Articles Tagged "Tips for Sellers"

Are you planning to buy or sell a home in Southwest Florida this summer? During the busiest times of year for real estate transactions, it's important to stay up to date on the latest market trends and make informed decisions. Our real estate agents have the latest data for you to review, in our Southwest Florida Market Report for April 2022.

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The time period when you are preparing your home to be listed is a crucial stretch for ensuring that your property stands out from the competition for all of the right reasons. When you're competing with other Naples homes for sale, you want to put your best foot forward. Our real estate agents have the key steps for getting your home ready to list.

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When you're shopping for your next Southwest Florida home, an understanding of the latest market trends is one of the biggest keys to accomplishing your goals. Our real estate agents always have an eye on the latest trends, to help you make informed real estate decisions in Southwest Florida communities. You can find the latest details in our Southwest Florida Monthly Market Report for November.

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Are you planning your next real estate move in Southwest Florida? Keeping up with the latest market trends is crucial to accomplishing your goals, and our team tracks all of the data that you need to make informed decisions. Our real estate agents have all of the details on the latest Southwest Florida real estate trends, in our Monthly Market Report for October 2021.

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Upgrades, decluttering, and cleaning are all important parts of the staging process but don't underestimate the importance of your home's scent. An unfamiliar or bad home smell can be a major turnoff to home shoppers, which is why it's so important to go for a fresh, clean, and neutral scent. After all, the smell is also the first thing shoppers notice when entering your home.

Our real estate agents are big believers in the power of scent, so we put together a list of tips to make your home smell fresh and clean. 

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Most people tend to think of replacing their household items when they stop working or show obvious signs of wear. But this lack of a regular schedule can leave you unknowingly open to using items that are past their prime.

Our real estate agents share the following recommendations for how often you should replace these common household items:

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It's been a busy summer for Southwest Florida real estate, and before we look ahead to the fall it's time to look back on the latest local real estate trends. Our team at John R. Wood Properties keeps a constant eye on market trends, to keep you up to date on the latest news. You can find all of the latest details from our real estate agents in our Southwest Florida Market Report for August 2021.

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Whether you're buying or selling a Southwest Florida home, knowledge of local real estate trends can help you achieve your goals with confidence. Our real estate agents spend every day immersed in Southwest Florida real estate markets, and we have the data you need to make informed decisions. Stay up to date on the latest details with our Monthly Market Report for May 2021.

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Following a massive shift to remote work last year, it's no surprise that home office renovations have never been more popular. When working from home, it's so important to have a comfortable, dedicated workspace. Not only does the quality of your home office impact productivity, our real estate agents note that renovated home offices can really improve your home value. Below are some easy ways to refresh your workspace: 

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Keeping up with the local real estate trends is crucial whether you're buying, selling, or researching your next real estate transaction in Southwest Florida. Our experienced team keeps a constant eye on the latest market trends. You can find all of the key details in this Monthly Market Report for March 2021 from our real estate agents.

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Choosing a contractor is one of the most important aspects of any major home renovation project. Whether you need a roof replacement or are building a custom home, knowing how to evaluate the quality of prospective contractors is an important skill. The last thing you want is to hire an unqualified company that ultimately does a poor job on your home, especially if you're planning to list your property among these beautiful Naples homes for sale. Our real estate agents know how important your home is to you and your family. Consider asking these interview questions before hiring contractors for your upcoming remodeling project. 

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Selling your home during the spring is a great way to reach the maximum number of potential buyers, but it also means that you'll be competing with more local listings than during any other season. Our REALTORS® see this trend in action every spring, as buyers shake off the winter chill and sellers kick their home prep into high gear to make sure that their listing stands out from the pack. Make your home a standout with these tips.

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Our team at John R. Wood Properties is constantly analyzing the latest Southwest Florida real estate trends, to bring the most relevant, up-to-date information to our clients. Our real estate agents have the information you need to stay current, in our January Market Report for Southwest Florida.

January Sales in Southwest Florida

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New year, new pantry! While it may not always get the same amount of attention as your appliances and countertops, a well-organized pantry is one of the biggest keys to enjoying your kitchen more this year. Walk-in pantries have become a hot home feature for buyers, and customizing your pantry space is an easy way to upgrade the kitchen in your current home. But how do you create an Instagram-worthy pantry? Our real estate agents have some inspiration to get you started, with pantry upgrades that you can make for the new year.

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The real estate market looks different in 2020 than it ever has before, with so much business happening from a distance and buyers falling in love with homes through virtual tours before they ever visit in person. Maximizing your number of potential buyers and finding the right match depends in part on an understanding of the new tools available to help sell your home. Our real estate agents are here to help you get started with our guide to 5 key things buyers notice during a virtual tour.

