Is an agent showing your home? Please clean up :)

Today was a great day! Did I mention that it was freezing? Burrr! I got the pleasure of showing five homes today. You know, I think it’s so incredible that this is MY job. I absolutely love looking at homes. Even as a child, I can remember going with my mother on Sunday afternoons to go look at homes. So, walking into a home with a client for the first time- I sometimes have to contain myself. I def. don’t want to come across as that giddy little school girl!! They might think I am putting on a show but it’s really me just being myself and loving what I do.

So, the homes that we saw today were all incredibly cute. They each add their own little “zing” and were each unique in their own way. 3 out of the 5 homes were vacant. You know, a house being vacant IMO would probably sell easier b/c it’s completely empty. It’s so easy for the buyers to imagine their furniture being there.  They don’t feel like they are actually in someone else’s home.

So, there was this one home…oh my goodness. I can’t stress enough to people that they need to clean their homes before a showing. When we walked in this home, it smelled like cornbread. Okay, I love cornbread but not while I’m looking at homes. Yes, I’m sure they were cooking Sunday dinner but it was a very odd smell and it was the first thing you noticed when you walked in the house. Also, the house was dirty. All of the beds were unmade. It looked as if they had just ran out of the house with out putting one thing in it’s place.

The buyers were very turned off by this. Maybe the sellers were thinking that if they liked it enough it wouldn’t matter what kind of shape it was in.  It was hard to even imagine what the house looked like b/c of the mess. I think it caused a mental block for the buyers. It was a really cute house besides the mess. I think they actually might have been interested in it if it weren’t for the clothes on the floor, tv on, supper still on the stove and the cornbread smell.

First impressions are everything. Be sure to clean up your home so it can make a lasting impression!

A New Year In Baton Rouge! More Tips! Curb Appeal!

Well, we are now in 2008. I am excited about the new year and am ready to hit it head on.  I am ready for the market to pick up and to get things going. So, does your house have curb appeal?  We talked earlier about looking at your home from a buyer’s prospective.

You know, sometimes people focus so much on getting the inside of their homes ready to show that they often overlook the idea of improving the exterior of the home- the CURB APPEAL!

I’m sure we have already talked a little about curb appeal, but I think it’s so important I was to delve into it a little bit deeper. You can really do just minor changes to totally change the overall visual appearance of your home. People tend to put off simple things until they are ready to sell and miss out on the opportunity to fully experience living in a home that is an expression of themselves. People sometimes only see their house at it’s best when they are ready to sell.

You don’t have to wait until your house is on the market to give it curb appeal. Why wait? But, for those who ARE planning on selling, little changes will create a “come on in” look for the buyer’s. Even if your house is in excellent “showing” condition on the interior, what the exterior looks like can either brings buyer’s in or drive them away.

Let’s talk about some tips to get that curb appeal up and going! Are you ready?

1. Try some inexpensive vinyl shutters, this will add more dimension to your exterior windows.

2. Anyone up for a little power-washing? You would be amazed how a little power-washing adds so much ‘umph’ to the look of your home. It removes oil, rust and other stains. ew!

3. I’m not really good with gardening tips but be sure to keep your bushes, shrubs, flower beds and what not neat and clean. You want everything to look clutter-free and simple.

4. Maybe you should think of adding a few things for curb appeal. Think about planting some flowers to make it pop, but just don’t get crazy with it.

5. Make sure all your windows are clear and clean. Make sure you’ve cleaned all the hand prints and the dog’s nose prints off of all the windows.

6. Try to patch up cracks and so forth in the driveway. This will prevent water seepage and more cracking.

7. Last but not least and I have said this before: Take a look at your house from the curb. Look at it as if you were looking to buy a home. Would you buy your home? Does it have curb appeal?

Christmas is gone in Baton Rouge, Bring on the New Year! More Tips!

Well, another Christmas has come and gone! Yipee! What a wonderful Christmas this was. Santa got me a new digital camera and I can’t wait to use it! It will come in handy with all of my listings! New Years Resolutions? SELL MORE HOUSES! I am so excited about the new year, out with the old and in with the new! I am ready to jump in head first, if only the real estate market would just pick up a tad. I should have asked Santa for that.

 Getting back to business. You can never have enough tips on selling your home. Right? I’ve mentioned several different tips to get the show on the road. I want to mention a few others. Remember we discussed clutter, earlier? Just like there is a fine line between love and hate, there is a fine line between clutter and emptiness. While I do support getting rid of Aunt Ethel’s clutter, you don’t want your house to look completely empty. But, at the same time you don’t want it to look totally ‘lived’ in. It should just be nice and chic. Ahh, ‘chic’- I love that word.

