Top deficiencies uncovered during home inspections: Part 4 [Video]

Hosting an open house is a necessary step in the home selling process. Not only do people rarely purchase a home without spending ample time within its walls, but it also allows you to open up your house to wider market of potential buyers. If your home is inviting during this event, your chances of selling your house in a reasonable timeframe skyrocket.

Getting ready for an open house these days is a lot more than tidying up and pulling freshly baked cookies out of the oven. Not only are there more houses on the market these days, but home buyers are becoming smarter about the various tricks sellers use to draw them in. To increase your chances of finding buyers at or above your listed price, consult your real estate agent and use these tips to get ready for your open house:

1. Clean (or hire a professional cleaner)
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a seller is to show off a messy, dirty home, according to Bankrate. Throwing a successful open house should involve more than just picking up toys and sweeping the floor. You need to conduct a thorough, deep clean of your home. If you're not the most talented cleaner, hire a professional cleaning service to come in the day before to make things look spotless for potential buyers.

2. Get rid of the clutter
You might love all your knickknacks and personal items, but your visitors at your open house will not. After all, how can they envision themselves living in the home if they are constantly bumping into unnecessary furniture pieces or seeing rows and rows of family photos? There is nothing inherently wrong with a comfy, cluttered home, but this is not the image you want to project to homebuyers. Consider de-cluttering and putting certain accessories and furniture into storage for a little while, Realtor.com suggested.

3. Don't forget about the exterior
You might not be a gardener, but this doesn't mean your landscape shouldn't look well-groomed. Buyers likely won't make it through the front door, if they are first greeted with peeling paint, overgrown flower beds, an unmowed lawn and other unappealing elements. Hire a landscaper to spruce up your home's exterior and consider investing in nice patio furniture for your front porch. This way, your home is as inviting from the outside as it is on the inside.

4. Spread the word on social media
Yard signs and real estate advertisements are still solid ways to market your open house, but they shouldn't be your only choices. With the rise in modern technology, you have plenty of social media platforms and innovative online tools at your disposal to spread the word that your home is for sale. U.S. News & Word Report wrote that social media advertising for open house is a dynamic approach that may draw in many more potential buyers. Even if your friends are looking to purchase a home, they may know or reach someone who is hoping to buy.

5. Conduct a home inspection
When you have plenty of eager homebuyers at your open house, you don't want them to notice your leaky plumbing, inconsistent air conditioning or drafty windows. This occurrence could be even worse if potential buyers ask your realtor about an electrical wiring or siding problem they didn't realize you had. To avoid this embarrassment, consider bringing in a professional home inspector to go through your house and point out any potential issues. This way, you know what issues you face, and your realtor can answer your buyers' questions honesty and comprehensively. 

When is the ideal time to put your house on the market? If you're thinking late spring, around May 1 to 15, you would be correct, according to new analysis from Zillow. The real estate expert reported that homes across the country, on average, sell nine days faster and for 1 percent higher than the average listing during this timeframe. For most of America, home sellers who listed in April or May were the most successful.

Late spring is ideal for sellers
The research found that weather patterns and regions of the country impacted the ideal selling time. Sellers in warmer areas of the U.S., such as California or Florida, have more flexibility than those in Massachusetts or Colorado. In Baltimore, Maryland, for example, the ideal selling timeframe is April 1 through 15. These homes sell 21.5 days faster during this time at 0.9 percent above the average premium. The report also found the idea day of the week to list Maryland homes is on a Saturday.

"With 3 percent fewer homes on the market than last year, 2017 is shaping up to be another competitive buying season," Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell explained in a company press release. "Many home buyers who started looking for homes in the early spring will still be searching for their dream home months later. By May, some buyers may be anxious to get settled into a new home— and will be more willing to pay a premium to close the deal."

What do these home buyers want?
According to the 2016 Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends, typical buyers spend just over four months shopping for a home. When broken down by generation, millennials — who represent 42 percent of homebuyers — shop for four months, while Baby Boomers —16 percent of the home buying population—spend 18 percent more time than millennials. 

The report also found that affordability and safety are still the most important factors for potential home buyers. These individuals want their homes to be in a safe neighborhood and the price tag to not range past their set budget. Meanwhile, they prefer usability and square footage in regards to interior features. Other desires home buyers may look for include close proximity to work, schools or shopping, along with being move-in ready. Here are a few strategies to help your home stand out from the pack this spring:

1. De-clutter and professionally clean your house before inviting over potential buyers.
2. Tour other model homes to get an idea of what buyers are looking at.
3. Pay attention to the exterior of your home and boost your curb appeal.
4. Hire a home inspector to check for problems or issues.

Contact someone from Alban Inspections today if you want to get your home ready to sell this spring season.

Buying or selling a home can be nerve-wracking for all parties involved. Yet, when it comes to the home inspection process, your clients' stress levels may go through the roof, no pun intended. As a realtor, you will work with all types of buyers and sellers during the inspection phase. To avoid potentially stress or awkward situations along the way, here are four ideal ways to prepare your clients for their home inspection:

1. Start with an honest conversation 
Before you schedule any home inspection, you must first have an open and honest talk with your clients, according to Zion Realty. In this conversation, you should advise them to prepare themselves to hear that there may be potential deficiencies in their home. You also should urge them to disclose serious problems or issues they may know about. This may include past catastrophes, prior renovation work and various maintenance records, if applicable.  

2. Remind them not to take the findings personally
Most homeowners are proud of their residence, which is why you should encourage them not to take any of the home inspector's comments or findings personally. It's never easy to hear that your home has a few unsightly water stains or peeling, cracked window frames. It's even more difficult to hear that you might need to replace your HVAC system or fix faulty electrical wiring in your kitchen.

Sit down with your clients and remind them that a home inspection is a smart move for them, as the American Society of Home Inspections states they "give you the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition." While it might be hard to hear that their beloved house is far from perfect, they'll appreciate the higher market price or easier selling process in the end.

3. Conduct a simple walkthrough beforehand
RIS Media suggests that realtors conduct a short walkthrough with their clients as another great way to prepare them for the inevitable home inspection process. Come prepared with a checklist of interior and exterior items you want to have a look at with the homeowners. This may involve anything from turning on lights to inspecting their ducts to looking at their gutters.

During the walkthrough, you can gently point out potential issues they might encounter and other smaller problems they might be able to resolve themselves before the inspection. For example, if you point out a leaky faucet, instead of immediately telling them they have to fix it, wait for them to ask you first. Then, this is your chance to approach the topic of repairs in an easy manner by saying something along the lines of, "I probably would if it were my home."   

4. Maintain the peace
Home inspections could get a little tense, especially if the buyers are involved in the process. As the realtor, you are responsible for not only keeping the peace in the moment, but to remind your clients before that the inspector is only doing his or her job. Meanwhile, the buyers may be as equally nervous as your clients because they want to get a good deal on their new home.

Reaffirm to your clients that you realize how important their home is to them, but simultaneously urge them to approach the situation logically and without lots of emotion. If your clients seem to be upset by a comment from a potential buyer or finding from the home inspector, take them aside and remind them why they are selling their home in the first place. Essentially, the main goal with any home inspection process is to ensure that all parties get the best deal during the buying or selling journey.