If you decide to downsize your home first you must sort through your stuff and decide what stays.  Top 5 tips for downsizing

If you are ready to downsize to a smaller and less expensive property you can reduce your monthly mortgage and create a comfort zone.  The only downside is sorting through years of accumulated stuff!  Use these tips to make your move smoother.

Begin sorting through your belongings early.  The best time to do a thorough sweep is before your home is listed on the market.  Clean lines and sparse furnishings may help you sell.  Your home will look uncluttered and potential buyers can easily picture themselves in the house.  Cleaning up clutter is an important tool used by professional stagers and your efforts may reap real benefits in your selling price.

Pack as you go.  As you decide whether or not to hold on to each belonging, use the process as a perfect time to pack the house.  Keep your necessities, but box up the sentimental items, knickknacks, and small pieces.  This leads directly to the next tip…

Stick with it.  Start with a room that has less sentimental attachment; bathrooms, closets, or spare bedrooms are a great place to begin.  Work in limited blocks of time and plan on accomplishing a small goal every time you roll up your sleeves.

Identify where you will store those extra items.  Try to store the boxes in an area not seen by buyers; such as the garage, a storage facility, or at a friend’s or neighbor’s home.  Keep in mind your favorite charitable organization is may be looking for gently used home goods and furniture.

Assess the new home.  As soon as you commit to a new smaller home, condo, or apartment obtain a blueprint or measure the rooms yourself.  You may be surprised how large your furniture looks in a smaller space.  While you already pared down your belongings to a manageable amount, this may be the time to sell old furniture and invest in smaller options.  Consider space saving pieces like a sleeper sofa or a dining room table with extendable leaves.

Pick an outdoor project for any budget to give your home curb appeal.

Think your house is ready to go on the market? One important aspect to consider is your curb appeal. Unfortunately the real estate drive-by is more common than you might think.  This happens when potential buyers cruise through your neighborhood and past your home to see the exterior and decide if they want to see more.  While you can’t do much about your neighborhood the good news is you can definitely improve your homes exterior.  Don’t worry, sprucing up the outside of your home doesn’t have to mean replacing the roof or buying all new siding.  There are plenty of outdoor projects for every budget and most only take an afternoon to complete.  A small investment can get more potential buyers out of the car and into your home.

For a low budget quick fix pick up potted plants at your local garden store or nursery.  Arrange them for a nice effect lining your front steps, or add symmetry to your entryway with matching plants on each side of your door.  Think of it as an instant garden without all the work.

For a medium budget project spruce up your outdoor lighting.  Replace old outdoor light fixtures or floodlights with more attractive options.  If this project has you seeing the light, why not buy some solar lights to line the sidewalk or entryway.  These freestanding lights give you’re yard a fresh new look, and has the added benefit of being a safety feature too!

If you want to make a substantial investment in your exterior think about replacing the gutter system.  This is a significant project since many homeowners leave the gutters as a last priority, which leaves rusty, dangerous, or unsightly gutters on the roof.  This single project makes your home look clean and neat, and is clearly an attractive bonus feature to most buyers.

Try one of these ideas to have a successful open house and sell you home quicker.

Eye popping open house ideas

Having an open house is widely known to be one of the best sales techniques for a house.  Since just about every seller plans on throwing open their doors for an afternoon, how can you make your open house stand out?  First you might consider scheduling your open house during off peak hours.  For example beat the Saturday afternoon rush with a 9 AM start time.  This will ensure more people fit your house into their weekend house-hunting schedule.  You could even try a post commuter rush time before folks head home for the night.

Another option that is gaining momentum is a virtual open house.  All you need is a website and a webcam, and your agent can help you set up a state of the art experience.  This may not always substitute for clients coming in person, but it can be a great first step in the selling process.

If you still want to keep the festivities in house you might consider sweetening the pot with some perks such as a raffle for a gift certificate or some other treat.  Many open houses now feature more refreshments to get folks to stay longer.   Another idea is having a garage sale at the same time.  You will ensure a larger volume of visitors and you never know who will spread the word to a potential buyer, or may be interested themselves.   So why not use your creativity to get more people in the door.  The trick to a successful open house may be as simple as that!

Indianapolis Area Real Estate Market Conditions

With nothing but bad news in the media these days about the market for real estate, it is time to look on the bright side of the issue.  Homes are selling, interest rates are at historically low levels, and the market is loaded with opportunity.

For home buyers, the prices of homes for sale has adjusted to the current market conditions, so the opportunity to buy more home for the money is better now than ever.  Together with the low interest rates being offered on home mortgages, home buyers can save thousands on the price of their home and even more in interest rates over the life of their home mortgage.  If you are in the market to buy a home, now is a great time, and for pre-qualified buyers there is a lot to choose from in today's real estate market.

For home sellers, the real estate market is difficult and complex with different conditions in different locations around the country.  Homes are selling, but not for the same prices that we saw in the market a few years ago.  The most important consideration for home sellers is to correctly price their property.  Trying to market your real estate without understanding the current market conditions in your area can result in your home sitting unsold while other properties around you are selling.  A qualified, experienced, real estate professional knows the real estate market for their area and can help a home seller to price their property correctly for the current conditions and location.

For home buyers and home sellers in the Indianapolis, Fishers, Carmel, Geist, Westfield, and Noblesville areas, Mickey Peek is the real estate agent to call.   Let my experience and dedication go to work for you to find that perfect Indianapolis area home, or to sell your property for the right price according to the current real estate market conditions in the Indianapolis area.  If you are searching for a higher level of customer service, Contact Mickey Peek today!

Mickey Peek