Tips on Successful Real Estate Selling & Buyer's Tips

The Maui Real Estate Resource Tips section contain tips for both buyers and sellers to help make your real estate transaction experience successful and enjoyable.

If you are thinking about selling your home, there are a number of things you can do to improve the overall impression made by your home. Many of the tips on successful real estate selling contained here are the same techniques used by professional "stagers" to help boost the success factor in the presentation and sale of your home.

For buyers, there are tips for both the purchasing process as well as making your move to your new home as smooth and effortless as possible. (Quick link to Buyer's Tips)

Tips for a Successful Home Sale

Indoor Tips

1. Learn to look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer.

2. Remove all clutter from your house including the basement, attic, garage, tool shed and especially the storage area, if you have one. This will help create a sense of spaciousness. Remove all unnecessary furniture, knickknacks, hobby items and children's items, etc.

3. If you have a lot of clutter you are removing and want to show your storage area, then consider renting a storage area until the closing of the house.

4. If you have numerous family photos put them away until the house is under contract. Prospective buyers will feel more like it can be "their home" if they aren't aware of your family photo memories.

5. Look at the walls of each room in your house. Remove any posters, adhesive tape and nails. Caulk any holes. Clean all walls. If marks cannot be removed, apply a fresh coat of paint.

6. Consider painting all inside walls (including the basement walls) with a fresh coat of paint. An off-white color will brighten a room and make it look larger.

7. Make sure the house is spotlessly clean, especially the bathrooms and kitchen.

8. Clean all light fixtures and install higher wattage light bulbs to show your house more brightly.

9. Wash the windows and screens. Repair or replace any window fixtures or screens that are broken or do not function properly.

10. Make sure any curtains are clean and in good shape. If not, replace them.

11. Shampoo all carpets and vacuum them daily, especially before a showing. If the carpet does not clean up well and is old or worn looking, consider replacing it.

12. Repair or replace any broken tiles.

13. Keep your home dusted and vacuumed at all times. This will help you be prepared for a showing at short notice.

14. Re-caulk if the bathroom caulking is not sparkling white!

15. The shower curtain should be absolutely clean and new. If not, purchase a new one.

16. Expand your kitchen counter space by removing small appliances.

17. Remove all grease from range hoods, ovens, stove tops, walls, etc.

18. Organize your closets, remove unnecessary items and put them in storage to create a sense of spaciousness

19. Remove any dying or sickly indoor plants.

20. Make sure the front door and all entrance ways are in excellent condition. This, along with the yard, are the first areas that a potential buyer will see. Make sure the door, screen and doorbell work perfectly. If the entrance doors are in less than perfect condition consider painting or replacing.

Outdoor Tips

1. Curb appeal is important. Keep the yard mowed, raked, weeded, fertilized and watered at all times! This is one of the first places a potential buyer will see when they come to view your home.

2. Water and prune all plants.

3. Use flowering plants to dress up the yard.

4. Use plants in transition areas of your home between the outside and the inside (walkways, patios, lanais, etc.).

5. Remove all toys, bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, trash etc. from the yard.

6. All outdoor furniture should be in good, clean condition. Repaint, if necessary.

7. Make all minor repairs to the outside.

8. If your garden is one of the areas you wish to accent in your showings, create an outside living/dining area with inviting furniture and plants.

9. Invest in a new doormat.

Before Each Showing

1. Have a family emergency "game plan" to get the home in order quickly, if necessary.

2. Open the draperies, pull up the shades and let in the sunlight.

3. Put out fresh towels and decorative soaps for showings.

4. Air out your home one half hour before the showing.

5. Turn on all lights day or night. This will help to create a positive mood.

6. Lightly spray the rooms with air freshener so that it has a chance to diffuse and air before the buyer arrives.

7. Microwave a small dish of vanilla twenty minutes before the showing and place it in an out of the way place in the kitchen.

8. Set the scene by setting the table! Highlight the potential of your dining area by setting a grand dining table.

9. Place fresh flowers on the dining table and throughout the house.

The Home Seller's Guide

You can find more tips in Katrina's Home Seller's Guide. Request a Free Copy now!

 

 

Buyers' Tips for a Successful Purchase and Move

Preparing to Purchase

1. Prepare a Wish List for your Hawaii Dream house. For your convenience Katrina has prepared a My Hawaii Wish List which you can use to write down all the needs and wants for you and your family.

2. Consider what part of the island and what neighborhood you would like to live in. Choosing the right neighborhood is as important as choosing the right house. Check out our Communities Section to learn more about Maui's communities. Consider schools, traffic, shopping and anything that is of importance in a neighborhood for you and your family.

