Real Estate Information Archive

If you are looking to sell your Omaha home, chances are you have made a list (either on paper or in your head) of all the projects and improvements you would like to complete before the listing goes live. This can be a stressful time for homeowners and many of the tasks you've outlined may seem daunting from a time perspective as well as a budget. 

Don’t let that discourage you. Here are five areas to focus your efforts to get a great start:

1. While decluttering your home, be ruthless in what you purge. Whether you are selling, donating, or throwing things away, you want to ensure any items that are left in your home are intentional. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves living in the space, so an uncluttered, neutral space allows them a clean slate to envision their lives in your home. 
2. Details matter! Walk through each room of your home with a discerning eye. Check light switches, baseboards, light fixtures, door handles & hinges, flooring, and walls. Make a list of any and all damage that needs to be fixed. Small items like patches in a wall or replacement of switches or hinges are fairly easy. However, if you find you need faucet replacements or larger items, you may want to hire a handyman to take the stress off of you and knock out chunks of your list at once. 
3. A fresh coat of paint is a great way to refresh almost every room of your home. Not only will it look brighter, it also gives the room and home a "new home" feel. As a side note- remember to choose a neutral palette in your color choices. This allows your potential home buyers to decorate according to their personal style. 
4. You never get a second chance at a first impression. Knowing this, give your front porch and yard a little extra TLC. Look into low-cost projects that offer big-impact curb appeal such as porch lights, new house numbers, a fresh mailbox, welcoming doormat, planters and/or a wreath for the front door. 
5. Finally, we can’t overstate just how important it is to give your home a thorough, deep clean before potential buyers start to tour the space. If you don’t have the time to do this yourself, look into hiring a cleaning service to make sure each surface is shiny-clean and your home is able to put its best foot forward. This includes cabinets, closets, the basement, and the garage. 

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

If you are thinking of selling your house in Omaha, NE chances are you have done a mental walkthrough of everything you need to fix, paint and/or redecorate before the listing goes live. And while the list may seem a mile long, there are certain projects that should be bumped to the front and be top priority. 

In today’s blog post we are going to be discussing four things that you should repair before selling your home - let’s dive in: 

Paint: If you are looking for an easy and cheap way to update the interior/exterior of your home, grab a paint brush! Old chipped paint can be a huge turnoff for potential buyers. Light, neutral tones are a safe bet when it comes to choosing colors as they will make your home appear brighter and appeal to a wide range of people. Also, be sure to remove any old wallpaper as it tends to date a house.

Damaged flooring: One area that potential home buyers take notice of is the flooring throughout a house. If you have worn and damaged flooring, especially hard wood flooring, it’s not only an eyesore but can also take away from the value of your house. If it’s in your budget, replacing the floors is best. If not, you can refinish/deep clean them and bring some life back into your home. 

Exterior: You never get a second chance at a first impression, so be sure to make it a good one when buyers come to tour the house. The first thing people will see is the exterior of your home so its crucial to make it look good. Pull the weeds, mow the lawn, plant some flowers, replace missing fence boards, remove any junk, fix the roof and add a fresh coat of paint to the front door. 

Pet damage: Even though you love your furry four-legged friends, you can’t deny the impact they can have on a home. If you are thinking of selling your house, be sure to repair any damage that resulted from your pets. Everything from the scratches on the doors to the urine stains on the carpets. Potential buyers touring the home should (ideally) have no idea that pets live in the home. 

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. 

Did you know the photos that are used in your home listing are a crucial part of the home selling process? It’s true! They can be a large factor in the amount of initial interest your listing receives, and can be a great tool to showcase your home with homebuyers out of state. Below we discuss a few tips and tricks to help ensure your images not only turn out well, but stand out from the rest. Let’s dive in: 

-Our first tip is to ensure that your home doesn’t appear too “lived in.” You want to spend some time decluttering your home to help that the images turn out clear and allow buyers can focus on the home - not your things in it.

-If you are finding you need extra space to store bulky furniture or miscellaneous items, you may want to consider renting a storage unit. It is a great way to keep your items safe and in good repair until the home sells, while also decluttering the space. 

-Staging a home is known to increase not only the amount of offers that come in, but also the price of those offers. You can either stage the home yourself or bring in a professional staging company to help ensure the home looks its best and is staged to sell. 