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Selling your home during the holidays is a bit different than doing so at other times of the year. Your job is to make sure that your home is the one that they fall in love with and that potential buyers can envision themselves celebrating many holidays there! You can start by staging your home just right for the holidays, which may require a different approach to holiday decorating this year. Our real estate agents are here to help you get started with our guide to staging your home during the holidays.

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Whether you're searching for the perfect vacation property or purchasing your first home, there's no doubt that buying a house is one of the most important financial transactions that you will make. So why go it alone? The commission earned by a REALTOR® is ultimately minimal compared to the value they provide throughout the purchasing process. Our real estate agents are happy to elaborate, with 5 advantages of having a REALTOR® at your side during the buying or selling process.

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Selling your home is an exciting time, especially when you plan on remodeling and redecorating prior to the showing. Unfortunately, many homeowners make common staging mistakes that regrettably detract potential buyers from making an offer. Our REALTORS® want to help you stage your home for success and insist that you avoid these five common staging mistakes.

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Shelter in place orders may be changing the way that we do business, but they haven't stopped business from being done. In real estate, virtual tours have quickly become one of the most popular tools for promoting properties, with both buyers and sellers eager to move their transactions forward with the help of technology. As with any type of home tour, our real estate agents can tell you that how you prep your home ultimately makes a huge impact on the impression that the property makes on potential buyers. Start your prep work on the right foot with our guide for how to prepare your home for a virtual tour.

• Treat a Virtual Tour Like the Real Thing
  While there are some small things like scents that you won't have to worry about for a virtual tour, for the most part, you'll want to prepare just as you would if a potential buyer was visiting the home in person. Attention to detail, cleanliness, staging, good lighting, and other familiar factors are still as important as ever for a virtual tour when you're competing with other Naples homes for sale.

• Clean Your Home from Top to Bottom
  Whether they're touring from afar or up close, buyers always want to see a home that is clean and well-maintained. Start your prep work by doing a deep cleaning of the whole home, from top to bottom. That includes cleaning closets, basements, and lesser-used spaces because you want to be able to give the buyer a solid impression of every part of the home. 

• Remove Clutter from Any Area Included in the Tour
  Just like with a traditional tour, you want the buyer to be able to envision what their life would be like in the home. Clearing out clutter and personal items is key to making that possible. You won't have curious buyers poking around in every storage space, but you still want to be able to showcase those spaces as part of your virtual tour. While you're at it, remove evidence of pets to avoid turning off buyers who don't have pets of their own.

• Smart Staging Helps Buyers Envision Their Lives in the Home
  Clearing out clutter also makes it much easier to stage your home effectively, which is crucial to communicating to buyers what the property is like. Professional staging is typically a great idea when marketing your home, but may not be possible right now in some communities. Be sure to ask your real estate agent for their staging tips and what rooms to pay attention to for your virtual tour.

• Check Your Lighting
  Good lighting is crucial for getting high-quality footage of your property, and any lights that aren't working are sure to stand out negatively. Take care of two challenges at once by going through your home to make sure that all lights are working correctly.

• Make Sure Your Landscaping, Lawn, and Yard Look Their Best
  Curb appeal still matters, even if buyers won't be arriving physically at your curb for a tour! You'll want to showcase that beautiful Florida landscaping as part of your tour, so make sure that all outdoor areas around the home are looking their best.

Looking for a team that will use the latest technology to market your property? Contact us to buy and sell homes on the Paradise Coast.

Once you've binge-watched all of the shows on your list, re-read all of your favorite books, and dusted off your old gaming console... could it be time to tackle your to-do list? While life is anything but normal right now, taking care of projects around the house that don't require a trip to the hardware store is a great way to add a touch of normalcy and make being stuck at home a bit more pleasant.

Plus, completing home improvement projects can help your home stand out to potential buyers viewing your home in a virtual showing. 

Our REALTORS® are here to help with ideas to trim down your to-do list and stay busy without leaving home.

• Clean Vents and Baseboards
  Was a central HVAC system a must-have when you were shopping for Naples homes for sale? Then you'll want to make sure your system is working at its best. In addition to improving the efficiency of your system, cleaning vents and baseboards is a great way to minimize allergies while you're stuck at home.

• Clean Your Microwave and Other Small Appliances
  It's easy to forget to clean smaller appliances like microwaves, toasters, and toaster ovens. Take the time to give those appliances a thorough cleaning, and enjoy the benefits next time you need them to cook.

