Declutter NOW for your 2015 Home Sale…and make a few bucks too!

Step one in selling a home isn’t calling a REALTOR®. It is decluttering your home.  Let’s face it. Most people don’t live in a perfectly “staged” home.  Homes are lived in and full of clutter.  And do you really want to pack and move all that accumulated STUFF to a new home? Probably not.  So if you want to sell a home next spring it might be time to donate unwanted items.  Or better yet, sell all those extras.

I know, I know. It’s hard to have a garage sale at any time of the year. But in Minnesota in the middle of winter, it can be next to impossible. No one wants to have people with their muddy, wet, salt-covered boots tromping through their house and frankly it is too darn cold in the garage! Of course, Craigslist is an option. But did you know there is a new option on Facebook for selling items locally? Many communities have pages for online garage sales. It is a bit safer because it is less anonymous than Craigslist. You see the face of the person on their profile page. (Some people do make fake profiles so be cautious.) There are thousands of people selling and more importantly buying on these boards! I know. I’ve sold a ton of stuff this fall. How does it work? If you have an item to sell, you post a photo, a price and where the buyer would have to pick it up. This can be at your home or a public place. My favorite place is a grocery store parking lot. This way there are lots of people and lights for safety.

Surprisingly, there is a lot a home seller will learn about negotiation and selling a house by selling on a online garage sale site.  Selling is selling after all and people are people no matter how high or low valued an item is. Here are a few similarities that I have encountered.

1.  The LOWBALL offer   Recently I offered a brand new tool on a local site. Someone messaged “I can buy this online for your asking price so why don’t you sell it to me for half?” Hmmm…It’s brand new and you’d have to pay $20 online plus shipping and tax of around $15. I’m asking $20 and your offer me $10? I said no. I had priced the item right and someone else purchased it the next day at full price.
2. There will be NO Shows. Just like when there is a showing request for a home, some online buyers will not show up to a scheduled meeting or will have to cancel. Unfortunately, this does happen from time to time with home showings too.
3. Negotiate the Terms Cash is best in an online transaction. Although there are few cash buyers in real estate, it is important to understand how a buyer will pay for any item.
4. Condition Affects Value. Something new in the box will always sell for more than something that is well worn.  I clean up all my items before posting a photo online. It sells more quickly if the photos are clear and the item is in its best light. Same is true for a home.  Good photos of a well prepared clean home, will help it sell more quickly too.
5. Read the Rules Every group has rules to keep things fair for buyers and sellers. Reading and following the rules to selling items on line is very similar to understanding and following all laws when it comes to the sale of real estate.

So if you are planning to move in the spring, there is no reason you cannot start the decluttering/selling  process now. You could even make a few dollars for the upcoming holiday season too!

Looking to Buy or Sell a Home?  If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give me, Teri Eckholm of Boardman Realty, a call or visit my website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2014 www.terieckholm.com

Speechless Sunday(Almost)--Even Walt Would Have to DECLUTTER to Sell

Staging is essential when staging a home and as any good REALTOR would have to suggest decluttering and packing a collection is essential before putting a house up for sale.

For the record, this isn't a potential client's home...it is just a quick photo we took on vacation of a display in One Man's Dream in Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL...Yes, even Walt would have to declutter this room!

Copyright 2011 www.terieckholm.com

Simplifying your Move with an EZ Phone Number to Help Clean Up!

I hate automated electronic messages being left on my voicemail. Usually I hit delete before the first sentence is completed by the annoying mechanical voice. However, the other day, I actually listened to one that I received. It offered some pretty good information. It was from the Salvation Army offering to send a truck out to pick up donations.
In Anoka County, there are many charities offering pick up service for gently used clothing, furniture and household items. Many of these groups like the Vietnam Veterans, Disabled American Veterans, Lupus Foundation and Courage Center come on a designated route on a rotating basis. The organization will mail or call to notify homeowners when a truck in the area and ask if they have any items that they would like to donate.

The Salvation Army however is has a new tactic for getting donations of clothing and furniture. They left this message: Call 1-800-SA-TRUCK to arrange a pick up! Now that is an easy number to remember.

As a Realtor, I am often asked by sellers where to donate furniture and other household items. The Salvation Army is not only a great organization to consider, they have made it simple to remember how to schedule that pick up!

So after staging your home or if you have leftover items from your moving sale, donate to the Salvation Army by giving 1-800-SA-TRUCK a call. It's a great way to simplify your move!

If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 terieckholm.com

Beware of Décor! Tips to Declutter Your Home Prior to Listing For Sale!

As much as Location, Location, Location has been the number one real estate mantra for decades, decluttering and depersonalizing has to be a close second. But what is clutter? Hard to tell in this eclectic world! Martha Stewart has one style and theme restaurants another. Go into any TGIFridays throughout the United States and the décor covers almost every inch of wall space! No wonder when as an Anoka County Realtor, I make a that initial visit to a potential seller’s home my response can often be, “Oh my, we have some work to do!”

Americans have too much stuff! We have it on our walls and under our beds. We store things in our basements, closets, and garages. It is our history and our lifestyle. It is the way we live. But in order to sell your house, you must learn to live a different way at least while your home is on the market.

I visited a lovely Forest Lake area home recently that had been on the market all last summer. It was decorated to the nines! Beautiful oak and antique furniture sat in the bedrooms, living room, family room and even the foyer. There was 2500 square feet of furniture in a 1600 square foot house! The cozy home had a crowded feel and potential buyers would consider it much smaller than it really was. Their previous agent had not addressed the overpacked house situation at all. When I brought it up, the husband said, “But it is what makes our house our home”.

I completely understand this reasoning….But if a seller is serious about moving, they MUST pack up their treasures, mementos and photographs for their new home. If someone is serious about moving, the treasures will have to be packed sometime, why not now? When decluttering the property turns from the perfect home into “The Perfect HOUSE on the Market”.

• Store, sell or donate everything are not using! Clean out the drawers, cabinets, closets and garage too!



• Go for the minimal look in decorating! Use a rule of 3…No more than three pieces of décor in any direction.



• Take down the wall of family photos. People start looking at the family pictures rather than your house.



• Pay attention to the outside of your home. Too many bird feeders hanging from the trees, Little Tikes toys in the yard or plants covering the entry can be distracting in the MLS photos.



• Bring in a professional! If you are not certain of what to pack and what to leave out, hire a stager for a consultation.

Other articles on Getting YOUR Home Ready for SOLD!

Home Staging Tips to Help YOUR Home Sell in a Slower Market
Staging for a Quick Sale—Cleaning for a Buyer!
Moving with Pets--Important things to remember!
Top 10 Ideas to Get Your Home Ready to SELL!

If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional Realtor, give me a call or visit my website for a FREE Relocation Packet. I specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2008 Teri Eckholm http://www.terieckholm.com/