With the Spring selling season fast approaching now is the time to get your mind set on accomplishing the goal of making your home stand out from the rest of the inventory for sale.

Most Real Estate markets around the country are down and the competition is fierce for a buyer pool that has shrunk dramatically. Presenting your home in the best light will give you a leg up on the competition.

"Curb appeal" is often a catch phrase that is tossed around in Real Estate circles. 1st impressions are critical! Most buyers will find your home online and if your Realtor has done a good job with photography your home should look pretty decent.

Don't disappoint them by leaving your yard look like hurricane just took place!

Here are a few quick pointers for your homes exterior to help create a more timely sale:                                                                                            

• Clean up all debris from this past winter including any tree limbs, branches, and left over leaves.
• Clean the driveway and walkway of any sand and other debris.
• Pay careful attention to have all your landscaping beds raked and weeded out.
• Trim your bushes if needed. Pay attention to keeping them a few feet back from the home allowing for proper ventilation.
• Consider planting some hearty Spring flowers that have lots of color.
• Assess your driveway and get it seal coated if it looks old and worn. Seal coating really does wonders to  give your home a new and appealing feel.
• Clean out your gutters. You do not want your gutters looking that could harbor creatures from the black lagoon.
• Hose down your deck and consider seal coating the surface if needed.
• The entry way to your home should sparkle! A fresh coat of paint on the front door always looks great. Make sure you remove any old cob webs.
• Consider a few potted plants at the entry with some nice flowers.
• Use a garden hose and spray down any areas of your siding that may have mold or mildew build-up.

Just as important is how your home looks on the inside. The properties that are punished the most in a challenging market are the ones where the buyers have to think about investing their time and money dealing with a previous sellers issues.

Trust me when I tell you that when you and I estimate the cost to repair an item is $500, the buyer is estimating $1000 in their mind. You will not win this battle.

Here are some easy things to consider for your homes interior:

• The 1st thing you should consider is taking any unnecessary possessions and remove them from your home. You want to make your home feel as large and airy as possible. De-cluttering old furniture, boxes, and nick knacks go a long way in making a home presentable. I would consider a local storage center in your area for these things, as it is well worth the investment.
• If you can not find out local storage facility I would consider renting a storage unit from PODS (portable on demand storage).
• Next on the list should be a major Spring Cleaning. The bathrooms and kitchen should be spotless! These are the rooms that buyers will pay the most attention to. No big mystery, as these rooms are the most costly to upgrade.
• Clean out all your closets. Buyers are always looking for closet space. Having your closets neatly organized is important.
• Wash down all your windows. Homes always show better when there is plenty of natural light. Don't let years of grime and dust get in the way.
• Consider touch up painting any high traffic areas where scuff marks and worn paint are easily visible.
• Always paint or bleach any old stains away. For example if one of your kids took a shower without the curtain fully closed and there is a large stain in the kitchen ceiling below get it fixed. For one it looks awful and two buyers are going to assume you have a plumbing issue.
• Clean out and organize your garage. A spacious garage will be a consideration for many home buyers.
• In areas of the home where natural light is not the best make sure you have lamps with higher watt bulbs.
• Clear your kitchen counters completely of everything but the bare bones essentials.
• Clean all faucets,mirrors,lights, and ceiling fans.
• Re-caulk any tubs, showers, sinks, or tile work that has loose grout.   
• 

Above all else you want to take your emotions out of all the decision making when it comes to getting your home "staged".

Work with your Realtor and make it a team effort. Remember the goal is to get your home SOLD!

You may be taking pride in your PURPLE bathroom but the next buyer most likely will not.

While you have lived in your home for years and enjoy the way it looks a buyer has not.

If your Realtor does not have much experience is setting the stage for your home consult a professional stager.

Here is an excellent video that illustrates many of the points I have mentioned in this article.

Getting your home to look like something out of Better Homes and Gardens is certainly going to go a long way in getting to the closing table.

Don't forget though that all this effort will be for naught if you do not price your home properly and pick a top producing Realtor to work with. In a challenging market these are the two most important decisions you will be faced with.

