It was a busy summer for home sales! There were 3,116 central Ohio homes and condos sold
during the month of August, a 4.8% increase over the previous
year. This was the highest number
of closed sales for the month of August ever recorded and the second
highest month for 2016, according to the Columbus REALTORS® Multiple
Listing Service.
“Central Ohio home buyers are still being very
aggressive in their decisions to purchase homes" said 2016 Columbus
REALTORS® President John Royer. “Since demand for homes continues to be
so high, potential sellers are encouraged to get their home on the
market – they don’t have anything to lose!"
The average sales
price of a home in central Ohio during the month of August was $204,629,
a 3.3% increase over August 2015. During
the month of August, central Ohio homes and condos spent an average of
34 days on the market, which is 29.2% (14 days) shorter than last
year and just one day longer than July.
“Inventory and new listings are beginning to
taper, but this is to be expected as we head into the fall selling
season" Royer said. “However, it’s still a terrific time to list your
home as buyers remain eager for inventory and home values remain high.”
According
to the latest Housing Market Confidence Index by the Ohio Association
of REALTORS®, 98% of central Ohio REALTORS® would describe the
current housing market as moderate to strong. When asked what the
single most important factor that they believed limited their buyers
from purchasing a property so far this year, 92% said difficulty
finding the right property because of low inventory.
“Homes are continuing to fly off the market, even as inventory begins to dwindle,” Royer said.”
We know how much is involved when getting your home ready to sell: the painting, cleaning, organizing, and maintenance tasks can seem endless. Once you're ready to put your home on the market, it will be professionally photographed for the MLS and social media. You'll be advised on how to stage each room and what changes should be made to make each room look its best.
When your photo shoot has been scheduled, walk through your home before the photographer arrives. You may even want to ask a friend to walk through it with you. Look at it with a fresh set of eyes and ask yourself, "Do I want potentially thousands of people to see my home looking like this?" These images will not only be on the MLS, but also on listing sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com--you want them to look as good as possible. You may want to look through home decorating magazines for ideas on how to make your bed look beautiful, your bathroom spa like, and your patio one to envy.
The photo shoot will typically take an hour or two
and will cover the entire interior and exterior of your property,
except the inside of the garage (unless it has an amazing workbench or
other upgrades) and the basement if it is unfinished. Do not be
surprised if furniture and/or accessories have been moved for the sake
of a better picture; that said, do not expect the photographer to do all
of the heavy lifting and rearranging for you!
Here's a checklist to help you prepare:
Inside
- Clean, vacuum, and dust every room. Remove soap scum, scuffs, scratches, and fingerprints from as many surfaces as possible. Clean air vents. Have carpets shampooed and wood floors buffed, if necessary.
- We love pets, but not in the pictures! Keep them on a leash, in your arms, in the garage, or otherwise out of sight.
- Clear off the counters in kitchen. Store sponges, dish towels, and soap under the sink. Minimize small appliances except for the coffee maker, where you may want to set out a pair of mugs. Fresh flowers always look pretty in photos, as does a nicely set table or a large bowl of fruit.
- Remove photos, notes, drawings, sports schedules, calendars, magnets, menus, and papers from the refrigerator. When was the last time you saw it this empty?
- Turn on all interior lights including under-cabinet lights, lamps, and recessed fixtures. Consider purchasing daylight bulbs if your light bulbs have a yellow cast to them.
- Simplify rooms like the study or playroom that may be heavily furnished. Conversely, rearrange furniture to better fill sparse rooms. Make sure each room has a specific purpose so as not to confuse potential buyers.
- Make all the beds and tidy bedrooms. Put clothes hampers in the closet and store toys in bins and baskets.
- Add fluffy towels to the bathrooms and remove all tub toys, shampoo bottles, bathroom wipes, hair dryers, toothbrushes, and other personal items from the vanity and shower/tub. Put the toilet brush in the garage or under the sink. Close the toilet lid.
- Open the curtains and blinds in all rooms.
- Be selective with your accessories and knick knacks. Remove the wall of wedding and family photos and replace it with a gallery that combines art, maybe a decorative clock, and a few photos.
- Minimize religious art and political messages.
- Put trash cans in a closet.
- Turn off your computer.
- Let us know if your home contains valuable art or family heirlooms. We can make sure it is not included or is edited to be unrecognizable.
Outside
- Put your garbage cans, recycling bins, and yard waste in the garage.
- Store all gardening tools.
- Mow and edge the yard. Remove all weeds, dead branches, and spent flowers. Add fresh mulch where necessary.
- Add color to empty spaces with potted annuals or container gardens. Keep seasonal displays minimal and tasteful.
- Sweep the walks, driveway, and front porch.
- Turn on any outdoor features such as fountains or waterfalls.
- Remove all vehicles from the driveway and do not park directly in front of the house. Close the garage doors.
- Wipe down the patio furniture and open the patio umbrella if you have one.
- View your home straight on from the street. Can you see the front door? Make sure hedges and tree branches are pruned to make the front door look inviting.
According to Realtor.org, nine out of 10 home buyers rely on the internet as one of their primary research sources, and 52% turn to the web as the first step in their home search. The pictures of your home are important, and we want to make sure that your home shines in them.
Before your home search begins, we want to
know as much as possible about the features and amenities you want so that we can select the right properties for you to see. Although it helps to be flexible in your search, we don't want to show you a shotgun home in German Village when what you really want is a Craftsman-style home in Clintonville. By narrowing down your "must haves" and the "would-be-nice-to-have" options, we can make the best use of your time and energy.
Here are some ideas to guide you in creating the wish list for your new home.
Features
- Age: Do you prefer historic properties or newer ones?
-
Style: Do you have a special preference for ranches, bungalows, or another style of construction?
-
Bedrooms: How many?
-
Bathrooms: How many? Are they updated?
-
Living and dining areas: A traditional, formal layout, or a more open, contemporary plan?
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Stories: How many?
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Square feet: How much space?
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Ceilings: How high?
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Kitchen: How big? Recently updated? Open to other living areas?
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Storage: Big closets, a shed, an extra-large garage?
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Parking: A garage or carport? Room for how many cars?
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Extras: Attic or basement?
Amenities
-
Office
- Play/exercise room
- Security system
- Sprinkler system
- Workshop/studio
- In-law suite
- Fireplace
- Pool/hot tub
- Sidewalk
- Wooded lot
- Patio, deck, or porch
- Laundry room
