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The question I am asked more often than any other by sellers is "What can I do to sell my home with so many others for sale? "
Yes, the number of homes for sale has doubled since this time last year. The Costa Mesa inventory has gone from approximately 150 available in August 2005 to the current amount of almost 300. This pattern is repeating itself across most areas of Orange County and in some areas the inventory has almost tripled. What is most important now is to make your home be a stand out because the competition is so tough.
It would be a wise decision for a seller to look at the homes that are currently listed in the area where their home is located, and look with unbiased eyes. If your neighbor´s home as a $40,000 kitchen, and yours has a new paint job and microwave, it doesn´t matter that "You wouldn´t do a kitchen like that." Your neighbor´s kitchen has tremendous updating that your home does not, thus theirs will command a better price.
A complete review of the recent sales and those homes that are currently in escrow is critical to the pricing determination, and pricing now will determine whether your home sits on the market for the low end of the average marketing time (five months).
Once a fair price has been selected, now more than ever, the basics apply - de-clutter, de-clutter.
The recent home improvement shows have been so helpful in spreading the word and when I am talking to a client now, we are almost always on the same page thanks to these shows that have shown how to make a room more inviting; not by spending a fortune but by rearranging and opening up spaces by removing all the unwanted "stuff".
Valerie Torelli is owner of Torelli Realty
in Costa Mesa. Direct your questions to
asktherealtor@torellirealty.com or call
714-540-7355 |
