Stan Gillies blog

Make sure your home is easy to show!

To get your home sold quickly, it’s important that other agents in the area show it to as many potential buyers as possible. The first thing a good agent will do when working with buyers is talk to the buyer and learn what kind of home they are looking for. Then the agent will search all the available homes for those most closely matching what the buyer wants. Next, the agent puts together a list of the best matches to go show to the buyer. When a busy agent is compiling a list of homes to show a buyer, the agent will naturally tend to show those houses that are easiest to gain access to first. Many homes on the market have “lock boxes” on them. The lock box is a device which holds a key to the home, that only qualified local agents can access. Homes that are listed as being “lock box, no appointment needed” will get shown more often than homes listed as “agent has key, call for appointment”. If at all possible, you should let your agent put a lock box on your home for easier showing.

If you can’t do a lock box, you need to be sure that you make it as convenient and easy as possible for other agents to show your home. If they call, do whatever you have to do to accommodate letting them show your home to buyers on their schedule. If you don’t, the agent will probably show the buyer other homes, and if that buyer makes an offer on one of them, you’ve just lost a great opportunity.

It’s best if you can leave when the agent and buyer arrive to see your home. Buyers won’t feel comfortable with you there, and it could sour an otherwise good impression.

Prices in the housing market are at an all time low, making this the best time to get into a brand new house. With the legislation passed that extends the homebuyer tax credit until April 30th, 2010, you have an even better opportunity to get into a new home this year. If you sign a purchase agreement before April 30th and close the transaction by July 1st, you can receive up to an $8,000 credit on your tax return and even put it towards the down payment on an FHA-insured home.

If you've been thinking about purchasing a new home, now is the best time to get the ball rolling. Don't delay it any further; this is not an opportunity you want to pass on by.

Call me today at (256) 825-0059 or visit my website at www.gilliesrealty.com. Let's get started right away so you don't miss out.

Stanley Gillies
Gillies Realty
(256) 825-0059

The experts all agree that curb appeal is one of the most important aspects to consider when selling your home.When selling, it's the appearance from the street and the Lake that will very often determine whether potential buyers come in to see the inside, or never get out of their cars or boat.

Homes on Lake Martin have two fronts the street side and the Lake side both should be considered for curb appeal.

Flowers are one of the easiest and least expensive ways to make the front of your house look inviting and instantly increase the curb appeal of your home. Without any real landscaping at all, flowers can transform a rather drab and dreary looking front yard into one that looks colorful and lush. Especially during spring and summer, you should take advantage of the season by planting pots and flower boxes.

You should choose colorful flowers that will be in bloom during the time you're selling your home. Planting the flowers in planter boxes and pots is easier than planting them in the ground and lets you more easily place them where they can have the most visual impact. You don't need to have a green thumb, or spend a lot of money to get great results either. Visit your local home improvement center or nursery and they will be happy to advise you of the best flowers and plants for your purpose. You can put together several very nice planter boxes and pots of flowers for well under $100. And it's easy!

One of the nice things about using flowers in this way is that you'll see the results immediately. And so will buyers visiting your home!