Jan 12, 2009

How do you sell a house?

ummmm....never done it before....not sure what the tricks are....painted a little today..going to de-clutter a little tomorrow and the next day and likely the next many days...need to spruce up my yard..the GIGANTIC thing that it is....
Any suggestions that are helpful and not sarcastic or pages long...are acceptable and appreciated. Luckily and unluckily, COrpus is a little different than the rest of the nation...luckily for us trying to sell a house when the rest of the nation is foreclosing...but much of Corpus is still kicking...
Well....here goes our attempt at this crazy housing market....

15 comments:

Ericka Johnson said...

I think what you are doing is the right idea. De-clutter and neutral colors. I think buyers like to have as blank a slate as possible when looking at a house so they can easily imagine thier stuff in it. Honestly, I think your yard will sell itself! Good luck.

tatum said...

we are not experts, but we have been through about 50 open houses since October. get rid of all your clutter and anything personal, like family pics, toys, paperwork, clothing, etc. "stage" your rooms as best you can, as if they were out of a homestore, but using as few pieces of furniture as possible, like, the less stuff in a room the better. buyers want to see space as well as how a room can be used. curb appeal is also helpful. good luck!!! xoxo

The Bright Family said...

Good luck you guys!! We just had a house sell this week on our street, so I'm sure you'll house will sell fast, especially with that HUGE backyard!! :) And if you need any plant advice--Josh would definitely give you some ideas-he has a very green thumb!! :)

erika said...

I know my friend Jenny that sold her house in San Antonio rented a power washer from Home Depot and cleaned off her exterior and sidewalks with it. She said it worked great. Also to bake cookies before a showing because it makes your house smell good and "homey". Good luck!

Adam and Jess said...

When Denise came over and told us to declutter, I was a little surprised. We are clean people and try not to collect too much but our house sold so fast because I think they could visualize exactly how it would look without having to say "oh we'll have to do this or that". It really was ready to go. An amazing realtor (like Denise) doesn't hurt. I don't know if she or I ever told you she sold our house in a week in a really crappy market.

AJ said...

I've always heard its good to take away most of the personalized stuff too, so that people can see how their stuff will look and not be distracted by yours.

Ch said...

I love the pictures of your family this year. Shane with his arms up in the air is very cute. Christian is looking so grown up in the picture of him by himself. He will be baptized this YEAR!! Yeah I am excited fro Christian. He is the oldest grandchild on our side to be baptized. Ed's side so far two have been baptized. Please keep me informed when the baptism date will be later on when you know.

Lamont and Melissa Larsen said...

Congrats to your family! I know the mixed feelings about leaving Corpus. I am excited for you that you get to move back home. Good luck on the house selling. My recommendation is to price it right from the beginning- but I'm sure that Denise has plenty of advice for you.

tatum said...

hi shawna! good luck on selling your house. i had left a comment earlier and am just wondering if you got it? my email is tatum.hawkins@gmail.com if you just want to respond to that. see you guys soon in SD.

xo!

Dave and Loralee said...

I had heard the "no personal stuff" thing too, but my realtor said that as long as it doesn't distract it's okay to keep it up. She said bad things are stairwells filled with pictures and stuff like that. Just don't have areas of personal stuff that "ambush."
I've been packing for a while and still have a lot to do. So I'll be checking to see what people have to say!

sue said...

We sold our house buy ourselves, and it was pretty easy, but I think each state is different and we have never sold in Texas, and I did it without kids!!! Good luck. Just think of what would make you want to buy a house and try to do it to yours.

Anonymous said...

Just make sure your cute self is sitting in the front room for any showing appts with your big, white smile and it will be sold the first set of buyers!!!:-)

Jake & Rachel said...

I think your backyard gives you a huge advantage, who wouldn't want that huge yard and pool? I have heard it recommended that you spray down the grass and shrubbery before showing, that way it looks all fresh and glistening.

Rondo Family said...

Keep it neutral (this may mean toning down your kids room/bathroom). clean out your closets. Major declutter (makes it look bigger). Put the money into fixing any broken or unfinished projects (you'll get your money back). Curb apeal (cute flowers or something to catch their eye from the street). The power washer is a good idea. Nice updated kitchens and bathrooms (updateing even the hardware adds a lot!)along with more BED-rooms sell houses. And lots of light when showing it off. Good luck!

Debbie said...

All my ideas have been mentioned, so I'll just wish you good luck! (Although I'm still bitter that you're leaving me here by myself!) :) Come visit for sure before you take off!