Real Estate and Emotion vs. Reason

If you are selling a home, Real Estate Agents tend to refer to the property you're selling as a "house." If you are buying a house, agents will often refer to it as a "home." Why is this? Because when you are buying a home, it is more than "just" a purchase. It is where you go "home" after a hard day on the job, where you raise your kids, where you watch the Super Bowl, barbecue in the back yard, or plant flowers each year to admire their blooms. You aren't buying a space to eat and sleep, you're moving into your private "safe haven" - a place you'll call "home" for years to come. Someday, you will sell that house, and when you do - someone else will call it "home". If you're still thinking of it as your home, selling is more difficult.

How do you let go?

It is very difficult, but necessary. To sell your home effectively, you need to make rational decisions. You need to let go of all the little touches you've added to the property and not be connected emotionally. Most "home improvements" don't add as much value as you might think -- they might not have as much appeal to a potential buyer as they do to you. The buyer is looking at your house and imagining it as his or her home. You need to help them. Take your photos off the walls. Remove the sports trophies from the fireplace mantle. Clean the "junk" out of those drawers in the kitchen. Remove whatever you may have accumulated in your garage, basement or attic. If you want to keep it, put it in storage and pick it up when you move.

Sell a house. Help someone else find a home.

5 Things To Do Before Listing Your Home for Sale

1.) Get estimates from a reliable handyman or technician for items that need to be replaced or repaired soon, such as a roof or worn carpets. Either have the items replaced or repaired before listing your home or offer to give the buyer a repair or decorating allowance, in an amount that is equal to that of the estimates provided to you.

2.) Have a termite and wood-destroying insect inspection. If the home is not infested, attach the inspection report to the Seller's Disclosure Notice, as provided by your REALTOR. Potential buyers will see firsthand that the property is not infested, giving them peace-of-mind and confidence in submitting an offer on the property. However, if the property is infested, have the infestation treated and any damage to the property [resulting from the infestation] repaired by a professional.

3.) Be pro-active and get a home inspection (separate from the inspection the buyer may get). If any items do need to be repaired, you can have them repaired prior to listing the home for sale and reduce the chance of a buyer backing-out of a contract due to the condition of the home or need for repairs.

4.) Gather all user's manuals, warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.

5.) Fill out a disclosure form provided by your REALTOR. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale. And remember, honesty is the best policy, so answer each question with an honest answer, even if you're worried that some buyers may lose interest in the property.