What’s Selling – “A+ Homes”

I had an interesting conversation this morning with one of my favorite Realtors.  I always learn from her.  She keeps me on my toes and her knowledge of what’s going on in the housing market informs and inspires me. 

This Realtor passed on a statistic about our real estate market based on her experience and the experience of other Realtors.  She said that the houses that are selling now are either deeply discounted foreclosures or “A+ Homes”.  The rest of the homes (roughly 60 percent) are not selling. 

That says to me that in order to sell in this difficult market, a home must be pristine, memorable and priced well.  It must stand out from the crowded market of the “Other 60%”.  It must answer most, if not all, of the questions a prospective buyer has about the form and function of the spaces.  It should be move-in ready if the seller expects a premium price. 

It is easy to describe the “Other 60%” - tired and drab, boring and sad.  Paint colors that were intended to look rich too often make the house dark and dreary.  Furniture is often too large and worn.  Some suffer from outdated kitchens, bathrooms and carpeting.  Others look like every other house that the buyers just visited – nothing unique, nothing memorable. 

In rare cases, some sellers are able to create and maintain an “A+ Home”.  In most cases, the seller needs professional assistance to turn their “Other 60%” house into an “A+ Home”. 

I think in order to transform a house into this category of “homes that are selling”, the home seller is helped dramatically by having a Dream Team consisting of a Realtor, a professional home stager and other professional resources (painters, plumbers, carpet installers, etc.,).  This team can plan and execute the details necessary to make that house pristine, memorable and priced well.  The end result may appear magical but it is the result of experience, expertise and elbow grease.

The seller also needs to buy into the concept that they may receive the return on their investment if they budget for updates, refreshes and professional home staging.  The process is much simpler when the seller realizes that their house is now a product to market and sell and not the same home it was the day before they decided to sell it.

Selling a house is hard work – for the seller, for the Realtor and, if the seller is savvy, for the professional support team.  But it can be done if the seller is open to the realities of the real estate market and the possibilities of transforming their house into an “A+ Home”.

Dwell in possibilities

Cindy