See selling your home in a buyers market and why your Metrowest Massachusetts home expired  for explanation about proper pricing and picking web savvy Realtor with a great track record.

When selling a home in this environment the 3 P's of Real Estate don't have much of chance of working. What are the 3 P's of Real Estate? Put a sign in the yard, put it in MLS, and pray. This marketing strategy used to work for many agents when the Real Estate market was booming.

See Social marketing blogging short sales and the seller I never met for an explanation of how a Realtor with a dominant internet presence can be your best friend!

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About the Author: The above Real Estate information on preparing your Massachusetts home for the Spring selling season was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. 

Have a home to sell in Metrowest Mass? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise! 

For Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate and homes see Metrowest Mass Real Estate. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my MLS Property Finder Site.

I service the following towns in Metrowest Massachusetts: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Franklin, Douglas, and Framingham MA.

Click here to view Bill Gassett's Real Estate profile.

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SUBSCRIBE TO MY METROWEST HOMES BLOG via email.

Building lasting relationships by helping people move in and out of Metrowest Massachusetts for the last 23 years.

As a Realtor you are able to get on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) everyday and see countless homes that have "expired".

The number one reason why any home expires and does not sell is because of an improper price. Unfortunately, this is the hardest obstacle in Real Estate to overcome.

In today's challenging Real Estate market, the price that is set on your home can be more  than 75% of the marketing. What do I mean by that? Simply, if you come on the market at the wrong price, the best Realtor in the country with the most sophisticated marketing will not be able to get the job done.

There is no easy way to say this. Pick the wrong price and you will be doomed to languish on the market. All the marketing and advertising will be wasted along with a lot of time.

Time, as in "time on market", is one of the most important Real Estate statistics. This is the one piece of data that every buyer asks for when viewing a home. In fact I can't ever remember a buyer not asking me "Bill how long has this home been on the market?" Every buyer wants to know this because if the home has been on the market for a long time, the buyer feels like there will be more room to negotiate. It is just human nature. Buyers also may feel there could be something wrong with the home when it has been on the market for an usually extended period of time.

The way the MLS system works in Massachusetts prevents a Realtor from re-listing a home to set the days on market back to zero. This used to be a common practice before the MLS board got smart. This change was made a few years ago in order to make market statistics actually valid and not allow a Realtor to deceive the public by manipulating market data. In order for a homes days on market to be reset to zero it now must be off the market for 91 days.

As far as negotiating, sellers are in the drivers seat when a home comes on the market.

See also Selling your home does not have to be a mystery. 

This leads me to the next most important consideration. Do not pick a crappy Realtor! Picking a poor Real Estate agent and proper pricing in many cases go hand in hand.

There is a dirty little practice in Real Estate known as "buying a listing" that many Realtors employ as part of their business practice.

You see in many cases when a seller is interviewing multiple agents, a lesser skilled agent resorts to telling a seller what they want to hear in order to get the listing.

We all want to believe our homes are better than Mr. & Mrs. Jone's home that just sold down the street. This is just human nature at it's finest. A poor Realtor knows this and uses it to their advantage.

With a long term contract in hand and not much activity on your home, the Realtor starts to beat you over the head to reduce your price.

Folks the Real Estate data never lies but Realtors do! Avoid falling into this trap at all costs. Being tied to this kind of agent is the pits. You may be able to drop your price but you signed a contract and will be stuck with this agent until the contract expires. 

What can you do to avoid getting stick with a less than stellar Realtor? Ask smart Real Estate interview questions! One of the best pieces of information to find out about the Realtor you are thinking about hiring is their list price to sale price ratio from the original list price and their average days on market.

You should be looking for an agent that beats the averages for your area. It goes without saying that a Realtors previous track record is an important consideration.

Just like in any other good interview process, the agent you select should have an excellent resume.

Actually this is a funny subject because most Realtors have their past client list already typed up and ready to hand to you. I admit it I do too.

