This week’s radio show went very well, our discussion was “Why Your Home Won’t Sell and It Has Nothing To Do With The Economy”. Whew! Long title, but good topic. Our panel were two real estate agents, a property manager, and a professional stager. No surprise to me most of the discussion revolved around getting the home in shape to sell.

I don’t know why, but the concept of staging or even just cleaning up before putting a house or condo on the market is alien here in Cabo. As a realtor I’m naturally in a lot of homes that are listed for sale. Presumably the owner wishes to sell. Yet they’ve done nothing to help achieve that goal. And in some cases they’re actually doing things that will keep the home from getting offers. Here’s what I mean.

The absolute most classic example and really, I’m not making this up, was a sweet older home up in the Brisas area in the northern part of Cabo San Lucas. It was built back in the days of large lots, this one with a killer view of the bay and arch. Mature vegetation included many fruit trees in fine shape. The compound was completely walled, with plenty of room for boat or RV parking. The price was right on, too. Took forever to sell. Why? First, the agent never came to the showings, she just made an appointment with the owner. Yep! First rule of selling is never let the owner be present during the showing. So here I’d show up with my clients, met at the gate by the owner and her pack of 5 large dogs. I love dogs, but not everyone does. Some are afraid of them and others allergic. Second rule: pets go with the owner for showings. The owner was a nice lady, with a great sense of humor. Among her many eclectic furnishings was a life sized stuffed gorilla. So we walk into the living room and here’s me trying to get the buyers attention on the fabulous view and the high ceilings and all my clients are staring at is the gorilla. Hey, we want them to pay attention to the house, not your personal possessions! Finally she got tired of waiting to move, packed up and went off to her new home. The house sold almost immediately. Once all her very imaginative possessions were out of there buyers could see the home’s features and appreciate all the positives without distraction. That’s what staging is all about.

The way your home is presented is important in any kind of market. But in a buyer’s market such as we have right now in Los Cabos it is critical. Our inventory of homes is at an all-time high, there is plenty of competition for every buyer. They won’t buy a home that they perceive to need work if another very similar home is available in move-in condition. And they will make a better offer if the home is ready and doesn’t need any repair. So here are some tips to help sell your home in this troubled market.

1. Go Away! Buyers need to be able to discuss the pro’s and con’s of the home with each other and their agent. Your presence cramps their style.
2. Take The Pets With You.
3. DECLUTTER! We’re selling square footage, and clutter makes homes look smaller than they are. Also, buyers react to messy homes in thinking that maintenance may not have been good, there may be hidden defects.
4. Paint. Fresh paint sells homes. Use color to draw attention to the home’s features, for example you might paint an accent wall framing the view in an otherwise white room. The buyer’s eyes will be drawn to the color and follow it to the amazing view.
5. Repair it! Yes, I know it will cost only $20 to have an electrician come out and replace that droopy ceiling fan. I’ll tell the buyer that. But they won’t believe. Make repairs now. You don’t have to spend a fortune but replace droopy fans, dated light fixtures and corroded faucets. You’ll get better offers faster.
6. Be Available! I can’t sell what I can’t show. Sorry if it’s inconvenient to show the house at 4:00 Saturday afternoon, but if that’s when the buyer wants to see it then that is when you have to be ready. If you say no, I’ll substitute another home whose seller is more motivated. If you’re renting out your home you are deciding not to sell, period.
7. Price it right. This is critical and merits a full blog of its own. I did this one already, you can view it at http://caborealtor.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/sellers-can-i-have-your-attention-please-part-1/

Take a look at the list. All of these things are in the seller’s control. Yes, the market is down. Yes, it’s the worst I’ve ever seen or hope to see again. But, there are still a few buyers lurking around out there. They have literally thousands of properties available to them. As the seller you need to work with your agent, your property manager and possibly a professional stager to make sure that your home wins the beauty contest that is selling in a down market.

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of REALTY EXECUTIVES Los Cabos in Cabo San Lucas and a Certified Home Marketing Specialist. You can read more of her articles on www.reloscabos.com.

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© 2009 Carol S. Billups