Having been a local REALTOR® for over 43 years, I have advised thousands of Buyer and Seller clients with this major financial transaction.
All the information available online is great, but it is not knowledge.
Buyers: Not every home is worth considering for ownership.
Sellers: Be aware of what is important to Buyers is important.
Here I share with you some of the tips that I share with clients. I educate and consult them on how to look through my "Real Estate Eyes".
Buyers:
"Look out all the windows. What you see is what you will always see. Make sure you like it."
"Ignore furnishing and color. Picture your personal items in the house."
"Drive the neighborhood at 3 AM, 5 PM and on the weekends."
"When moving to a new area, rent for at least 6 months. Spend the time driving, viewing, talking with the local people and prioritize your needs prior to starting you active search."
"When your inside the home, take a moment and look out every window. That is the view you will be seeing when you live there."
"Make sure your house will meet your needs in three years from purchase date."
Sellers:
"Ask yourself, 'Would you buy your house the way it appears today?'"
"Depersonalize the home prior to listing for sale. Otherwise buyers find it difficult to mentally move out the sellers and visualize it as 'their home.'"
"Make a list of 'reminders' to prepare your home for showings. General safety and clean up instructions."
"Place fresh flowers and a table setting on the dining table."
"Buyers buy what they see, not what it could be."
"Don't start spending the money you expect to have from the sale of your house until it has closed."