The thing is nobody is going to give you a list of clients that are going to say things like "Bill was awful to work with", "Bill's service sucked", "Bill never returned calls".

Remember anyone that is on the list is probably the Realtors best clients. The agent has probably asked the client if they could be included on the reference list. What you are going to hear are the finest compliments about the Realtor. I have always thought this was really hokey.

Believe it or not I don't even ask permission for the people I have on my list. I take a leap of faith that they were happy with my services. Another way around this is to ask the agent for a list of homes that they have sold and just do your own home work. If the agent asks why you want a list you should just tell them you want to see what kind of homes they have sold. Pick up the phone and call a few people. It certainly can't hurt!                                                                                                                                               

Look for A Realtor that is Internet savvy and has a social media marketing strategy. The majority of all buyers find their home online. You need an agent that knows how to make your home the center of attention online.

When looking for an internet savvy Realtor you should do a few things....Google the agents name, an address of a property they are marketing, and a very competitive term like the town, state and Real Estate as keywords.

An Internet savvy Realtor will have pages and pages of results for their name. You may also learn things that could be important about this agent.

If you Google the address of a home they are marketing you will see all the places on line where your home will be found.

There should be a mix of websites, blogs, and videos.  Searching for a term like "Hopkinton MA Real Estate" for example, which buyers will do by the way, will show which agents have a real strong website.

If you can get on the 1st page for this kind of search term when you are competing with the big boys like Realtor.com, Homes.com and Trulia.com you have found an agent that knows their way around the net or at the very least their web provider does.

See also Social marketing blogging short sale and the seller I never met and

Selling your home in a buyers market

Pricing your home incorrectly and picking a Realtor with poor business skills are the two most likely reasons why your home has expired. There are however, a few other reasons that can contribute to the possibility of making your sale more difficult to achieve.

Other reasons include a home that does not show well. At the very least your home should be neat and clean.

Access to your home should not be difficult. If you place a bunch of restrictions on when your home can be shown you will increase the likelihood that your home will take a lot longer to sell.

Lastly you should make sure you get out of the house when it is being shown. This is Real Estate 101. A buyer and their agent should be able to walk around the home freely and speak their thoughts without worrying about the seller lurking around the corner.

Here is a neat little video that summarizes some excellent home selling tips.

Whenever a home is sold in Massachusetts it is required that the home is inspected by the local fire department for properly working smoke detectors. This law has been in place for decades and is designed to save lives. A property can not change hands without a certificate issued by the fire department.

Effective January 1, 2010, a new regulation relating to the installation and maintenance of certain smoke detectors will be put in place. Staying up to speed on a change in the law like this is critical for landlords, home owners and Realtors alike.                                                                                                       

It goes without saying that it is imperative that home owners ensure that their properties comply with these laws, both from a public safety and liability stand point.  In order to know exactly how your property could be impacted it would be prudent to speak with the local fire Marshall or a lawyer that is well versed in this new amendment.                                                                             

TWO TYPES OF SMOKE DETECTOR TECHNOLOGY

There are two primary detection methods used in todays smoke detectors. They can be either ionization or photoelectric.

Ionization detectors typically have a constant current running between two electrodes. When smoke hits the device, it blocks the current which causes the alarm to trip.

Ionization detectors are usually faster to go off than photoelectric detectors.  The problem with ionization detectors though is that they are unable to differentiate between smoke and steam.

This makes them prone to false alarms when steam from a shower or other source interrupts the current. This is especially true when the ionization detector is placed near a kitchen or bathroom. 

Photoelectric detectors send a beam of light. This beam passes in front of the detector in a straight line. When smoke crosses the path of the light beam, some light is scattered by the smoke particles causing it to trigger the alarm.  Photoelectric detectors are less sensitive to false alarms from steam or cooking fumes but can take longer than ionization detectors to work.

Another major concern was that ionization detectors do not offer the best protection in smoldering fires which are some of the deadliest blazes across the country. Photoelectric smoke alarms are more sensitive to smoldering smokey fires. Most of the homes across the country have ionization detectors which are more sensitive to flames.

