preparing your Cincinnati home for sale Archives -

Selling Your Cincinnati Home – Step 5

December 21, 2017 by Eric Lowry

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Step 5 to Selling Your Cincinnati Home : Pack Up and Move

Moving to a new home is exciting but it is also stressful, but there are things you can do to make it go more smoothly.

You can choose to move yourself or hire a professional moving company. The Lowry Team can provide you with a list of our preferred vendors who can take some of the weight off your shoulders.

First and foremost, be prepared with all of the necessary materials for packing. Items that you will need are lots of boxes, packing tape, and plenty of material for wrapping breakable items. If you need boxes, try asking at some local retail stores if they have any empty boxes you can have. Often, they have tons of boxes that they are more than happy to give you.

Don’t wait until the last minute. Pack one room at a time and set a goal of packing a couple of boxes a day. As you pack each room sort through items that you may want to donate or sell.

Be sure to clearly mark each box once it is packed. Make sure to notate not only what’s in the box, but what room it goes in. Also, don’t forget to mark any breakables as “fragile” so that the person carrying the box later knows to be extra careful.

When moving, some people choose to rent a truck. Shop around carefully when picking a company to rent a moving truck from. Compare mileage rates and costs of moving on different days of the week. Instead of a moving truck, some people will have a portable container brought to their house. Once all of your house is packed up and placed inside, the company will move the container to your new home. No matter what you choose to do, make sure you plan ahead. If you wait too long to reserve a truck, you may be out of luck.

Questions about selling your Cincinnati home?
Call or text Eric Lowry at 513-368-3751

Selling Your Cincinnati Home – Step 4

December 21, 2017 by Eric Lowry

513-368-3751 to Connect with a Top Real Estate Agent in Cincinnati

Home Values	Brand New Listings	Contact Us
West Chester	Liberty Township	Mason
Monroe	Fairfield Township	Fairfield

Step 4 to Selling Your Cincinnati Home : Negotiate an Offer

It is extremely important to have an experienced, professional real estate agent do the negotiating for you when selling your house.

The Lowry Team has over 17 years experience negotiating home sales in the Cincinnati area. Our listings sell for around 1% more than the market average – that could mean thousands of dollars more in your pocket.

With current market conditions, homes are selling pretty close to list price. However, there may be times when you will receive a completely low ball offer. Try not to take it personally; it’s just business. Your real estate agent will make sure that the buyer is pre-approved for a loan and keep negotiating the offer for you.

Depending on market conditions, it may be important to try to keep negotiations going. The more time and money spent, the more the buyers will feel invested in reaching an agreement with you and buying your house.

It’s important to keep in mind that there is more to the negotiation process than just agreeing upon a price. You will also be negotiating occupancy and the closing date. Also, closing costs, repairs made to the home, and personal property are items that can make or break a deal. In the end, sometimes a small concession is all that is needed to agree upon a final purchase contract.

Questions about selling your house?
Call/text Eric Lowry and The Lowry Team at 513-368-3751

Selling Your Cincinnati Home – Step 3

December 3, 2017 by Eric Lowry

513-368-3751 to Connect with a Top Real Estate Agent in Cincinnati

Home Values	Brand New Listings	Contact Us
West Chester	Liberty Township	Mason
Monroe	Fairfield Township	Fairfield

Step 3 to Selling Your Cincinnati Home : Stage Your Home

Preparing your home for sale properly can net you considerably more money at closing. It’s important to keep in mind that some rooms in your home are more important than others in the preparation process and some home improvements are a much better investment as you prepare to sell your home. Don’t waste your money though, consult your Realtor on the best steps you can take. In the meantime, here are some general steps that you could start implementing right now.

The first step in staging your home is to maximize the curb appeal. Make sure to trim the bushes and keep the lawn neatly mowed. The curb appeal of your home will provide the first impression to potential buyers. Make it a good one!

Next, you will want to remove any clutter from your house. Start packing up anything you are not currently using. You are going to have to pack it up eventually anyway, so you might as well get started. Your house will appear larger and more organized.

If you have transformed one (or more) of your bedrooms into something other than a bedroom, such as a sewing room or exercise room, change it back. If you are listing your house as a three bedroom, you want the home buyer to be able to easily visualize the three bedrooms.

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Clean up and organize the counters in the bathrooms and kitchen. They should appear neat, clean and clutter free! Put items that are generally sitting out on the counter tops away out of sight.

After all of the steps are completed, do one last final clean up. Deep clean your house from top to bottom; yes, even the windows! Repair any nicks to the walls and cover them with a fresh coat of neutral paint.

Lastly, add a pop of color. This could be some colorful towels in the half bath or fresh flowers in a vase in the entrance way. Add color outside by planting some annuals. Place a new welcome mat by the front door or add a splash of color with a pillows on a chair.

Homes that are properly staged sell faster and for more money than homes that are not.

Questions about selling your Cincinnati home?
Call/text Eric Lowry and The Lowry Team at 513-368-3751

Best Home Updates For Increasing Your Property Value

March 19, 2017 by Eric Lowry

If you are looking to have work done on your home in order to increase its value for a future sale, you need to make sure you are choosing the updates that will have the greatest impact. Not all improvements to your home will be reflected in its resale value. If you want to see a return on your investment, keep in mind these best home updates for increasing your property value.

Many homeowners who aren’t looking to have extensive work done choose to make simple updates to their home in order for it sell faster and for more money. These simple updates include a fresh coat of neutral paint, new carpets or flooring. However, if you’re looking to have more extensive work done on your home, consider the following options:

Kitchen Remodel
Average Return at Resale: Minor Remodel – 98.5%, Major Remodel – 91%
Update the cabinet faces, counter tops, appliances, fixtures, and flooring.
Bathroom Remodel
Average Return at Resale: Minor Remodel – 102%, Major Remodel – 93.2%
Replace the tub/shower, tile surround, floor, toilet, sink, vanity, and fixtures.
Exterior Improvements
Average Return at Resale: 95.5%
Update/replace vinyl siding, paint, update the front entry, replace railings, etc.
Landscaping
Average Return at Resale: 100%
Lay sod if necessary, add flower beds and plant flowers for a pop of color, etc.
Basement Remodel
Average Return at Resale: 90.1%
Finish the walls and ceiling, add recessed lighting, add flooring, consider extras such as a wet bar or half bath.
Replacement Windows
Average Return at Resale: 89.6%
Replace old, drafty windows with new energy efficient windows.

Questions about selling your home for the most money?
Call or text Eric Lowry at 513-368-3751.