-You want to make sure to highlight all the natural light and/or pretty views as those features are a huge selling point for potential buyers. Make sure all your curtains are open and windows are cleaned. For a better photograph, you want to make sure all lights and lamps are turned on, inside and out, but to make sure that all ceiling fans are turned off.

-Lastly, it is important to take some time to depersonalize your home. This includes excessive family photos, refrigerator door clutter and kids toys. You want the images to showcase the home itself and not have potential buyers be distracted by the other items throughout your home. 

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Preparing your home to list and sell can be a stressful process as you want it to show well and appeal to potential buyers. And while there is no love like a pet's love, your furry family members can definitely wreak havoc on your property and create more work to get your home show-ready. 

Below we have outlined a few things to look for and pet damage to repair prior to buyers entering your home for showings. Let’s dive in: 

-The first and most pressing pet issue to address is odor. Not only can pet odor be quite difficult to get rid of, it is also very obvious to potential home buyers and can be one of the first things they notice upon entering your home. And although getting rid of odors the right way can be expensive (i.e replacing flooring, new paint, etc), it is well worth the investment and can greatly benefit your resale value. You also want to be sure to vacuum everyday while your home is on the market and being shown to keep odors away during the selling process. 

-Scratches - they are common in most homes, but are likely to be more prominent in ones with pets. There is a good chance if you have been living in your home for a while that you have grown accustomed to seeing them on walls and floors, but when selling your home you want to take inventory of what needs to be fixed up. You can look into having your scratched hardwood floors professionally refinished, and having scratches on trims, walls, doors and cabinets lightly sanded, speckled and painted. 

-The outside of your house will be potential buyers first impression of your property, so you want to ensure to take extra care of any pet damage that may be in the front of your home. This can include anything from filling in holes your pets have dug up, replacing plants they have chewed and fixing damage to fencing, porches and home exterior.

-Lastly, even though your furniture will be going with you in the move, having chewed surfaces in your home can make the space appear sloppy during showings and broadcast that pets live there. You can either repair the damaged pieces, replace the furniture altogether or maneuver the furniture in a way that the damage doesn't show to guests. 

Selling your Omaha, NE home? Allow our team of professional, knowledgable and trustworthy real estate agents to go to work for you! Additionally, don't miss our "Seller Tips" page here! 

So, you’re selling your home in Omaha, NE and want all the tips and tricks on how to make your property sell quickly. While we can’t give away all our secrets in one post, we do have one tip that is sure to make the front of your home inviting and appeal to potential buyers. Interested? Keep reading below!

Your front porch is one of the first things buyers see and, as they say, you don’t get a second chance at a first impression. This area of your home is a great opportunity to welcome visitors, and we have listed a few tricks below that, when implemented, are sure to ‘wow’ potential buyers as they pull up to your home:

-Your front door is the focal point of your whole porch and should not be forgotten! Try adding a fresh coat of paint, hanging a decorative wreath on the door and/or adding a doormat to spruce up the entrance. 

-If you have the room, adding a pair of chairs to your front porch is such an easy way to make a big statement. When most people see chairs on a porch, they envision spending quality time with family and friends while the kids play in the front yard. It’s quaint, welcoming and will pull at the heart strings of your potential buyers.

-Incorporating plants/flowers in the foreground is a great way to not only add greenery and a splash of color, but also can be a fun way to guide guests to the entrance of your home. This adds to the curb appeal of your home and can also be a fun project for you and your family to do together!

-To keep your front porch area cool during the warmer Omaha, NE months you can install a ceiling fan, which also doubles as a great way to keep the pesky bugs away. Depending on the layout of your porch, outdoor curtains may also be a great option to keep the sun out while also adding a pop of fun décor. 

Looking for more tips and tricks on selling your Omaha, NE home? Check out our 'Home Selling Tips' page here!

As we discussed in a previous blog post, your listing photos are a crucial part of the home selling process and can be a huge factor in the amount of initial interest your listing receives. And while you may not be the one who is actually snapping the images, it is always good to understand the process so you can set up your home to photograph its best. In today’s blog post, we will be discussing a few tips and tricks to help ensure your images not only turn out well but stand out from the rest. Let’s jump in: 

-While it is important that buyers can get a good sense of a house, you want to be sure that it doesn’t appear too “lived in.” Buyers understand that a busy family lives in the house, but your images don’t have to appear that way. Spend some time decluttering the space so that the images appear clear and families can focus on the structure and layout.  

