How to Speed up the Selling Process


Today, I’ve got five tips on speeding up the sale of your home. Using these hints will give a big boost to the power of your listing.


How can you speed up the selling process? Well, today I’ve got five tips to entice buyers in record time.

1. Shrink your staging cost. Staging can be a pricey process. Even the initial staging consultation can cost between $300 and $600. Also, depending on if you use a professional stager’s furniture, there can be a monthly fee. What I recommend is that you let us help. When you list with our team, you have access to our professional stager. Their services are included in the package you get when listing with us.

2. Work on your curb appeal. Curb appeal makes a big difference in how quickly a house will sell. However, some people can go too far. It isn’t necessary to spend an exorbitant amount of money on sprucing up your curb appeal. Ultimately, you just want to make sure things are neat and trimmed with a little bit of color.

Creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing.


3. Show more natural light. It has been proven that a home that has been brightened with natural light will sell more quickly. Adding mirrors to help reflect light and using brighter lightbulbs in the home’s fixtures are both great ways to increase this effect. The most important thing is to open up blinds and curtains. No buyer wants to walk into a dark or dingy house.

4. Make energy efficient upgrades. To some people, these kinds of upgrades are incredibly important. Certain buyers will be willing to pay a little more money for a home that is energy efficient. This is especially true since the upgrades you make will save them money on utilities down the line.

5. Start some buzz on social media about your home. Before your home even goes on the market, creating a buzz online can do a lot to boost the visibility of your listing. One of the unique things my team provides is that we have our own list of houses coming on the market that no one knows about other than our clients. This is something we offer to all of our sellers.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Home Selling Tips for Pet Owners


Having pets can make your home a bit harder to sell. Here are some tips to prepare your home so well that buyers won’t have the slightest clue you are a pet owner.


If you have a pet and you’re looking to sell your home, we have some helpful advice to share. It can be an overwhelming process, but this will make things easier on you Two out of three of us have a pet, and 61% of pet owners say they have trouble finding a home that is a good match for their pet. There are a lot of buyers and sellers out there who have pets.

The good news is that many buyers want a pet-friendly home.

On the other hand, 67% of Realtors also estimate that actually having a pet in your home can make it harder for you to sell. So what can you do? Here are three helpful tips that should make things easier on you: 1. Repair any damage. Floors, walls, doors, the yard—these are some typical areas that pets love to chew, scratch, and dig up. Touch that stuff up and make it look cleaner, nicer, and sharper. Repairing this damage is an investment that will pay for itself many times over in terms of a higher selling price. 2. Get a professional to remove pet odors. Many pet owners are less sensitive to odors in their home than prospective buyers will be. Some pets have worse odors than others. That's why you should hire a professional cleaning crew to clean any carpets, rugs, or upholstery that have absorbed pet odors. Once you're done with the cleaning, ask a friend or your Realtor for a sniff assessment to make sure the job is really complete. 3. Take your pet out during showings. Some people are afraid of animals. Others are allergic. Regardless of the time, money, and effort you've put in to clean and repair your home, many buyers will be prejudiced by knowing that a pet currently lives there. That's why I recommend taking your pet out during showings and also removing any pet objects such as toys, food bowls, or scratching posts. By following these three simple guidelines, you will be able to sell your home for top dollar in today’s market, whether the buyer is a pet owner or not. Having a pet shouldn’t affect your bottom line, and it won’t if you follow these tips. If you have any questions or concerns about preparing your home for a sale, give me a call. I’m here to help. In the meantime, have a great day, from all of us at The Ryan Smith Home Selling Team.

5 Quick & Easy Home Maintenance Tips for Summer


Summer's nearly here, so follow these five tips to get your home in tip-top shape for the warmer months ahead.


As we end spring and head into summer, do yourself a favor by tackling these five home maintenance tips: 1. Inspect your brick, stone, or any concrete outside your home: Anytime there are dramatic temperature or moisture changes, these materials can begin to crack. This can be a safety concern, not just a cosmetic issue.

2. Feed your lawn: It's about to get really hot, so make sure your lawn has the water and nutrients it needs to stay lush and green. If you plan to sell your house, this is especially important.

Moisture and temperature changes can crack brick and warp wood.

3. Check out wood fences: Temperature and moisture changes can cause wood to warp and twist.

4. Put down fresh mulch: Nothing makes your lawn and landscaping pop quite like this. Planting some fresh flowers along with fresh mulch will make it pop even more.

5. Get the grill ready: Dust it off and clean it up so it's ready to cook some nice steaks. Dust and gunk tend to build up on grills over the winter, so make sure it's taken care of before you start to cook out. Whether you plan to sell your house or not, these tips will all make your home stand out for the summer. If you have any questions for us or you're thinking of buying or selling real estate this year, give us a call or send us an email soon. We'd love to help you!