12 Days of Christmas Selling Tips

Selling your home during the Holidays can be stressful. With so much going on, it's easy to lose sight of your home selling goal. To help keep you on track, we've scoured the web for a list of tips for selling during the Holiday season and all winter long. Below are are top 12.

• Remember the basics.
• Taking care of needed maintenance and repairs is obligatory in any season. A thorough cleaning and getting rid of clutter are equally essential. Also, tidying up the yard and touching up the exterior appearance to improve curb appeal can make the difference between deal & no deal. -USA Today
• Emphasize winter positives.
• Is your home on a bus route or some other vital service that means it's lowed or de-iced regularly in bad weather? Is it located near fun winter attractions such as an ice-skating rink or Christmas tree farm? Be sure to mention that to home buyers. -MSN Real Estate
• Go ahead and travel.
• Some sellers worry about the hoildays, but if your plans include traveling this might be the perfect time to have your house on the market. You won't be inconvenienced by showing schedules. -Inman News
• Decorate?
• YES!!! Accord to Realtor.com houses show better when they're decorated over the holidays. Just remember moderation. You don't want to distract from the house. -Realtor.com
• Showcase the entertainment possibilities of your home.
• Winter is a prime time for festive parties, so wet prospective buyers' appetites (literally) with an enticing display. Set out stacks of plates & fresh flowers, decorate the dining room table, and set out cookies on cake stands in the kitchen. -Houzz.com
• Set the mood.
• A calm, warm and soothing atmosphere is appealing.  Play soft music; have some cider simmering on the stove, and light the fireplace if you have one. -Patch.com
• Good lighting is key.
• Your home may appear darker due to less daylight. Fight the gloom. Turn on all the lights possible for visitors, open blinds, drapes, & shutters to let in natural light. Make sure to clean any grime off windows. -USA Today
• Keep snow & ice at bay.
• The top tip from agents: if the buyer can't get in easily, the house won't sell. That means keeping walkways and drivways free from frozen debris. If you live in an area that's subject to bad weather, it can pay to hire a service to regularly salt or shovel the driveways and sidewalks.  -MSN Real Estate
• Think Creatively.
• Regardless of what season you have your house on the market, it is always important to take a step back and look at your home with objectivity. Take a tour of your home as if you were a buyer looking at it for the first time. Take a full tour from the curb, throughout the house to the backyard. Think about the things you looked for when purchasing this home, and the reasons you're looking to sell it now. -About.com
• Highlight the home in every season.
• Be sure to display photos of home and gardens to show buyers the features of the home during the warmer months as well. -Frogpond.com
• Show how outdoor rooms can be used even in colder months.
• If you have a covered porch or outdoor fireplace, be sure to keep that area fully furnished. Turn on outdoor lights or heat lamps, build a fire in the fireplace, and drape a few thick throws over your outdoor furniture. -Houzz.com
• Take advantage of the current market.
• National inventory is still at an all time low which means on average there are more buyers than sellers. This gives you a position of strength that you may not have in January when home sells increase drastically. -Realtor.com

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our Facebook & Twitter pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770.640.6800.  We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commission.

Tips For Listing During the Holidays

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season quickly approaching, many home sellers may have become discouraged about listing their homes, but when done correctly, listing during the holidays can be an advantage to the savvy seller. Here are a few tips to help those who brave selling during December.

First, know the pros & cons of selling during the Holidays. 'Tis the season for lots of shopping and traveling, so you may have fewer showings...don't get discouraged. Keep in mind that the buyers you DO have will be serious. Someone taking the time to view your home amidst colder temperatures and bustling holiday affairs are interested in buying quickly. Remember: it's quality not quantity that is most important.

Secondly, make plans with your House Connect agent about your availability. If you're having guests, going on vacation, or planning a holiday party that may affect the times your home can be shown, let your agent know in advance so that they can plan showings accordingly.

Next, decorations -- The biggest debate about showing during the holidays is whether or not to decorate your home, but if done tastefully, this could be a selling advantage. Decorations can make the house look homey. Buyers will picture celebrating their future holiday traditions there. The key is to remember that the best theme is neutral. Religious decorations are fine if done conservatively, but too much of any type of decoration will distract from the house itself. Some lights on outdoor bushes, a wreath on the door, and a Christmas tree inside will add to the house for most buyers.

