do you know what the current
value of your home is? Find out,
call Trish now for a free appraisal.
Trish Lawrence
ph 0800 874 745
Trish donates to Camp Quality
Licensed (REAA 2008)
Results Realty Ltd
Initial Realty Ltd
Licensed Agent REAA 2008
NEW LISTINGS
Oamaru
WANT TO BE ON THE PROPERTY LADDER?
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Web: G8AGF3
3 1 3
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SBD BEO = ‘Sale By Deadline Buyer Enquiry Over’
*
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Call Oamaru’s No. 1 Team For Listing & Selling - Ph (03) 434 9014
Robertson Real Estate Ltd MREINZ - Licensed Real Estate Agent REAA 2008
THE EPITOME OF CLASS & STYLE
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Check out all our listings at www.oamaru.ljhooker.co.nz | Deal with the Best: LJ Hooker Oamaru - The Most Productive Team in NZ *