Home Seller Checklist

Selling your home requires many steps. Some of the most important ones are staging and decluttering your home.

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Aside from pricing, the best things to focus on for a successful home sale are staging and decluttering.

We don’t live in our homes in the same way that we showcase them. There is a huge difference between the two. There are probably a lot of things in your home that you’ll need to get rid or put in storage to properly prepare your home.

Curb appeal is the number one attractant of buyers.

When you remove those personal items, knick-knacks, and general clutter, you can maximize the space in your home. That is crucial for opening up the imagination of buyers who come and see the home. When they can imagine their own furniture and personal items in your home, they are only forming a stronger bond with the house.

Curb appeal is the number one attractant of buyers outside. Even if it’s just a quick landscaping fix or some peeling paint, get it shored up to attract more buyers. It can actually make the difference between somebody stopping and setting up a showing and just simply driving by. If your house doesn’t look pristine, the buyer might not come back.

If you have any questions for us or need help getting your home ready for a quick and profitable sale, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you soon.

The Latest in Lincoln Real Estate News

The Lincoln market is pretty crazy right now. There is a big opportunity out there currently, for sellers.

Buying a Lincoln Home? Search all Homes for Sale

Selling a Lincoln Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report

We’re already into the second quarter of 2017, but today we’re taking a look back at the first quarter to give you a better idea of what’s going on in the Lincoln real estate market.

It seems like everyone out there is talking about how crazy the market is. They’re right though, and the statistics back it up.

The average price is going up and it’s a great time to sell.

The number of closed sales in the first quarter was 740, while only 623 homes are currently listed for sale. That number is way too low. We need more inventory. If you have been thinking about selling and taking advantage of this historic market, there isn’t going to be a better time than today.

The average sale price is going up, and now sits at $195,000 for the Lincoln area. It’s an incredible time to be in the market, whether you’re looking to buy or sell. If you are looking to do either, we would love to take care of you. We’ve been in this industry for 40 years and you can always expect success with Lincoln’s leaders in real estate, The Searcy Team. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

10 Things That May Turn Buyers Away

 The way you live in your home is not the same way you sell a home.
Today we have ten tips to help you avoid house trends that will turn buyers off.

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Selling a Lincoln Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report

If you sell your home, you want to appeal to as many buyers as possible. Today, I wanted to share the top ten trends that can turn away buyers to help you avoid them in your home.

1. Boldly painted walls. Stick with neutral colors that are buyer-friendly. If you want colors that pop, do it with accessories.

2. Wallpaper. It's a personal preference, but it's very time-consuming to remove. That's the first thing a buyer will think about.

3. Lavish light fixtures. They should enhance your home, not be a centerpiece that steals the show. Like with paint, the more neutral, the better.

4. Gleaming colors. Stay away from metallic and bold colors. The more neutral, the better!

5. Converted areas like garages or bedrooms. Buyers prefer to walk into a bedroom and see it in its original intended purpose. If you've used a room for something other than the intended purpose, consider staging it.

Landscaping is good for curb appeal, but too much signals a lot of required maintenance.

6. Carpet. Get the carpet cleaned and fresh and get rid of any old shag carpet. Stay with the soft plush in neutral colors. 7. Covering hardwood floors. If there's hardwood under your carpet, you can get rid of that old dingy carpet and refinish the hardwood. Remember, most buyers prefer hardwood.
8. Overly lush landscaping. Landscaping is awesome for curb appeal, but overgrown landscaping will lead buyers to believe it requires too much maintenance.
9. Pools and hot tubs. Some people love pools and hot tubs, but here in Nebraska, we can't use them year round, so many buyers would rather have the yard space or save the time and money needed for maintenance.
10. Pet products out around the house. Get them all put away and hidden so that buyers can see your fresh and clean home, not evidence of pets. Remember, you don't live in a home the same way you show a home! These tips will help you fine-tune your home to appeal to the maximum amount of buyers.

If you have any more questions about this topic or you're thinking about buying or selling a house, give us a call or send us an email today. We'd love to hear from you!

5 Tips to Boost the Value of Your Home

Thinking about selling your home? Make sure you know these
five ways to add value to your home.

Buying a Lincoln Home? Search all Homes for Sale

Selling a Lincoln Home? Check out our FREE Home Value Report

When you list your home on the market, it’s always a good idea to make sure your home highlights its value to ensure you get the best price possible. Here are five ways you can add value to your home:

1. Clean up and clear out. You can do this one on your own. It’s all about decluttering and depersonalizing your home. This will make a huge impact when the buyer takes that first step into your home.

2. Spruce up your kitchen. The kitchen can make or break any sale, so whether you do a full remodel or just spend $300 to do some updating, make sure you put some work into that room.

The kitchen can make
or break any sale.

3. Freshen up the bathroom. Again, this can be anything from a few simple improvements to a complete remodel, but this room needs some attention as well.

4. Selectively paint rooms. This is the quickest and easiest way to transform the look of any room in the house. You can either hire someone to paint or do it yourself. Add a pop of color, but be sure to stay away from bolds and metallics.
5. Enhance the exterior. Make sure everything looks clean and neat. You might even consider getting some landscaping done. People will look at pictures of your home online and possibly do a drive by. The last thing you want them to see is an unkempt lawn or overgrown bushes. If you have any other questions about how to enhance the value of your home or any other real estate related questions, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We are always happy to help!