• Clean Out and Organize Drawers
  Every home has that drawer – the one where you throw everything that doesn't fit somewhere else, to be sorted at a later date. Well, that date has arrived. Now is the perfect time to clean out crowded, cluttered drawers, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Take the time to remove everything, clean up messes, throw out unneeded items, and restock each drawer in an organized way.

• Create More Space in Closets
  Just as with drawers, there's likely a closet or two around your house that could use the same cleaning and reorganizing treatment. With closets, the key is to declutter and reorganize in a way that makes the most use of the available space. That might mean shifting a few items to the attic or throwing out a few items.

• Touch Up Paint Around the House
  Do you have a few gallons of paint stored in your garage from previous painting projects around the house? Then now is a great time to put that paint to work! Grab a gallon of paint, make sure it still matches, and go through your home to touch up any trouble spots. Even without enough paint to fully re-coat your walls, a few touch-ups in the right places can make a huge difference.

• Prep Your Yard for Spring and Summer
  Being stuck at home doesn't have to mean being stuck indoors, so why not get some fresh air and improve your home in the process? Clean out any outdoor debris that has built up over the winter, wash down all of your outdoor furniture, and get your grill prepped for the outdoor cooking seasons.

• Refresh Your Wall Hangings
  No matter how perfectly you straightened them when you hung them up, wall hangings will start to get crooked over time. All you need is a level to get them looking great once more, and you'd be surprised by the difference that this simple fix can make.

Thinking about shopping for a new place to call home? You can start that process from your current home as well, and our team is here to help. Contact us to buy and sell homes throughout the Naples, FL area.

Smart home technology has been popular in the luxury real estate market for years. From security to green living, comfort, and entertainment, today's smart home technology offers limitless possibilities for discerning shoppers. Our REALTORS® are here to help you keep up with the latest wave of smart technology, with our guide to smart home features buyers are looking for in 2020.

Smart Security to Protect Your Investment

• Smart Home Security System
  Whether you're competing on the market with the very best Naples homes for sale or looking to upgrade a property for your own use, a smart security system is a perfect place to start. Smart home security systems allow you to monitor and control your home's security from across town or the country.

• Smart Lighting for Security and Convenience
  Smart lighting systems are another great option for home security, allowing you to turn on lights so that it looks like the home is occupied even when you're away. Combined with some of the other features on our list, smart lighting is also ideal for making sure that your home is comfortable and approachable as soon as you arrive.

• Video Doorbell to See Who's Knocking
  Opting for a video doorbell as part of your smart home security means that you'll never have to wonder who's knocking at your door. Some systems even allow you to unlock the door remotely so that deliveries can be made.

Convenient Control of Your Home

• A Smart Hub to Control All of Your Devices
  With so much smart tech available, it's crucial to have a centralized hub where you can control everything from one app or device. This is one area of smart technology where you can expect continual improvements in the coming years, as smart home features become more standardized.

• Smart Thermostats to Stay Comfortable
  A smart thermostat is a must-have in any luxury home, allowing you to control the home's temperature from a distance and even learning your preferred temperature settings so that the home is always the right temperature at the right time.

Going Green without Sacrificing Convenience

• Smart Irrigation to Keep Your Property Beautiful
  A regular irrigation system works on a timer and is set to provide a pre-determined amount of water at specific times. Smart irrigation systems take climate, temperature, and a host of other factors into account to provide just the right amount of water at the right time. It's a great way to keep outdoor spaces looking their best and go green in the process.

• Eco-Friendly Smart Appliances to Make Life Easier
  Smart appliances for the kitchen and laundry room are always a hit with buyers while making life easier for homeowners everywhere. Start with a smart refrigerator, which allows you to check the contents without opening the door, keep a grocery list handy, and even order fresh groceries via WiFi connection.

• Fresh Air without Allergens
  If you suffer from allergies or like to keep the freshest possible air flowing in your home, then a smart air filtration system can be an excellent addition to any property. These systems bring fresh outside air indoors, but only after filtering out common allergens like pollen to help manage allergies.

Whether you're shopping for a home, searching for an investment, or aiming to maximize your return when selling a home, smart home features are key in the luxury real estate market. As smart home technology becomes more standardized and versatile, the options for customizing your properties will only increase. Contact us today to learn more about selling homes in the Naples area. 

A healthy home is a happy home. Whether you're looking for an engaging way to exercise, a scenic setting to unwind, or small steps to make your home healthier, there are countless ways to customize your property.