-On that same note, you may want to consider renting a storage unit for items in your home that make the rooms closed off/small and/or cluttered. If you are not sure if a piece of furniture is too big for a space, it may be better to just remove the item and keep it in a storage unit for a little while until the home sells. 

-While decluttering is important, you also want to depersonalize the home. Take the family pictures off the dining room table, remove the kid’s birthday party invitations from the refrigerator doors and take away the piles of magazines from the end tables. You want the images to showcase the home itself and not have potential buyers be distracted by the other items. 

-If your home offers a lot of natural light or breathtaking views, you want to make sure that is highlighted in your images as that can be a huge selling point. Make sure all your curtains are open and windows are cleaned. For a better photograph, you want to make sure all lights and lamps are turned on, inside and out, but to make sure that all ceiling fans are turned off.

-Staging a home is known to increase not only the amount of offers that come in, but also the price of those offers. You can either stage the home yourself or bring in a professional staging company to help ensure the home looks its best and is staged to sell. 

Be sure to check back every week for more real estate information and events happening around Omaha, NE. Also, be sure to check our “About” page to learn more about our talented team! 

If you are in the market to sell your home, you may have a long checklist of items to do before your listing goes live. As we will discuss in today’s blog, one of those items should be to have professional images taken of your home. Curious why this is such an important step for you? You are in the right place, keep reading along! 

It is no surprise that the internet is one of the first places people go to search available inventory in their desired neighborhood, school district, etc. – it is 2019 after all! And if the old saying “A picture is worth a thousand words” is true, then you want to make sure your visuals are on point! 

While you may have spent countless hours stringing the perfect sentences together telling buyers why your home is the best on the block, the truth is many people gravitate towards the images first and thus create an opinion before they read the first word of the listing. Professional images of your home will help to boost visibility and give potential buyers a real look inside your abode, and ultimately pushing them to call their agent to schedule a showing if they like what they see. 

You also want to be sure to have a variety of images that showcase all the areas/rooms of the home so buyers can get a true feel if the layout will work for their needs. In essence, your images should tell a story and give buyers a virtual ‘walk through.’ And the best part? Buyers can experience an intimate and thorough look into your home through these professional images without having to leave the comfort of their couch, giving you a leg up on the competition and helping to sell your home sell in less time. 

Looking for other ways to help sell your Omaha, NE home? Check out our Home Selling Tips page here! 

Are you looking to put your house on the market? If so, we know what a fun and exciting time this can be for you and your family. But, at times, the excitement can also be paired with a little anxiety as you navigate your way through the selling process. If you are finding yourself agreeing with the above sentences, then this is a blog post you don’t want to miss! Below we have listed a few things that you want to avoid when putting your house on the market, and we hope it brings a little insight and allows the selling process to be a little smoother for you.

The first thing you want to be sure to avoid when putting your home on the market is over-improving the space. We realize that most people think that the more money they invest into their home, the most likely they are to get a high return on their investment. And while there are instances where this is true, you want to be sure to avoid making changes that are hyper-specific to your wants, needs and personal taste. Updating things such as appliances, kitchen cabinets, finishing’s and light fixtures, as well as a fresh coat of paint, are always good things to invest in. But try to avoid turning your basement into a man cave or kids play room, as some potential buyers may look at the space and only see a massive remodel project and dollar signs.

Next, you want to be sure to not over-decorate your home in hopes to make it more appealing to potential buyers. Because in turn, you can actually make it look crowded and overdone. Buyers want to be able to see themselves living in the space with their personal items, and it will be difficult for them to do this if your home is filled corner to corner with your décor. Instead, do your best to clear out items that do not need to be in the room, leaving a fresh and clean area for potential buyers to view. Lastly, and this one may be obvious, but do not hang around when you know there is a showing. Buyers want to be able to talk openly, as well as see themselves moving in and living in the space, which can be hard for them to do if they see the current owners standing in the corner listening into the conversations. Also, there is always a chance that the showing may start early, so be sure to take grab the family and leave your home at least 20 minutes prior to when the showing is scheduled to take place.