3. When you think you have found your dream area, drive through the neighborhood at different times of the day. Talk to the neighbors. Look carefully at the homes in the area. Are they well maintained?

4. Pre-Qualify! This is one of the top tips for buyers. The Maui market is not as quick paced as it was a few years ago but there are still often many people putting in bids on any particular house. By being pre-qualified you will know what range of house you will qualify for as well as assure the seller your offer is a solid one.

Moving to Maui - The First Phase of Preparation

During the house hunting process, when you are fairly sure you will be moving to Maui soon, you can start preparing for the move:

1. Visit your local Post Office to get a Change of Address package for moving.

2. Pick up any laundry, dry cleaning or alterations.

3. Return library books.

4. Drain the sprinkler system.

5. Pack a copy of your local telephone directory for future reference.

6. Clean rugs or clothing before moving and request to have them wrapped for moving.

7. Service all appliances, computers, etc., for moving and pack them in the manufacturer’s packaging. If you do not have the original packaging, use bubble wrap or foam to secure the items.

8. Start reducing the number of things in your home that you really don’t need or that won’t go well in your new home. Most communities have charitable organizations that will pick up clothing, dishes, books, and other household items and furniture.

9. Start carefully packing items you don’t use daily (good china, out-of-season clothing, holiday decorations, etc.). Pack breakable items with linens you are not currently using.

Getting Closer to Moving

When your closing has been set you can get a little more serious about moving:

1. Prepare your home for your move by securing carpet cleaning services and a cleaning company to give your previous home a final cleaning after you move out.

2. Secure all birth and baptismal records for all family members.

3. Obtain medical, dental and other records for all family members.

4. Refill prescriptions and transfer prescriptions to a pharmacy in your new area.

5. Ask your doctor and dentist for referrals in your new area.

6. Get transcripts of school records, including immunization records.

7. Check with your attorney to see if you must have your will rewritten when moving across state lines.

8. Notify your friends, family, church, social clubs and the rest of the world of your move.

Closing on Your New Home

1. Ask your bank about electronically transferring your funds to a bank in your new area. Discuss branch options and arrange for check cashing in your new location.

2. Close out your safety deposit box.

3. Obtain traveler’s checks for traveling and for funds while you are settling into your new location.

4. Ask your insurance agent to transfer coverage to your new home. Make sure all coverage (life, health, automobile, personal belongings, etc.) is in force while you are en route.

5. Schedule a moving company to assist you or begin notifying people who are helping you of your planned move date.

6. Begin depleting your store of canned and frozen foods. Defrost your freezer and place an open box of baking soda inside to dispel odors.

Transferring or Canceling Home Services and Deliveries

Make arrangements for canceling your home utilities. Advise them of your desired date of shut-off and give change of address for final billing. Request deposit return, if appropriate. Then make arrangements for immediate service to your new address. A complete list of Maui Utilities is provided on our Maui Information County Services section.

This is also the time to make arrangements to cancel or transfer any home deliveries such as newspapers.

1. Newspaper

2. Cleaning service

3. Laundry/Diaper service

4. Yard/Mowing service

Notification of New Address

Prepare an address list and mail a notification of your new address. Keep in mind that the post office will forward your mail for 30 days, but they do expect that you are sending notices to everyone who mails to you.

1. Post Office

2. Friends and relatives

3. Magazine and mail order subscriptions

4. Professional organizations of which you are a member

5. Clubs, social or civic organizations with mailings

6. Charge accounts, insurance carriers, and creditors

7. Driver’s bureau to receive tag renewal notices

8. Voter Registration officials

Your Furry friends!

Last but not least, don’t forget the needs of your furry friends! Do not transport your pets much farther than they have safely traveled in the past without consulting your veterinarian. To transport animals by air, you need an airline-approved animal carrier.

A moving company can inform you of any state regulations for pet entry, vaccination or quarantine procedures.  Ask about regulations, licenses, tags, etc. for pets.  Also, do not forget to obtain a copy of your pet’s medical records.

Hawaii is rabies free and does have animal quarantine laws that must be adhered to. Learn more about the Hawaii Quarantine requirements in our Maui County Services Section.

The Home Buyer's Guide

You can receive a copy of these Buyer Tips as well as other helpful buyers' information in Katrina's informative Home Buyer's Guide. Request a Free Copy now!

Katrina Pitman Real Estate

P.O. Box 1733, Makawao, Maui, HI  96768

Phone:  (808) 298-6938

Email: Katrina@KatrinaPitmanRealEstate.com

Credits: Photo of Maui Sunset by Kristin Fein of Fein Art Photography: (808) 281-1302

 

© 2007 Katrina Pitman Consulting Services