Lastly, remember to consider an appropriate selling price. One of the benefits of listing with House Connect is that we will do a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA)of your property to help you determine the right selling point. Most importantly, since House Connect is a FLAT FEE LISTING service, you don't have to factor in paying the pricey commissions that a traditional real estate company charges. This means you have the ability to list your home at a more competitive rate.

The holiday season may at times be chaotic, but it's a joyous time as well. Following these simple tips will help you enjoy this festive time, and possibly have a much merrier New Year.

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our Facebook & Twitter pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770.640.6800. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commission.

Steps YOU Can Take When Selling

Selling your home can be a complex process no matter how experienced you are at it. One of the most important factors to consider is the price point at which you'd like to list your house. With a traditional real estate company you need to factor in the commission the selling agent will receive, but with House Connect - a flat fee listing company, you have more flexibility to offer your house at a competitive rate. This is one advantage to marketing your home that allows you to focus on other, small steps you can take to sell your home more quickly.

•         First, make sure the property is clean. A clean home gives a good first impression of both the home AND the seller. Small maintenance work that’s needed will not look as crucial if you give the impression that the property has been taken care of. This includes the yard or your "curb appeal"; something as simple as raking and mowing will entice a buyer to come see the interior, and we all know how important first impressions are.
•         Next, use your clean space well. Getting rid of clutter will keep the buyer from being distracted. Also, the less you have, the bigger the house looks AND the less for you to move.
•          Take high quality photos that highlight the house. Research picture taking tips online & capture the best parts of the house; no one knows the best areas of your home like you. Maybe there’s a view you love from your patio; be sure to think outside the box. Having pictures that show room size, large closets, a stunning staircase, or other features of your home will put you ahead of the competition.
•         Repair what you can. Don’t spend too much money upgrading a house you’re trying to get rid of, but some DIY handy-work will increase the value of the house exponentially more than the cost to do it. Also, this will increase the attractiveness of the property, drawing in more buyers.
•         Lastly, finishing touches. Simple tricks can go a long way when trying to sell your home. Make yourself scarce so the buyers can feel comfortable looking around the house, make sure the house has an inviting feel; simply opening the blinds and curtains goes a long way. Make it smell GOOD – an old realtor's trick is 2 caps of vanilla extract in an oven safe coffee cup at 300 degrees for one hour.

Remember, an agent’s best tool is the information YOU provide. Listing features of your home, labeling overlooked amenities (garbage disposal & dimming switches, washer/dryer hookups, etc.), and following these simple steps can help you reach your house selling goal faster. Being a savvy seller & listing for less with House Connect will save you time & money, putting you ahead of the curve. List. Sell. Save.

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our Facebook & Twitter pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770.640.6800. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.

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FLAT FEE LISTING WITH HOUSE CONNECT

Why pay THOUSANDS of dollars in commissions to sell your home? -- List for just $499* with HOUSE CONNECT.

The key to listing is exposure.

We'll insure that your listing is placed in both FMLS (First Multiple Listing Service) & GA MLS (Georgia Multiple Listing Service) as well as 50+ other real estate related websites including our own.

AND THAT'S JUST THE BEGINNING!

List with HOUSE CONNECT. It's quick, easy, & saves you THOUSANDS in commission!!!

What Else We Provide:

• Complete CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) for the property.
• Assist the seller in determining the list price.
• Add Seller provided pictures to the listing in both services.
• Provide a House Connect yard sign and Supra lockbox.
• Assist in completing all necessary forms, negotiating all offers received, and all activities related to closing the transaction.
• Unlimited changes to listing.
• Show the property to any interested party not represented by a real estate agent.
• Create an account for the seller on the House Connect website that gives him/her access to all necessary forms and information.

Also, be sure to follow us on facebook & twitter and subscribe to this blog. We will post useful tips for selling your house including pointers on staging & taking the best pictures, and DIY renovations to improve the value of your home, just to name a couple.

*An FMLS fee of .0012% will be charged at closing (ex: $100,000 sale price = $120).

Launch of the official House Connect blog

Welcome! This is the launch of the official blog for House Connect. If you're asking yourself "How can I save money on commissions?"  Keep reading...

House Connect is an Atlanta real estate company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. Instead of a percentage of the sale price we offer a flat fee listing service, thousands of dollars less than a full fee real estate company. 

Some of the services we will offer include a comparative market analysis to help you determine the right asking price for your home, a House Connect representative that will assist in showing your home, negotiating offers, and completing the closing process, and entry into 2 multiple listing services that are utilized in the Atlanta area as well as over 55 real estate for sale specialty sites.

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770.640.6800. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.