Real Estate Information Archive

Blog

Displaying blog entries 1-4 of 4

Tips For Selling Your Omaha, NE Home With Children And Pets

by Nancy Heim-berg

Tips For Selling Your Omaha, NE Home With Children And Pets We understand just how stressful selling your home can be - the cleaning, the organizing, the planning, the showings - it’s enough to drive even the most zen person a little haywire. Now add children and pets into the mix and it may seem like more than you can handle. 

The good news is that with a little planning and some tips from today’s blog post, selling your Omaha, NE home with little ones can feel a little easier and less stressful. Let’s dive in:

Tips for inside the home:

-Clutter is something that accumulates the longer you are in a house, and this is especially true if you have children and pets. Take some time to sort through items (especially toys) and donate what is no longer needed, store items that you want to keep but don’t immediately need and throw away/recycle items that are on their last leg.

-If your home has a dedicated playroom, you may want to consider transforming the space into a multi-purpose room in order to appeal to all buyers. Remove the toys (and crayon on the walls) and allow buyers to envision their own needs/wants for the space. 

-We know how much you love your children and pets, and hanging pictures around the house is a great way to share fun memories. But when it comes to selling, you may want to remove a majority of those frames in order to depersonalize your home a bit. That includes the kids finger painting hanging on the fridge. You want buyers to feel like they are in their new home, not just visiting yours. 

-Pet stains and smells are a huge turnoff to buyers when they walk into a house. It is important to ensure any and all pet odors and carpet stains are taken care of prior to when showings are scheduled to begin. On that same note, if your children ever used the walls of your home as paper to color on, now would be a great time to remove that artwork as well. 

-If your child’s room is themed and theatrical, you may want to consider painting it a neutral color and changing out the princess lamp. This will make it easier for buyers who don’t have children to see the room as a functional space for them. *Side note: this time of transition can be hard on kids. Allowing them to pack a special bag of favorite items that can be taken out after showings can make them feel more at ease. 

-Make sure that outdoor pet waste is always cleaned up prior to showings. You don’t want potential buyers stepping in anything unpleasant when touring the backyard. 
 
Tips for showings:

-If possible, ask your real estate agent to give you a few hours notice before showings to make sure you can tidy up the house and get the kids and pets ready to go. Establishing this with your agent will lower your stress as you will have time to get everything (and everyone) in order. 

-Try to plan fun activities for you and the children to do during showings. This can be anything from going on a hike, spending the day at the zoo, taking a picnic to the park, etc. You want to show your children that this time away from home isn’t an inconvenience, but an opportunity to spend quality time together. 

-If your planned activity isn’t pet friendly, it is important to have a safe place for your furry four-legged family members to go. A friend or family members home is a great option, or a local pet daycare. If you have an open house scheduled in advance, you can also use that time for your pet to go to the groomer. 
 


If you are looking to sell your Omaha, NE house, be sure to contact our team for more information. Our dedicated, knowledgable agents are here to provide you with the expert services you need. 

A Checklist For Selling Your Omaha, NE Home

by Nancy Heim-berg

A Checklist For Selling Your Omaha, NE HomeThere is no denying that preparing to sell your home can be a very stressful time for you and your family - now tack on a global pandemic and the process can seem downright overwhelming. The little items on your to-do list seem never-ending as you do your best to make your home as appealing as possible to potential buyers. 

In an effort to ease some of the stress, we have broken down a few items below for you to review and start checking off your list. One step (and check mark) at a time, you got this!  

Bedrooms:
-Make all beds each day (invest in new linens if any are looking worn)
-Clear off surfaces of furniture items such as bedside tables and dressers
-Keep floors clear and mop/vacuum frequently so no dust builds up
-Organize closets and be sure to keep doors closed for showings 

Bathrooms: 
-Make sure all surfaces are clean and clear of clutter
-Replace old hand towels with new decorative ones 
-Run your shower curtain through the washer (or purchase a new one if yours looks worn)
-Sanitize countertops and any moldy areas within the bathroom (corners of sinks and bathtubs, etc.)
-Clean toilet bowl and always be sure to keep toilet lids closed during showings 
-Make sure garbage cans are completely empty and clean
-Replace caulking if necessary 

Living and Family Rooms:
-Remove any furniture that makes the area feel small and closed off
-Make sure tables are clear of clutter
-Put away any toys from children/dogs
-Incorporate decorative throws and pillows to make the space soft and inviting 

Kitchen:
-Clear off all unnecessary items from countertops 
-Organize the pantry so it looks neat and tidy 
-Deep clean the microwave, stove and oven
-Remove any magnets and/or pictures from the refrigerator doors 
-Clean tile grout (bleach it if necessary)
-For showings, put away pet food and water dishes
-Make sure the garbage is empty prior to each showing

Laundry:
-Remove all clothing from the room (dirty or clean)
-Put away (or organize) any laundry soap and supplies
-Make sure floors are clear and clean – vacuum and mop frequently
-Keep all surfaces clear and clean 

 

From new, modern homes to old fixer-uppers - whatever your taste let our experienced team help you find your dream home in Omaha, NE. Be sure to sign up for our listing alerts here!