In 2007, WBZ News in Boston tested both types of smoke alarms. In a smoky fire the photoelectric detector sounded the warning first. While took almost 17 minutes into the fire before the ionization alarm finally went off!

The debate in Massachusetts has been whether to require property owners to replace their ionization detectors with photoelectric detectors.

Home owners have raised concerns about the cost of replacing smoke detectors that still function properly. Fire departments have suggested that the elimination of false alarms outweighs the additional expense that home owners will need to deal with.

NEW FIRE DETECTOR REGULATIONS

Since there are strengths and weaknesses of photoelectric versus ionization smoke detectors, the Board of Fire Prevention Regulation has passed a new regulation (527 CMR 32.00 et seq).

According to the new regulation, owners of certain residential buildings will be required to install and maintain both the ionization and photoelectric smoke detectors.

  While the new regulation does not change the locations where smoke detectors are required, it does allow the installation of both technologies in certain locations. 

Under the new regulation, an ionization dectector can not be placed within 20 feet of a kitchen or a bathroom containing a shower or a tub. In these locations only a photoelectronic detector is allowed. 

All property owners should determine what type of smoke detectors they are currently have installed. In order to comply with the law you can either install two separate detectors that have both technologies or by installing one that utilizes both.

WHAT PROPERTIES ARE AFFECTED BY THE NEW REGULATION?

In order to determine if your property is affected by this change in the law it would be prudent to check with your local fire department or a local Real Estate attorney who up to speed on the changes in the law. According to to the new amendment the following types of properties are impacted by the new regulation:

• Residential buildings under 70 feet tall and containing less than six dwelling units.

• Residential buildings not substantially altered since January 1, 1975, and containing less than 6 residential units.

• All residential buildings sold or transferred after January 1, 2010, which are less then 70 feet tall, have less than six units, or have not been substantially altered since January 1, 1975.

For all properties in these categories, compliance is mandated by January 1, 2010.  It should be noted that the law does not apply to these larger buildings or those which were substantially altered since January, 1975, as these properties already were required to upgrade their fire safety systems under other existing laws.

If you are selling your home in Massachusetts one other law that you need to be aware of is what is known as Nicole's Law. As of March 2006 when a home is transferred you need to have working carbon monoxide detectors.

Carbon Monoxide detectors are required in any residence that has fossil-fuel burning equipment including, but not limited to, a furnace, boiler, water heater, fireplace or any other apparatus, appliance or device; or has enclosed parking within its structure.

Unfortunately, the law is named for 7-year-old Nicole Garofalo who died in January 2005 when a heating vent in her house was blocked by snow drifts, allowing carbon monoxide to accumulate in the home.

According to the carbon monoxide regulations, you need to have a detector on each finished level of the home. Further there must be a detector placed within ten feet of all the bedroom doors. The detectors do not need to be hard wired. A plug-in or battery operated detector meets the requirements.

The inspection for both the smoke and carbon detectors are done by the local fire department prior to closing.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

About the Author: The above Real Estate information on Massachusetts smoke detector laws was provided by Bill Gassett, a Nationally recognized leader in his field. Bill can be reached via email at billgassett@remaxexec.com or by phone at 508-435-5356. 

Have a home to sell in Metrowest Mass? I have a passion for Real Estate and love to share my marketing expertise! 

For Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate and homes see Metrowest Mass Real Estate. Want to have MLS access to beat other buyers to your dream home? Sign up with no obligation at my MLS Property Finder Site.

I service the following towns in Metrowest Massachusetts: Hopkinton, Milford, Upton, Southboro, Westboro, Ashland, Holliston, Mendon, Hopedale, Medway, Grafton, Northbridge, Uxbridge, Franklin, Douglas, and Framingham MA.

Click here to view Bill Gassett's Real Estate profile.

Subscribe in a reader

SUBSCRIBE TO MY METROWEST HOMES BLOG via email.

Building lasting relationships by helping people move in and out of Metrowest Massachusetts for the last 23 years.