Kris Hemler, Realtor ®

KrisHemler@TexasTeamRealty.com

817-965-5272

Texas Team Realty - FEATURED PROPERTIES LINK As a home seller, you have already been through the sales process at least once, and have an understanding of the overall process from a buyer's perspective. Yet there are different issues and concerns as a homeowner preparing for sale in today's highly competitive real estate market. Whether this is your first home sale or your "final" sale - let Texas Team Realty assist in assuring strong market positioning and maximum exposure for your home. I focus my efforts on LOCATING BUYERS for your home! I don't wait for someone else to! Click here to learn more about the Texas Team Realty marketing difference Video powered by Windows Media Player  Keller Williams GLOBAL marketing means unsurpassed marketing for your property

Texas Team Realty affiliated websites:

TexasTeamRealty.com	TX-GolfHomes.com
ParkerCounty-Realty.com	WeatherfordFairwayHomes.com
ParkerCounty-Land.com	CanyonWestProperties.com
ParkerCounty-HorseProperty.com	CrownValleyHomes.com
ParkerCounty-Builders.com	SugarTreeProperties.com

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10 Ways to Make Your House More Salable

5 Things to do Before You Sell

Seven Steps to Preparing for an Open House

The Day of Your Open House

7 Terms to Watch for in a Purchase Contract

Moving Tips for Sellers

MOVING TIPS - if you're moving out of town

Six Items to Have on Hand for the New Owners:

BACK TO SELLERS

10 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR HOUSE MORE SALABLE   1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.   2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.   3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.   4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.   5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.   6. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.   7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.   8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.   9. Clean your gutters.   10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.   Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

5 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU SELL   1. Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon, a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.   2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.   3. Get a presale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.   4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.   5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by your sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might create liability for you after the sale.     Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

SEVEN STEPS TO PREPARING FOR AN OPEN HOUSE   1. Hire a cleaning service. A spotlessly clean home is essential; dirt will turn off a prospect faster than anything.   2. Pay attention to the outdoors. Mow your lawn, and be sure toys and yard equipment are put away.   3. Serve cookies, coffee, and soft drinks. It creates a welcoming touch. But be sure the kitchen has been cleaned up; use disposable cups so the sink doesn’t fill up.   4. Lock up your valuables, jewelry, and money. Although the real estate salesperson will be on site during the open house, it’s impossible to watch everyone all the time.   5. Turn on all the lights. Even in the daytime, incandescent lights add sparkle.   6. Send your pets to a neighbor or take them outside. If that’s not possible, crate them or confine them to one room (a basement or bath), and let the salesperson know where to find them.   7. Leave. It’s awkward for prospective buyers to look in your closets and express their opinions of your home with you there.   Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

THE DAY OF YOUR OPEN HOUSE:   1. Add a touch of color. Use fresh or silk flowers to breathe life and color into the main rooms. A colored afghan or throw on the couch will jazz up a dull room.  2. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious. Put away those old towels and toothbrushes. When buyers enter your bathroom, they should feel pampered. Add a new shower curtain, fresh towels, and fancy guest soaps.  3. Does it smell good? Set out potpourri or fresh baked goods for a homey smell. Make sure that there are no lingering scents from cigarettes or pets.  4. Help them envision living there. Set the table with pretty dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture themselves there. For example, in the basement lay out a chess game.  5. Beautify the entrance. Buy a fresh doormat with a pretty pattern or a clever saying.  6. Make the rooms feel bigger. Take one or two major pieces of furniture out of every room to create a sense of spaciousness.  7. Accentuate counter space. Put away kitchen appliances and personal bathroom items to give the illusion of more counter space.  8. Lay logs in the fireplace. Or put a basket of flowers there if it’s not in use.  9. Depersonalize the rooms. Put away family photos, mementos, and distinctive artwork.  10. The lawn should sparkle. Turn on the sprinklers for 30 minutes to make the lawn sparkle.     Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

SEVEN TERMS TO WATCH FOR IN  A PURCHASE CONTRACT   1. The closing date. See if the date the buyer wants to take title is reasonable for you.   2. Date of possession. See if the date the buyer wants to move in is reasonable for you.   3. The earnest money. Look for the largest earnest money deposit possible; since it is forfeited if the buyer backs out, a large deposit is usually a good indication of a sincere buyer.   4. Fixtures and personal property. Check the list of items that the buyer expects to remain with the property and be sure it’s acceptable.   5. Repairs. Determine what the requested repairs will cost and whether you’re willing to do the work or would rather lower the price by that amount.   6. Contingencies. See what other factors the buyer wants met before the contract is final—inspections, selling a home, obtaining a mortgage, review of the contract by an attorney. Set time limits on contingencies so that they won’t drag on and keep your sale from becoming final.   7. The contract expiration date. See how long you have to make a decision on the offer.     Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

MOVING TIPS - if you're moving out of town   1. Give your forwarding address to the post office, usually 2-4 weeks ahead of the move.   2. Notify our charge cards, magazine subscriptions, and bank of the change of address.   3. Develop a list of friends, relatives, and business colleagues who need to be notified of the move.   4. Arrange to have utilities disconnected at your old home and connected at your new one.   5. Cancel the newspaper.   6. Check insurance coverage for moved items. Usually movers only cover what they pack.   7. Clean out appliances and prepare them for moving, if applicable.   8. Note the weight of the goods you’ll have moved, since long-distance moves are usually billed according to weight. Watch for movers that use excessive padding to add weight.   9. Check with your condo or co-op about restrictions on using the elevator or particular exits.   10. Have a “first open” box with the things you’ll need most—toilet paper, soap, trash bags, scissors, hammer, screwdriver, pencils and paper, cups and plates, water, snacks, and toothpaste.     Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag

BACK TO SELLERS

BACK TO SELLERS

Six Items to Have on Hand for the New Owners: 1. Owner’s manuals for items left in the house. 2. Warranties for any items left in the house. 3. A list of local service providers—the best dry cleaner, yard service, etc. 4. Garage door opener. 5. Extra sets of house keys. 6. Code to burglar alarm and phone number of monitoring service if not discontinued Inserted from REALTORR Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSR Copyright 2005 all rights reserved www.REALTOR.org/realtormag