Looking to sell your home in Omaha, NE? Are you asking yourself what the benefits are to using a real estate agent for the home selling process? If you found yourself nodding in agreement to the previous questions, than today’s blog post is for you! Below we have listed a few of the benefits to working with a real estate agent when you are looking to sell your home.
 
1. The first benefit to using a real estate agent to sell your home is ensuring that you are listing your house at the right price from the start. A knowledgeable real estate agent will know and fully understand how your home compares to other comps in the area, and will be able to guide you on how to price your home to sell and appeal to buyers. 
 
2. The second benefit is that an agent will be able to guide you on the best ways to present your home to potential buyers. Do you need to declutter your master closet or rearrange the furniture in your living area? An experienced real estate agent will be able to point out things you can do to better stage your home.
 
3. Getting more buyer exposure is another great benefit to using a real estate agent. A good agent has a wide network and will be able to present your home listing to more potential buyers.  
 
4. Looking to receive multiple high offers on your home? As we all know, that is the ideal situation when looking to sell your house, and that is what you are likely to get when working with an experienced and knowledgeable real estate agent. 
 
5. The fifth benefit we have for you when working with a real estate agent is that they typically negotiate inspection results on your behalf, which enables you to sketch one more thing off your to-do-list!
 
6. Next, the right real estate agent with help to speed up the time it takes to close the deal. And let’s be honest, the process to sell your home can be stressful at times, so the quicker things close, the better for everyone.
 
7. Lastly, utilizing a real estate agent to sell your home makes it more likely that your home will sell at top dollar. 

Things to avoid when listing your house on the market

by Nancy Heim-berg

There are many things to do, rooms to DE clutter and improvements to make in the time leading up to your house actually being put on the market. We understand the stress and mile long to-do lists that seem never-ending. But this should also be a fun and exciting time for you and your family as you begin to close one chapter and open the next.  To help in the transition and stress of things you feel like you have to do, we have listed below a few things that you can take off your list and things you will want to avoid. We hope these help during this exciting and busy time!

The first thing you will want to avoid is the thought that you have to over-improve your home to get top dollar. While improvements such as replacing broken or cracked cabinets and updating appliances are always good, you want to avoid making hyper-specific improvements that match your taste and preference. What is an example of this? Well for one, turning your basement into a man cave, complete with a lifted stage and wet bar, may turn off the family of five who would use that space for a play room. All that family will see is a huge project to take on and a man cave to undo. So the lesson here: do not feel like you have to go above and beyond when it comes to improvements to the home. Sometimes less is more and keeping it simple is the best option.

Our next task to not do is along the same lines as above. You want to be sure to not over-decorate and keep the house as neutral as possible. This will ensure that the potential buyers can see their own items in the home, instead of trying to visualize against what you currently have. Third, which may seem pretty obvious to some people, is to not hang around the house when there are showings. We know how tempting it is to clean the house, dress the kids in their Sunday best and stand at the door with fresh made cookies to greet your potential buyers. But the fact of the matter is that most people want to be able to speak openly about the home and having you there may make them feel uncomfortable. So it is best to find some family fun activities to occupy your time during scheduled showings.

Lastly, you want to try your best to not take things personally. We understand that things can be emotional when it comes to selling your home, but it is best to keep your feelings neutral whenever you can. If you get feedback from your agent from a potential buyer not liking your decor, old carpets or quality of the home, it is always best to let the comments slide off your back. Same thing if you receive a low offer from a potential buyer – let it slide off your back. By not taking things personally, you will find yourself not stressing over the little things and enjoying the home selling process a bit more.

Displaying blog entries 1-4 of 4

Syndication

Categories

Archives

Share This Page

Contact Information

Photo of Heim-Berg Team Real Estate
Heim-Berg Team
Berkshire Hathaway
331 Village Pointe Plaza
Omaha NE 68118
(402) 677-9024
(402) 679-7108 | (402) 830-6123
Fax: 402-493-4805

Stacey OHara CMG financial 515-306-2360

 

©2015 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Ambassador Real Estate symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc®. Equal Housing Opportunity. Equal Housing Opportunity Realtor License