THE CLARKE AGENCY, INC.

With local real estate market conditions right for buying and selling homes, many people are exploring the possibility of buying a new home, or moving up to a more expensive home. Of course, they hope to sell their present home first.

If you're trying to sell your home, maximize the first impression so that prospective purchasers think it's wonderful. Play up the positive points. When there's a positive first impression, people are more willing to overlook some of the things that aren't perfect.

The three top factors in selling a home are location, condition, and price. The last two factors are something the seller can do something about.

Most Realtors will provide some counseling on how to prepare your home for sale, but different price ranges need to be addressed in different ways. The way we live in and the way we market a home are usually not the same. A seller needs to pretend he or she is a prospective purchaser in their own home and picture what the buyer sees. Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task without professional assistance.

A good place to start preparing your home for sale, in addition to a thorough cleaning, is to neutralize the home's interior paint colors and carpeting.

Put out fresh flowers and set the table.

If anything is broken, fix it. A cracked window pane, for example suggests to a potential purchaser that the home hasn't been cared for properly.

Consider how the house smells. Use potpourri or a scent ring, or for those who have time, bake bread, cookies or fruit pies.

If you have a deck or patio, set out patio furniture to enhance it.

Make sure every light socket in and around the house has a good bulb of adequate wattage.

Move the cat's litter box out of the house, and be sure to clean up after the dog before any showings. Take them out of the house and off the property during showings.

Avoid clutter. It is also difficult for the prospective buyer to imagine their own possessions in a clutter filled room. Openness, it is believed, stimulates positive feeling in buyers.

Once your home has sold and you're looking for a home to purchase, you need to place a lot of emphasis on location. Is the property in an attractive neighborhood that shows care and attention to the property? Is it convenient to stores and schools? Do you want to be in town or out of town? Does the home fit in well with the neighborhood?

Once you've established a good location to suit your needs, consider what care and attention the home has received over the years. Your broker might encourage you to have the home inspected. This protects both the buyer and the seller.

And of course, you must consider the price. If you need a mortgage, it's a good idea to get pre-approved with a local lender to determine what price range at which you should be looking. Once you know your price range, consider if the asking price is reasonable with your income and in accordance with the current value of similar houses. Your local Realtor can help you out with both purchasing a home and making your home one of the first to sell!

The Clarke Agency, Inc.
241 N. Main Street
P. O. Box 1067
Gunnison, CO 81230

Phone: (970) 641-0511
Fax: (970) 641-9252
Email Clarke Agency