Keep up your healthy habits while visiting a second home, or turn your primary residence into a haven of health. Start 2020 on the right foot with our guide for home features to add for a healthier new year.

1. A Home Gym Simplifies Fitness
   There's no doubt about it – if you want to stay healthy and happy at home, a home gym is more than worth the investment. Sure, Naples homes for sale are located close to plenty of great gyms, but it's easier to fit in your daily exercise regimen when you have a gym at home. How much space you're willing to devote to a gym determines how much equipment you can fit. You can go with a small space including a few of your favorite machines, or a larger room that closely mimics your favorite gym.

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Thinking of a remodeling project in 2020? Make your Southwest Florida home more appealing for your family, or get it ready to sell with a timely renovation. Just be sure to follow these 7 tips for choosing the right remodeling contractor. 

1. Consult Your Network
   Before you begin your search on your own, consult your network for advice. Ask fellow homeowners or other industry professionals, including your real estate agent, who've had renovations completed on their own homes or businesses. Your trusted network will give you honest feedback on their experiences and potentially let you view the completed project.
   
   
2. View Reviews & Portfolios
   After you've consulted those you know, seek out the feedback of other customers. As you vet potential contractors, go deeper than viewing reviews. If you can contact past clients online via message boards, consider asking for more detailed information about their experience. Although you can view photographs in a contractor's portfolio, you should try to see as many completed projects in person as possible. If any contractors have worked on commercial businesses, visit these buildings if you can.
   
   
3. Evaluate Credentials
   Reviews are helpful, but you need as much reassurance as you can get that your renovations will be completed to the highest standard of quality. You should only consider contractors who are licensed, bonded, and insured. Look for a contractor that belongs to reputable professional associations within their industry and that have earned additional certifications relevant to their specialty.
    
   

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Whether it's near a lake, river, canal, ocean, or pond, waterfront property is a picturesque and appealing option for buyers of all ages and lifestyles. In Southwest Florida, waterfront property can also mean beachfront property and that has positioned our market as a unique and targeted area for all types of luxury buyers as well. If you're getting ready to list your waterfront home, our real estate agents want to help you get the most out of your real estate experience. We've gathered together a list of tips to help you sell your home to the perfect buyer dreaming of a waterfront Naples home for sale.

1. Pricing is key.
   We all want to sell our homes for exactly what we think they're worth and not a penny less. However, what we believe they're worth and what they're appraised for are often different amounts. Although these types of properties often warrant a higher asking price than homes without water access, they still need to be priced reasonably. Everything from the location and size of the waterfront property to the community amenities and water frontage are factored into the price. In Southwest Florida in particular, which is a huge market for master-planned communities, property values can often vary significantly even between two neighborhoods in the same city.
   
   
2. Make sure to focus on the exterior.
   Some will tell you that a waterfront property will sell itself, but curb appeal – even for waterfront properties - should never be underestimated. Neglecting any part of the property, including the shoreline, docks, and frontage can turn buyers off. It's best to play it safe. Spruce it up, remove the trash, and create an inviting space that really helps the buyer imagine the Southwest Florida waterfront lifestyle that could be theirs.
   
   
3. Don't neglect interior features. 
   Waterfront property is a huge draw for some buyers, but you must remember that these individuals will spend the majority of their time in the house itself. You still need to approach the interior like you would selling any other type of home. Make sure you've repaired broken elements, enhanced or upgraded certain rooms, kept the space clean, and have all of your relevant documentation ready for the sale. Your real estate agent should also be able to help you with professional staging techniques that help your home appeal to the widest selection of buyers.
   
   
4. Know safety or legal concerns.
   Local laws will impact any docks or boathouses on your property, so be sure to double-check that all structures and storage units follow relevant codes. Even if it's not legally required, it's important to make your property as safe as possible. Buyers may have pets or small children that they'll want to protect. Having safety fences or other amenities may be significant incentives.
   
   
5. Market to your audience.
   It's unlikely that the average homeowner is looking for a waterfront property, which means it's essential to know your buying audience. You need to assess your property and determine which type of buyers will likely be interested in your home's specific features. The right real estate agent will be versed in and equipped with a marketing strategy that specifically targets the right buyers for your property.
   
   
6. Choose the right agent.  
   Waterfront property in Southwest Florida is in high demand. Our area attracts a certain clientele with very high expectations about the type of property they intend to purchase. It's important to choose a real estate agent who has experience in our unique market and knows how to effectively work with luxury buyers.

Follow these tips and it should be smooth sailing to the sale of your waterfront property. For more tips or an expert consultation on the value of your waterfront property, contact us!