 I know this is probably the obvious but make sure the interior of your home is visible from the exterior. Be sure to keep your windows clean (hello, windex), your screen doors open and your lights on. You want the house to say “Hey, come on in, pull up a chair and BUY ME”. 

I know you wouldn’t want to go out and spend a load of money but putting a swing on the front porch is very inviting. Add some colorful pillows. I’ve always wanted a home with a swing on the front porch, that or either a long, front porch with several rocking chairs. I can imagine being old and sitting out on the porch, snapping peas and watching the traffic pass by and talk about ‘back in the day’. Okay, enough about me, back to business.

 So, do you have a fireplace? If it’s cold weather- be sure to light that baby up. It makes the house so cozy. Let me share a little trick of mine that I used at my last open house. At Barnes and Nobles, I purchased two dvd’s that were basically pictures of a fire burning. And guess what? It comes with easy listening music. Wow, it looks awesome on a flat screen tv. It actually looks like a fire burnining. It makes the house look cozy and the music really sets the tone. I keep them in my car so I always have them with me. I bought one for my Father for Christmas, the only difference was it played Christmas music. I figured it would be a great for us all to sit by the “pretend” fire, listen to Christmas tunes and unwrap gifts. It was a hit and I know it will be a hit at every open house.

Be sure to do a home check. Go out in your front yard, even in the middle of the street if you have to (please, don’t get hit by a car) and check your home out. Look at it as if you were a consumer. Please don’t tell me you have  four tires that are just sitting in the front yard with flowers and weeds growing out of them….”You might be a Redneck if…” haha. Get rid of all your junk. You should have already gotten the clutter out of your home and I am hoping that you didn’t just throw it out on the front lawn. The front of the house, the exterior should look very warm and welcoming. Nothing should be in your yard besides flowers, trees and bushes OH MY. Of course, the occasional decoration is okay but no clutter. Okay? When in doubt, NO CLUTTER!

More great tips to come!

Check out my listing around Tiger Bend. She’s a beauty. I call her Betsy. www.BeauDarren.info

More Tips? I’d thought you’d never ask! Baton Rouge Homes! Selling it!

I can’t believe Christmas is right around the corner. Well, it’s not even around the corner- it’s HERE! I just want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Since I have been so busy with Real Estate this year, Christmas really snuck up on me. It doesn’t even feel real. I must admit though, I had my tree up and my shopping done before Thanksgiving. Yes, I know. I am a nerd but I have to say- I have giggled a few times watching everyone scurry to get their shopping done. “Lindsay, when are you going Christmas shopping?” “Oh, (brushes off shoulder) I’ve already finish <insert evil laughter>”. I’m so glad I planned ahead. I did a lot of my shopping online, which is really the way to go.

So, I figure today I just would throw in a few, little tips for selling your home quick, fast and in a hurry. I hope this information can help anyone who is selling their home. Sometimes, I have to watch what I say b/c I can go off on a tangent with useless information. I am full of it. Did you know that eating cherries before you go to bed can help you sleep better? Did you know that wearing socks to bed can make you live longer? lol Did you know that Doctor’s say that going out in the cold isn’t what gets you sick? They say it’s because everyone stays inside and bundles up together and then they pass all the love bugs. Who knew? See? Useless information. Moving on!

 So, what was the first thing we did when we went to get ready for the Open House? We opened all the blinds, pulled back all the drapes and turned on all the lights. It’s amazing how much better a house can look when you let a little light in. It looks lively and uplifting. If you happen to have dark, heavy drapes in your house -get rid of those bad boys. They bring the mood down. When I moved into my house, in my bedroom, there were huge, dark drapes that covered up the four windows in my room. I just didn’t like the feeling I got when I walked into the room. Of course, drapes are great when you are trying to catch some shut eye. I’m not going against all dark drapes, I’m just saying for an open house or a showing- stuff them in the closet (pack them away neatly). I can even begin to explain the improvement after I removed the drapes from my room. The room is filled with light now and it even makes the room look bigger. So, when in doubt- throw the drapes out.

Remember when I was talking earlier about “out with the old in with the new”. I mentioned going through all of your clutter and possibly putting aside all of the things you don’t need? Yes, even Aunt Ethel’s lovely figurines. A great idea would be to hold a garage sale. Yes, get those old boogers gone! And don’t feel like you are going to hurt Aunt Ethel’s feelings b/c you sell her items for 25 cents. So, not only are you pulling people in for a garage sale but it also gives people a chance to see your FOR SALE sign in the yard. Always think of a way to advertise. And, hey, you make a little money on the side and you are free from clutter!

