With the arrival of the holiday season, a new 'problem' presents itself to homeowners in the Greater Boston Area who are selling a home. What about decorating your home while on the market? Here are a couple of "do's" and a few "do nots" to help you make the most of your home sale and holiday decor!
Do decorate. If you would normally decorate, go right ahead. It is the holiday season so your home should be a part of the season. If you do not add any decorations or decor changes to reflect the season, your home may feel less lively or less inviting to visiting buyers.
Do warm to the season. If you are not a fan of decorating or not celebrating a particular holiday, make some seasonal changes anyway. Changing throws, pillow covers, throw rugs, towels or curtains to warmer colors will make the house feel more inviting to buyers visiting during the chilly winter months.
Do not hide your house - too much is just too much. Keep the decorations to a minimum level so that buyers can see the house and not just the decorations.
Do not decorate to distraction - Although you might love blinking lights and the snowman that sings every time someone walks by, these interactive decorations will only serve to distract and interrupt a home viewing.
Do not supersize your decorations - The seven foot spread on that spruce tree might look great in a parking lot sale, but will most likely take up half of any room in which it is placed. Stick to decorations that fit well within the space you have so that you are not diminishing the size of your rooms or blocking walking passages within your home.
Do not overwhelm the "scents" - Scented candles and decorations might be to your liking but scents are a very tricky thing and can become bothersome to visiting buyers. Avoid scented items and try the old baked cookies if you want to create an inviting interior.
The goal is to make your home as spacious and inviting as possible for all buyers during the holiday season. After all, they may be the ones to provide you with a very substantial holiday gift!
For other selling tips be sure to download our Smarter Seller Kit today!
It's a new season and many folks are getting back to the business at hand: Looking for single family, condo or multi-family property to call home! This task usually involves visiting Sunday open houses and so we've re-publishing this blog. Here's the information you need to know when you pass through the door and say hello to the person waiting to greet you.
The Internet is usually the place buyers begin their home search. After filtering through the inventory and taking virtual tours, they are ready for the next step. That may mean touring weekend open houses.
If you are a buyer who has not yet engaged the services of an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent, there are things you should know about the role of the real estate agent hosting the open house. The hosting agent may be the Seller’s Exclusive Agent, or the host may be another agent - a Facilitator. The Facilitator is there to answer questions about the property, but she doesn’t represent either the seller or a buyer in that specific role. A Facilitator may become a Buyer’s Representative with a Buyer’s consent.
The Seller’s Exclusive Agent can assist you with the purchase of her exclusive listing but only with Consent to Dual Agency, which would need to be granted by both you and the Seller. Alternatively, the Seller’s Exclusive Listing agent can assist you in the purchase as the Seller’s agent, meaning the Buyer purchases without a “Buyer’s” representative.
The Open House host, regardless of who it is, is required, by a Realtor Code of Ethics, to determine if you are already under contract with an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent before she can engage in a conversation about working with you. Expect to be asked, it doesn’t reflect over aggressiveness.
If you feel the host is someone you would be comfortable with, ask about how you might work with her. In the end, a Seller wants to sell, and a Buyer wants to buy. We just need to be sure everyone understands our responsibilities and obligations to the consumer.
Debby Heffernan, principal
Looking for an Agent to represent you? Visit Avenue 3 Agent Profile Page
And to view all the Open Houses in MA click here!
Selling a home in Massachusetts is not the easiest thing to do. First you have to find an agent to work with and then you need to navigate the selling process. Unlike other states, selling a home in Massachusetts is a multi stage process. First, you list the property for sale, then work through the Offer to Purchase, the Home Inspection, the Purchase and Sale Agreement , Mortgage and Closing.
Along the way you will be asked to sign many forms and contracts. Some of these are issued by the State of Massachusetts, like the Mandatory Licensee Consumer Relationship Disclosure, and the Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification. Others are issued by the Greater Boston Real Estate Board or the real estate company with which you are working. These may include Exclusive Listing Agreements or the Offer to Purchase itself.
If you are thinking of selling a home in the near future, give yourself a head start by reading these forms before you are in the middle of a transaction. Avenue 3 provides you with a free kit of real estate forms and contracts that you are likely to see. You will have plenty of time to understand them and learn how to they affect your home selling process.
Download our free Real Estate Forms Kit for Sellers to see the forms and contracts involved in selling a home in Massachusetts. If you have any questions regarding these or other forms or contracts, please do not hesitate to contact us with your questions.
If you've been thinking about entering the Real Estate Market as a Buyer this year or in the future and you want to talk, ask questions and get some useful advice from some friendly Realtors...then our meet-up is the place to be!
Rob Russell, Maria Reilly and John Reilly bring expertise in personally buying and selling real estate and knowledge of the Boston West Market to you on Monday evenings at Bertucci's at Alewife Station.
Join us for pizza, appetizers and informative conversation. Also learn about our unique "Foundation Keys", a 6 minute presentation offering many beneficial tips for entering the market that will give you a step ahead of other Buyers in the Real Estate game.
Here's the schedule the months of June & July:
Mondays, June 20, June 27, July 11, July 18, July 25
5:30 - 7:00 pm (stop in anytime between 5:30 - 7pm)
Contact us with any questions regarding this event or with any Real Estate related concerns..we're here!