Saturday, March 5, 2011

Tips for Selling a Home in Myrtle Beach


Christine Ginsburg is a Home Stager in Morris County, NJ who recently posted an excellent article on Active Rain called The 10 Most Important Cost-Effective, Easy Fixes When Selling Your Home.  This was such a good article I wanted to present her ideas to our Myrtle Beach condos and home sellers and agents. I think anyone selling their home and any real estate agent across the country will benefit from these excellent points.

1. Make all the bedrooms and baths appeal to both men and women. That's an idea I had not thought about, and a good one. You don't want to limit the appeal to any one sex, race, or family type. Don't get too "girlie" with your paint, wallpaper, or even the furniture you have left as you are showing the home. Nor should you have rooms that are obviously "man-caves" if you can help it!

2. Open up the space in all rooms by removing excesss furniture and clutter. Your cute doilies or collection of Egyptian artifacts won't appeal to everyone.

3. Continuing with #2 above, rent a storage building and put your excess furniture and knick-knacks in it. As she points out, that will help when the time comes to move, too.

4. Keep the room colors in your home neutral. Resist the urge to add that bright orange wall because you saw it on a TV decorating show. Add color with accessories instead.

5. Use the decor of an five-star hotel to judge how a room should look. They are always uncluttered, classy, and have a renovated look. Don't try to sell a home that was remodeled in the 70's or 80's and not updated.

6. Keep your cabinets, attic, closets, and other storage areas neat and clean. Move excess stuff to that storage building so a potential buyer can judge the amount of room the home will offer for his own possessions.

7. Make sure your Myrtle Beach home is utterly spotless. I think this may be the most important point of all.

8. Christine advises to remove darkening window treatments and let as much natural light in as possible. I think here at the beach that's especially important. If you have a water view, it goes without saying to show it off.

9. Be sure all repairs are done. She mentions leaky faucets, broken screens, etc. I would add rusty or corrosive fixtures, stained cement driveways or sidewalks, and updated light fixtures to that.

10. Take GOOD photos, videos, and plenty of them for the MLS listing. Christine says to hire a photographer. Not a bad idea, but as a Realtor, you should have already invested in a good camera and should take the time to take the best photos of your listing as possible. If you're the homeowner, you can help too. Remember, about 80% of all home searches begin on the internet, and potential buyers are going to see that MLS listing over, and over, and over again. Be sure it's accurate, free of typos, and offers the best possible photos you can take. Doing a quick video of the property is icing on the cake and will add to the marketing potential.

These were some of the best tips I've seen lately. As you strive to be the best Myrtle Beach real estate agent you can be, learning these things from a home stager will prove to be invaluable.

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