Others experiences with selling property without an agent.

[balwoges]

Your thoughts in relation to the second part of my last post would be welcome based on your REA experience.

Go to Open House listings in your area and price range, check Sold prices on website such as realestate.com. You will need to take off your rose colored glasses You will need photographs of the property and a good spiel for your brochure [good idea to hand out at inspection time or email to interested parties] I have noticed the listings with plans of the property on website, you will have to spend some money, my intended budget is about $2,000, $500 of that will be for plans to be drawn up.

Do all repairs and painting, my house will be empty and I intend for it to be scrubbed from top to bottom as buyers do not like scruffy houses, make sure lawns are mowed. When buyers inspect property, sit outside in the car and let them wander around on their own, if they have any questions they will ask. And be friendly ...

Addendum: You can sort out your buyers by asking them if they are in a position to buy [got their finance] or do they have to sell a property before they buy [time wasters] a lesson learnt from my working days!

 

[sanj]

Are you planning on staging your property balwoges? I personally think it is almost always worth the expense

 

[balwoges]

Are you planning on staying your property balwoges? I personally think it is almost always worth the expense

Not sure if I understand your question - do I intend to stay in my property? no, way too big for me now, intend to relocate. Am monitoring prices of property for sale and sold east side Lake Macquarie area.

 

[sanj]

Not sure if I understand your question - do I intend to stay in my property? no, way too big for me now, intend to relocate.

Oops sorry auto correct took over.i meant to say do you intend to stage your property for sale? It's something I've done for the last 5 or so sales and always found it to be worthwhile.

 

[balwoges]

You mean hire furniture etc. - no, that happens in Sydney, not so where I live

 

[sanj]

You mean hire furniture etc. - no, that happens in Sydney, not so where I live

I think the basic principals apply regardless of where it is, an empty house always presents worse

 

[beachside]

Go to Open House listings in your area and price range, check Sold prices on website such as realestate.com. You will need to take off your rose colored glasses You will need photographs of the property and a good spiel for your brochure [good idea to hand out at inspection time or email to interested parties] I have noticed the listings with plans of the property on website, you will have to spend some money, my intended budget is about $2,000, $500 of that will be for plans to be drawn up.

Do all repairs and painting, my house will be empty and I intend for it to be scrubbed from top to bottom as buyers do not like scruffy houses, make sure lawns are mowed. When buyers inspect property, sit outside in the car and let them wander around on their own, if they have any questions they will ask. And be friendly ...

Addendum: You can sort out your buyers by asking them if they are in a position to buy [got their finance] or do they have to sell a property before they buy [time wasters] a lesson learnt from my working days!

Tick, tick, tick. I am obviously well ahead of the pack in knowing how to present a property for sale. As for staging I think it is worth it in any area, even if just removing some of the less attractive furniture and borrowing or buying a few things to lift its appearance - buying somethings is better value than hiring and I know people who just sell them afterwards if they have no ongoing need for them. A while ago I noticed several units had been staged (probably by female flippers) using a few well placed pieces of furniture and accessories such as a colourful shag pile rug which I had seen at Bunnings for well under $100, these placed under a coffee table in the middle of the room really lifted it, good bang for buck, don't need to over stage and spend a heap. I would consider using a stylist who regularly stages properties for REA to get ideas on presenting property at its ultimate, best colours to use when I repaint, pictures to hang on wall etc, then do it myself rather than getting a staging company to do and supply.

I spoke to a stylist who had a stall at a local shopping centre recently (recognised her name from googling stylists in the area). Her price was $475 which I thought a bit steep, and she would spend 2 hours giving advice. This might be worth it/required for a large house which includes gardens and landscaping, but I think anything over 30 minutes for a small unit is unwarranted. There is only so much you can advise on!!

Balwoges - what is your thoughts on inspections. To me, I would prefer to make appointments for interested parties giving them say a 10-15 minute window to look over property alone rather than holding an open home with people tripping over each other, and then make accessible again for 2nd or 3rd look as they short list/compare other properties. Let them relax and take everything in. This may not be applicable if you have a dog of a property/location which may not encourage people to bother looking at if they needed to make an appointment. Mine is in a prime position.

I realise having an open home with potentially a few interested parties inspecting the property at the same time can generate urgency for them to make an offer knowing there is competition, but the way I look at it if I want to have a sticky beak at a property I have no interest in buying I will go to an open home and hope agent is busy with other people and not have to give my name and wrong number . If I am interested in buying I will prefer to inspect on my own so I can look unhindered by others, stare and ponder what I could do with certain things without other buyers picking up on what I am thinking, and ask agent questions without others hearing what is discussed.

As I would be after best buck rather than quickest sale I would not seriously start considering offers until property had been on market for a few weeks to allow maximum number of people to discover it's listing - as some could be away on holidays etc. Some flexibility may be justified if a party was tossing up between mine and another and did not want to lose the other while waiting to find out if they their offer was in the running on mine.