Make your home stand out to Tucson buyers

It's a new year and everywhere we look we continue to see the sad facts about our nation's real estate market; prices are dropping, the market is saturated with homes that just won't sell, foreclosures still remain high, and buyers continue to have difficulty getting loans to buy homes. It's enough to drive anyone crazy! The Tucson market is better then much of the country; people are still buying homes here. But it's a difficult time for home sellers due to the excess housing inventory. A home practically needs to be perfect to compete and sell.

Right now buyers are in great shape because they have an endless variety of homes to chose from; they can afford to be picky and choose the best. My home sellers are the ones having difficulty right now. Because there are so many homes currently on the market, home sellers have a lot of competition. In November 2007 there were approximately 9234 active listings in Tucson. That's about 3700 more listings then in November 2005. Large supply and little demand ultimately results in a lower sales price for homes. Worse yet home prices are expected to fall more in 2008 and eventually pick up in 2009.

Tucson's real estate market is on average stronger then the rest of the nation because we see a lot of retirees and vacation home buyers choosing Tucson for their next home. That' why I'm giving my sellers the cold hard facts about their homes; strive to make your home perfect or it's not likely to sell for quite awhile. On several occasions I've showed listings and found that my buyers aren't interested in homes that are messy or need paint or new carpet because there are more homes down the street that are in perfect condition.

My advice to those thinking about selling is wait if you can, but if you can't, make your house stand out from the rest.

Clean, clean, clean! - That means clean every inch of the house and remove all the "stuff" that clutters your home. Many sellers expect home buyers to "look past" the personal items like excessive pictures, knick knacks, magazines and books. Today's buyers don't need to do this because if they don't like what they see when they walk in the door they can move on to the next home.

Create space - Buyers are looking for homes that feel open and bright; it's great for entertaining and a person's well being. Many homes have too much furniture crammed into too small of an area. And not every inch of a home's walls need to be covered with pictures or other artwork! When it comes to selling your home, less is more. Clear out one of the lounge chairs in the family room and take down the collection of family photos on the hallway wall. If you're not sure what should be removed contact a home stager to take a look at your house and tell you what can be done. Professional stagers can be a true asset because they see your home through the eyes of potential buyers. They're job is to tell you what's wrong and how to improve it before your home goes on the market.

Paint - I can't tell you how many listings I've viewed that had either gotten a very poor paint job or hadn't been painted in five years. Newly painted interior walls stand out and help a home to look clean and new. It's relatively cheap to have the interior of a home painted, but it's also something a handy homeowner can do themselves to save money. Just remember to keep the colors neutral (like antique white) and make sure the lines/edges are neat. Nothing's worse then sloppy paint that runs into the ceiling, baseboards or tile grout.

Clean/Replace Carpet - The condition of home's carpet is an important issue to many buyers. If spots and stains are evident it can be hard to overlook, and many buyers see the condition of the carpet as a representation of the rest of the house. If your home's carpet has stains that can't be removed by professional cleaning it's probably wise to replace it before putting the house on the market. It's best to keep carpet colors neutral but dark enough to hide everyday dirt. Your goal is to have colors that appeal to everyone so that you're not eliminating potential buyers.

Keep up the yard's landscape - In the Desert Southwest our landscape consists of rock, cactus, rock, a few flowering, drought tolerant plants, an occasional Palo Verde tree, accent boulders and more rock. It's pretty simple to maintain, but after the cold winter months (yes, I'm serious; it does occasionally freeze in Tucson) most plants will need to be trimmed back and some replaced. Don't overlook this step. You've all heard the phrase "curb appeal" and it does ring true. If someone is interested in a home that's for sale, they usually drive by it a few times and evaluate the exterior before the ever see the interior. If they don't like they way the outside looks then the won't care to see the inside.

Sure there are other steps to make sure you house will sell in today's market, but a lot of that relies on your real estate agent. As a home seller your goal should be to make your house look better then your competition. If your house stands out and is priced right from the beginning then it's most likely going to sell more quickly and bring you a higher dollar.