Over the summer, I met Mike for the first time at a neighborhood garage sale. After chatting for a little bit, I handed him my business card as I was about to leave. He looked at my card and said: “Oh, you’re in real estate? Maybe you can help me sell my grandmother’s house.” And the rest, as they say, is history.
Mike’s grandmother lived in this small bungalow for over 61 years. As I walked inside for the first time, I felt as though I had traveled back in time. All of the original furniture and collectables were still in place and in perfect condition.
Initially, Mike considered selling her furniture before listing the house. I suggested we take photos with everything staged first, and then go from there. Houses that are furnished are sold much faster and in some cases for more money than comparable homes that are not furnished. This allows a potential buyer to visualize what the space will look like full of furniture. Believe it or not, furnishings can also actually make rooms appear bigger.
There are 3 key factors to selling a house quickly:
Condition is the first key factors get from “For Sale” to “Sold.” It was apparent that the house was in excellent condition. Furthermore, Mike had records of everything. Copies of the deed, receipts for service, land surveys, and history were all kept in a safe place. The house also has a second kitchen in the basement in full working condition. The house was clean and neat which believe it or not, is often overlooked by some sellers.
Marketing. My agency is connected to several branded and non-branded websites that advertise homes through my broker. Furthermore, our membership with New York State Multiple Listing Services, syndicates our listings with all major real estate home searching websites. Before the house went “live” online, I put a “Coming Soon” sign outside the house. This allows the neighborhood and people driving through to see that a house will be for sale soon.
Price. After going over all the listing details and guiding Mike on the market conditions we agreed on a price to list the house. Within hours of the house hitting the market, we had several showing requests. Even better, the house sold in 3 days with a full price offer. Not only that, the person buying the home was interested in all the furniture and Mike agreed to include it! It was a win-win since Mike didn’t want the hassle of moving it out, and the buyer really liked what was there.
Congratulations Mike!