More Tips on Selling YOUR Home in Baton Rouge!

So, I’m back. Yesterday, I talked about a few tips that could help you sell your home faster.  And, who doesn’t love FREE tips? Well, brace yourself- I have more. Excited? I’d figured you’d be.  Speaking of tips, that reminds me of a movie. A man and a woman just finished eating dinner at a nice resturant and they were about to leave without giving the waiter a tip. The waiter goes, “A tip, sir?”. He says “Oh yeah”. He stands up and the waiter thinks he is about to go for his pocket but instead he goes “Don’t ever smoke while pumping gas”. Okay, maybe that’s not exactly what he said, but it was something like that. It def. had me laughing.

 Okay, so the word for today is “Clutter”. Some people can live with clutter, some people can’t. Clutter is not your friend when it comes to selling your home. Have you ever been to someone’s house that was so filled with clutter you couldn’t even tell what their house actually looked like? “This would probably be a cute house if it weren’t for all this clutter”.  So, maybe Aunt Ethel gave you a figurine for Christmas, let’s say the past 17 years. You hated to just throw them away so you placed all of them on your mantle. Well, do us and Aunt Ethel a favor and pack it up and stash it away. I’m not saying forever, I’m only talking about while showing your home. Honestly, I would just pull them out when Aunt Ethel comes to town- but that’s my opinion.

 I can’t stress enough how your home should be clutter free. If you are a clutter junkie and you just can’t help yourself-store things in the attic/closet/storage until you sell your home. Try to keep the rooms looking spacious. People want to get the feel that they will have room for all of their goods and furniture.

So, maybe storing things in a closet was not a good idea. I think that the best place is in the attic. People can totally understand why your attic is stashed with Aunt Ethel’s “must have’s”. People will be looking in your closets and they need to be neat, clean and clutter free. You are probably stressing out about what to do with all the clutter. I might be a nerd but I love going through my things and organizing. Sometimes seeing old items bring back old memories. Or, maybe you might even find something you’ve been looking for, for years. It’s also a good time for the whole “out with the old, in with the new”. Try to get rid of things you know you won’t use. The last thing you want is it end up on Dr. Phil with a hoarding problem.

 I’ve read a few books about how your home should look when showing. Let’s talk about pictures. Some say it’s a good idea to place a few pictures around the house of you and your family enjoying each other in “certain” areas of the home. I’ve read several places that you shouldn’t load your house up with a lot of pictures of your family. Why not? Of course, this is all find and dandy if you are living there, but different when you are trying to sell.

Try to picture a couple walking into your home. You have pictures on the walls, the kitchen counters, shelves, bedroom dresser- anywhere you can put them you did. The couple starts to think “What a cute house, this IS the Jone’s house”. Instead, you want to be able to allow the couple to think and say “What a cute house, this IS our house”. By eliminating all of your pictures and such, it leaves room for the couple to imagine their own. Sometimes it’s hard for the mind to go past what you see.  You want to leave open space for them to formulate the idea of this being THEIR home and not yours.

Okay, class dismissed.

Baton Rouge Real Estate Tips for selling your home!

You know, I love to write. I know it might possibly get boring, considering this is my real estate blog. I want to def. try to keep it fresh and entertaining. Today I’d thought I’d talk about how to sell your home faster! And WHO doesn’t want to sell their home as fast as possible?

First of all, it’s so important that you get someone else’s opinion on the status of your home. I wouldn’t go ask a neighbor because I’m sure they would hate to offend you. “Oh no, everything looks great…even the orange, shag carpet”. Ask a close friend, ask your realtor, or better yet….ask your mother-in-law. You need a good, honest opinion. People are very sensitive about their homes. No one wants to hear that the million and one cabbage patch kids you’ve been collecting need to go into the attic and out of one of the spare bedrooms. So, get that honest opinion. Take it as constructive criticism. If people are being honest, don’t take it personal- take it as a favor.

Have you ever heard of staging a home? Example? Sure, I thought you’d never ask. I went and showed a brand new home to a couple the other day. The house was brand spanking new, new construction, new roof, new floor, new, new and new. Get it? Well, who can imagine living in a empty, brand new home? Sometimes it’s hard to see yourself actually living in a home when it is empty. So, this is when ’staging a home’ comes into play. In this new home, towels were hung up in the bathroom, candles were placed, floor mats were in the kitchen, a few plants here and there…you know, just to give it life. In your own home, it’s easy to stage things. For example, you can set up scenes throughout your house- like maybe a chess game in the corner of the living room and so on. Give it life. But, be sure to add life and not clutter.

Okay, well those are two tips for selling your home faster. I will write on this more tomorrow!