How NOT to sell your home.

After a long day of showings, I made an observation you might find interesting.  It seems obvious if a sign is up in the yard, and the contract with the listing agent is signed, the owners want to sell their house, right?  In this market, they may just be waiting on the offers to roll in.

I have to question the motivation of a few of the sellers whose homes I showed today.  Are you really wanting to move?  Or are you on the fence about moving, so you priced it high and if it sells, that's a sign to take the money and run?

There are a few people in the world who have trouble making decisions.  Just because that sign is in the yard, doesn't mean you REALLY want to sell the house.  If you recognize yourself in that statement,  I have a few suggestions.
(Disclaimer...If I showed your house recently, and you are guilty of one of these, well, I'm sorry.  But  yes, I AM talking about you.)

Here are a few tips to make sure you never have to pack up and leave:

1- Go get some cats.  Please make sure you have more than one, and never, EVER, change the litter box.
2- Plug in as many air fresheners as you can.  Let them wonder what the smell is you are trying to cover up.
3- Live like a hoarder.  Take all your crap and stack it around for everyone to see.  Borrow more from friends!
4- Put up ALL the pictures of your unattractive relatives that you can find.   Yep, even the dead ones!
5- Give up cleaning...dishes, kitchen, and bathrooms.  And please, leave up those toilet seats to give the  the potential buyer the best view of the house.
6- Do NOT mow the grass or rake leaves..EVER.  If they see you have something green under all that stuff, they may actually think their kids can play in the yard!
7-  Do NOT pressure wash the drive or sidewalks.  Spray Miracle Gro on all the weeds growing in the cracks of your sidewalks to give it that welcoming feel.
8-  Leave the saplings growing in the gutters, and the make sure the windows are dirty enough to block out those pesky peeping buyers who think the house is vacant, and even worse, sunlight.
9-  Make sure you price it WAY above anything else that has sold in your area in the last two years.  This will keep those annoying agents from trying to schedule a showing during the Lifetime reruns of "Desperate Housewives".
10-  And finally, decline your showing requests.  Nothing motivates an agent more to get their client into your home than to get declined for a showing.  Do it each time they call...  that will really get their attention!

If you DO want to sell, or know someone who does, give Karen and I at Classic Carolina Realty a call!  With a little preparation and the right guidance, that new home may be closer than you think.