Category Archives: Selling Tips

Show Your Buyer the Light

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Have you ever walked into a room and just felt depressed, maybe your mood downshifted and you weren’t sure why? Something I’ve realized over the years is that when there is not enough light in a room, it just doesn’t feel inviting or warm. When my wife and I walked into the home we currently own, we were instantly drawn to the natural light pouring in.

After having countless conversations with others, there seems to be a similar conclusion regarding light. When you’re staging your home for a showing, let the light shine in. Do a room by room audit and ensure that each has the maximum amount of light possible. Allowing the light in will help show prospective buyers your home with the best possible viewpoint. Here are a couple of suggestions:

  • Open all shades and blinds in your home.
  • Change out old light bulbs and fixtures.
  • Consider the decor in the room. Sometimes no matter how much light is in the room, the dark colored flooring or decor could be something difficult to overcome.
  • Add more lighting if needed.
  • Clean the windows to ensure that all grease and markings are not visible and the potential buyers get the best views possible out of your homes windows.

For more suggestions, check out this article at realtor.com

If you have questions about the home buying or selling process in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, feel free to contact me. Whether your purchase or sale of a property is in the near future or further down the road, I’m here to help you on your real estate journey. My name is Rick Curtis and I am an Associate Broker with Key Realty Delta County in Escanaba, MI. Call/Text (906) 280-6118 or email Rick@KeyRealtyUP.com

Take the time to make your home shine

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Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

When selling your home, typically potential buyers will want to see your home before committing to buying it. As a result, it is imperative to allow the buyer to fram the best possible picture of your home when the come for the showing. What does this mean? It means, clean up the clutter, wash the floors, vacuum the carpet, wash the cupboards, basically make your home shine. There aren’t many bigger turnoffs for a buyer, than walking into a home that is dirty and cluttered with other peoples stuff. First impressions are important and in a competitive real estate market, you can use every advantage you can get to sell your home.

Check out this helpful article from the Cleaning Institute

Choosing which Colors to Paint with

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Can the color of a room influence your mood? According to HGTV “color can make rooms feel bigger or smaller without the time and expense of actually moving walls”. This might be something you want to consider when trying to sell your home. Anything that will make your home inviting is going to be worth considering and painting interior rooms is usually done as a DIY project for homeowners.

In the past, our family has tried out different colors in our home as an experiment to see how it worked out. We had some success with reds and blues and not the best luck with yellow. If you’re struggling with what each color means, check out this article for some clarification. If you don’t like the color, you can always repaint it.

Consider the curb appeal when selling your home

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Put yourself in the shoes of potential buyers. The curb appeal will be what potentially draws them in to look at your home. Anything, that makes your home look more appealing as someone drives by refers to curb appeal. What do they see: Is the home inviting or does it look like it needs extensive work? What could make your home look more desirable than other homes in your neighborhood?

Improving your homes curb appeal may determine if a potential buyer actually decides to enter your home.

Examples to help your home look better during the drive by:

  • Keep your lawn mowed and neat
  • Give a fresh coat of paint to peeling trim or doors
  • Trim or remove overgrown shrubs and trees
  • Remove weeds and plant tasteful plants or flowers near your home
  • Sweep brush and dirt from sidewalks and driveways

Check out some tips from realtor.com to help you add instant curb appeal for under $200.

Guess what time of year it is

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Spring Cleaning

Spring is coming and what does that mean, besides the weather beginning to warm up and the flowers beginning to bloom? Its also Spring cleaning! It is that time of the year when we go through all our belongings and determine what we need and what we could live without. This is especially important when you are buying or selling your home. Spring cleaning can help streamline both the buying and selling process. Let me give you a couple of examples:

Buyer: If you have a large amount of personal belongings that you need to pack and bring to the new place, it can be very stressful. In my family’s experience, the less stuff we have to take with us the easier the transition seems. It becomes less daunting to pick up and move if there a great deal less to pack.

Seller: For prospective buyers, the more stuff you have in the home, the harder it may be for them to picture themselves in the home. They could become overwhelmed by all of your stuff and decide that it would take too much room for them to “make it their own”. It helps to organize your main living areas and even tidy up closets to give the buyer space to see living there.

Spring offers us a chance each year to in a sense, “begin anew” to lighten our load if you will. I would recommend that you look around this Spring to see how you can lighten up. Sometimes it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. Here’s a tip a family member previously shared with us: If we haven’t used it in a year, you may want to consider getting rid of it.

Happy Spring Cleaning!

Updating Your Home

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Love it? Hate it? While searching for prospective homes, you will find homes with oak cabinetry. It is a beautiful wood, but paired with an outdated kitchen, it can make the home look aged. There are many ways to update a kitchen look without changing the look of the wood cabinets (whether you love it or not).

  • Backsplash – Add a modern backsplash to your kitchen. It is amazing how this can transform a space.
  • Paint – Choose a complementary paint color. I love the choices listed in this article.
  • Knobs/Pulls – Some oak cabinets have REALLY dated knobs or pulls. Update to a modern look.
  • Curtains/Drapes – Change out those 70’s curtains!

Whether you are the home buyer (have a vision) or seller (give a facelift) there are ways to upgrade a space without spending a fortune.

Ideas to increase the value of your home to potential buyers

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There are multiple ways to increase your home value from minor tweaks to major upgrades. What are some ways to add value to your home without breaking the bank?

1.) Installing new knobs and pulls on your kitchen cabinets.

2.) Painting the rooms in your home to present a fresh, new look to potential buyers.

3.) Change out the front door to make your home “pop” with curb appeal.

4.) Upgrade or change out light fixtures if they are dated or don’t go with the property.

5.) Add crown molding

6.) Upgrade appliances

For more ideas to increase the value of your home, check out the following links:

1.) Realtor.com

2.) HGTV

3.) DIY Network

The chore of packing your belongings…

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“Stuff”

Whether you are moving down the street or out of the state, packing your things can be an exhausting chore. The longer we have been living in our homes, the more stuff we tend to collect. Do you have a basement or attic full of items that you haven’t used or thought about for more than a year? Most of us do, as people we tend to collect “stuff”. The more experiences we have in our life the more stuff, generally accumulates. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however when we are forced to acknowledge it, like when we are making a move can become frustrating. When you’re in the process of moving, the “stuff” can become an overwhelming chore to deal with at the last minute.

Suggestions to help ease this process:

1.) Start decreasing the clutter in anticipation of the upcoming move. If your family plans on making a move in the next 6 months, than you could get a head start on it now by doing a little bit each month.

2.) See if there’s a family member who would like it.

3.) Donate to charity

(Great organizations in Delta County include: Goodwill, Salvation Army, Pregnanacy Services

4.) Prioritize what you really want/need and throw away the rest

5.) Sell items on craigslist, e-bay, facebook,etc

The bottom line is, the sooner you address the mess the easier it will be to clean it up.