When you're selling, home price is everything. Your goal is to maximize the amount you get for your home as much as possible. Many people believe that - in order to significantly raise their home's value - they must perform extensive and costly renovations. While adding a new bathroom or bedroom certainly does increase your asking price when selling, home improvements don't need to be that dramatic to be of help. Here are several little home selling tips that can bring big dollar increases.

Aesthetics are vitally important when selling a home. For little or no money, you can greatly improve your home's appearance and, in turn, its selling price. In return, buyers will have a more favorable impression of your residence.

Clean, Clean, Clean

No one will be impressed with a house that is dirty. One of the best (and cheapest) investments you can make is in a thorough spring-season cleaning for your home. In addition to the regular mopping and dusting you do, clean the windows (inside and out), clean carpets, wipe down walls and baseboards, clean fingerprint marks off interior and exterior doors, and sweep the fireplace (if you have one). People are always more inclined to pay higher amounts for homes that look as though they have been well cared for.

Pack Personal Items & Clutter

Once you have cleaned your home to prepare it for selling, home clutter is the next project to tackle. One of the best home selling tips I offer is to keep packing boxes on hand. As you go through your belongings, immediately put items you want to keep into boxes and label them. This accomplishes two things. First, it helps you stay ahead of all the packing you must do for your move. Second, it allows you to keep clutter at bay. Another great use for packing boxes is for spur of the moment hiding places for clutter. If a prospect wants to see your home at the last minute, temporarily toss piles of clutter into moving boxes and close the lids.

Curb Appeal

Another great home selling tip is to increase your curb appeal. When prospective buyers drive up to your home, are they immediately impressed with what they see? A fresh coat of exterior paint, an extensive pressure washing of vinyl siding and some new, inexpensive shutters can really make an impact on buyers. In addition, adding or upgrading landscaping details can be helpful as well. Replace old, faded mulch or pine straw with fresh. Edge your driveway and sidewalk as well as your flowerbeds, and make sure bushes and scrubs are neatly trimmed. These items are a small investment that will pay off with a quicker sale at a potentially higher price.

Single Fee Real Estate Broker

Even greater than the money you can gain with small improvements is the money you can save on real estate commissions. Fees and commissions certainly take away from the amount you earn on the sale, yet most sellers don't have a plan for saving money in this phase of the process. The best home selling tip I can offer is to use a single fee broker. Single fee brokers will sell your home for free if you agree to purchase your next home through their office. This can save a typical homeowner thousands of dollars in commission fees and is, without a doubt, the best way (and the easiest way) to make more money on your home sale.

Posted by Ethel Krawitz on January 12, 2009 at 02:21 PM

About Ethel Krawitz
With Ethel's winning style comes her ability to win the respect of her clients and peers. She gains this respect through hard work and experience. Ethel's warm friendly approach comes from the initial meeting with her clients. When I begin to work for potential buyers or sellers, I need to get to know the people says Ethel, This allows me to better determine their needs. They don't always understand all the options that are open to them - I feel that it is my job to find the absolute best solutions to fulfill their requirements. It's this problem solving skill of Ethel's that she applies in all phases of her work. Through over 20 years of buying and selling homes, she has proven that she gets the answers for her clients. People are often referred to me because I get results says Ethel. My reputation is based on always having their best interests at heart. By earning their respect through my diligence, I know that I've not only won friends, but when they need help in the future, they'll call a friend - they call Ethel. Her reputation for hard work and strong negotiating is widespread. She uses her thorough understanding of the market and its procedures to facilitate the process of buying and selling. It's often the largest financial transaction that most people encounter during their lifetime, claims Ethel. I want it to be a positive experience for them. Ethel makes it appear so smooth through her expertise, her usage of the most up-to-date real estate sales methods and efficient style of management. Relocation has become a specialty of hers. Over the years she's developed many contacts across the country and internationally who support her efforts in relocating families. It's not easy for a family to leave the familiarity of friends, relatives and surroundings, Ethel sympathizes. 'My family and I lived through that in 1978, that's why I take a special interest in those people who need much more care. They deserve the extra consideration I can extend to them - the kind I would like in their situation. Industry Awards Rookie of the Year: 1980 Top 1% of RE/MAX 1980-2004 Top Producer 1981-2004 Top Ten Award 1997-2004 Multimillion Dollar Producer 1983-2004 Platinum Club Award 1994-2002 Chairman's Club Award 2002-2004 Hall of Fame Award 1988 Lifetime Achievement Award 1994 2nd Place U.S.A. Achievement Award 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ethel derives her greatest sense of accomplishment from the realization that these awards translate to the many satisfied clients she's had the privilege of assisting since 1980. Professional Education: - Graduate of Real Estate Institute - Certified Residential Specialist - Real Estate Principles, Real Estate Practice, Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Appraisal, Real Estate Law, Taxation, Exchange, Foreclosures, Real Estate Advertising, 1031 Exchanges, Investment & Income Producing Real Estate and Probate Law. Special Skills & Services: - Relocation Specialist Worldwide - Nationwide Referral System - Top Negotiator - Financial Program Development - Buyer and Seller Broker Cooperation Professional Organizations: - National Association of Realtors - California Association of Realtors - South Orange County Association of Realtors - Graduate Real Estate Institute - CRS Personal Information: - Born in Zimbabwe, Africa - Married Colin in South Africa in 1966 - Two daughters, Mandy & Nadene - Relocated to California in 1978 and resided in Orange County since. Personal Qualities: - Communication & understanding - Integrity & tenacity - Hardworking & caring




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