Is there a problem with your property title? Do you know this could turn off potential buyers?

It’s always a good idea to ensure that you are in a position to sell your property before you even list it with a realtor. I know this may seem obvious, but lets say the property was passed down through your family there may be problems that you are unaware of. So, here are a few things that you should consider:

• If there was a mortgage on the property, ensure that this is discharged?
• You may want to also look out for any caveats or liens against the property?
• Restrictive covenants. You want to ensure that there aren’t any breaches.

Need more information? Get all the details in our free ebook, How to Buy an Apartment or Condo in Jamaica.

Need help finding your new home or office? Give us a call at +18765139222 or email me at cherine@mypowerliving.com

There is always that nosy next neighbor who really is not really on the market to buy a property, but has a friend who is an agent who can call a listing agent to arrange the viewing for a property that they are not on the market to buy.

Put away mail: You want to know how the next-door neighbor knows your JPS was disconnected or credit card bill is overdue? Maybe because you left that stack of mail, right next to the toaster oven, on the island in your kitchen during a viewing. Things like bankruptcy, divorce papers, small loans and hospital bills. Do you really believe a buyer will not read your personal mail? Think again.

When a buyer walks into a house they are looking for every possible reason to negotiate a lower price. If they realize you are in a position where you have to sell they will use that to their advantage. This is one of the reasons we do Power Houses…not open houses.

Organize your closet: People don’t need to know what you’re getting into. What you do when your doors are closed, it’s your business. It is best to you organize your space to be very neutral. Empty the drawers. Do not leave anything that could have the buyer assuming the wrong impression of you. Put away all the sexy lingerie, the jewelry etc. Remember you’re selling the property.

If you need additional information you can also ask your power realtor to do a scan of the property to make sure that it is buyer ready!

Remove photos and awards: People are bias and buyers are people. Leaving out your longstanding awards that shows religious or political affiliation can actually work against you as a seller. Someone may not support your political party or religious views and decide not to place an offer based on just that.

Put away family photos, wedding pictures, pictures of graduations or maybe a loved one, someone who has passed away. All these things tell people your age, your and sometimes buyers us it to their advantage to really negotiate.

Need more information? Get all the details in our free ebook, How to Buy an Apartment or Condo in Jamaica.

Need help finding your new home or office? Give us a call at +18765139222 or email me at cherine@mypowerliving.com

Leaking roof: The lifespan of a roof is about 20 -25 years. The first thing we need to assess is do we need to completely fix the roof? Are we fixing a small leak or a partially fix the roof? If possible, I would suggest fixing it before putting the property on the market or be prepared to negotiate with the buyer. Roofing problems can run thousands or even millions of dollars depending on the size of the home. We don’t want to your sale price to leak away.

Foundation cracks: We know that houses settle during the first few months, sometimes years after construction, and it’s not unusual to see minor wall cracks running along the wall or on slab roofs. However, if there is are large horizontal or jagged 50-degree crack running on the wall this could be a sign of severe foundation shifting or water damage. Would you want this collapsing on your family?

Now we know that you may not be in the construction business but you may have to fix the problem before putting the property on the market or be prepared to adjust your asking price. If the buyer decides to do a structural engineer report this will come up. A full disclosure would be the right thing to do.

Termites: Termite problems are serious…and could be a big deal breaker! They can cause serious structural damage and this can significantly impact the property value and ultimately eat away at your sale price.

Get a professional to treat and repair this. So, if you’ve just fixed the roof, armed with your receipt and all the upgrades that you’ve done on the property, prove it!

Mold: Mold is not just a problem for people with asthma. Sometimes it’s not even visible to homebuyers. I know sometimes, as the seller you won’t even be aware until you smell something musty it or you actually see the stains on walls. A musty smelling house or mildewed wall or that black and white fuzzy thing growing on grout in your bathroom and kitchen will get you a lot questions asked from the buyer.

If you are aware of mold in your house hire a professional to fix the problem or keep your surfaces dry and clean.

Need more information? Get all the details in our free ebook, How to Buy an Apartment or Condo in Jamaica.

Need help finding your new home or office? Give us a call at +18765139222 or email me at cherine@mypowerliving.com

Pets run around: Not all homebuyers have pets or even love pets! We know you may have good memories or good relationships with your fluffy feline or your cute poodle that you cuddle with to watch TV.

But remember, potential buyers could actually have an allergic reaction to pets. They may not necessarily like pets and pets running around, jumping on the furniture, peeing, especially for the ones who are not necessarily trained. That can be a big distraction to buyers. Remember, you want a situation where the buyers can envision themselves in your beautiful home. It is not about your family at this point, it’s about theirs. They need to be able to see themself in the space with no distraction from the pets.

Let your children run wild: Although children can be super cute and super adorable, they can be a big distraction for buyers. Might I suggest that you can ask a friend or family member the keep those younger kids at that 2-year-old stage that are probably pulling down stuff or crying or throwing stuff all over the place. What if the potential buyer is a couple that may not be able to have children?

Lying or withholding information: Lying or withholding information about the property like if the roof is leaking, or if there are major cracks in the wall. Let’s say there is mold – think about it if the buyer has children who may have asthma, and as soon as they move in the child gets the worst attack! Could you live with yourself!

We also know that making extra extensions to the property requires a special permit. You don’t want to add two stories to a foundation that cannot hold the weight! Making major extensions to your home requires requisite permits. Buyers who are armed with power realtors are asking many questions up front. Before they sign the sale agreements they are doing their power checks. You don’t want all your money to be leaking away so just be honest, be a good human being.

Need more information? Get all the details in our free ebook, How to Buy an Apartment or Condo in Jamaica.

Need help finding your new home or office? Give us a call at +18765139222 or email me at cherine@mypowerliving.com

Unrealistic price: When you overprice your home it simply doesn’t sell or it could stay on the market for a very long time …I’ve seen properties on the market for as much as 3 years!

Remember when you were getting ready to buy and you looked at so many properties before finally deciding on the one you really loved? Remember how hard you negotiated? Well today’s buyers are no different and they have more access to information about the property. When you set the price for your property at what the market can actually bear, you will generally get multiple offers and sometimes that helps to push your price up. So in the end you actually get what you want. However, sometimes it is unrealistically priced because you are…

Staying emotionally attached: If you are not “emotionally’ ready to sell your property then maybe you should wait. If you are not emotionally ready to let go most times you’ll set an unrealistic price and remember it is a transaction for the buyer

I know it may be very hard for you because this is the house where you got married, this is where I had my children but remember for the buyers, it is purely a transaction and you don’t want to put yourself in a position where you could actually sabotage the success of the sale. Sometimes we know you may be forced to sell your property but be upfront with your realtor and get your family or friends to support you as well. You don’t want to be in a situation where your realtor is suggesting one thing and your constantly resisting.

Hiring an inexperienced agent: While we are on the note of Realtors…there are good listing agents and ones that are…well.

Ensure you do your research before you get an agent to list your property. You should hire a good listing agent, especially one that knows what’s going on in the market, one who has experience and understands how to deal with your type of property. You also want to ensure it’s a listing agent who has knowledge of what is going on in the industry and a sphere of influence that will be able to pull and attract more eyes to your property.

So remember, interview your agent and ask all the right questions. If you’re wondering-well, how do I know if it’s the right agent, download our free ebook. It gives you all the questions you should be asking of your realtor, your bank, your attorney, your valuator and your land surveyor.

Need more information? Get all the details in our free ebook, How to Buy an Apartment or Condo in Jamaica.

Need help finding your new home or office? Give us a call at +18765139222 or email me at cherine@mypowerliving.com