Some welcome mats are just fine…. And others have leaves and dirt and mulch built up around them. Many are old. Many are worn. Some are… inappropriate.

Fact is, this is something that is often overlooked by the home sellers as they are frantically cleaning up for a scheduled showing. They do not think about the first impression being the front door, the mat, the doorbell… they think about the entryway… which is good. It is just not enough.

Not all buyers will get caught up by the look of a ragged welcome mat. Some won’t even notice. But I can tell you from experience that those who do have a clouded view of the home from then on. Perception is reality when it comes to real estate. If a buyer thinks you are the kind of homeowner who did not pay attention to details, who doesn’t maintain the simple things in a house, they will jump to the conclusion that there are other things in the house that were not taken care of.

Then there is the psychological effect on a buyer when they are truly “welcome” into a home. It makes them feel wanted. It makes them feel comfortable. A buyer will not buy a home if they do not get a positive feeling from a house. No matter how superstitious or ruled by emotions someone is, they can’t help but be affected by a dirty, torn mat that says: “go away!”

A new welcome mat costs anywhere from $12 – $25 at the local home goods or hardware store. Make your prospective homebuyers feel welcome… put out a (nice) welcome mat!

The photos posted on MLS listings consistently amaze us. Rooms with laundry baskets in the corner, beds not made, dishes in the sink…some people just can’t see how these things affect the mood of a buyer. Worse yet, some people don’t include enough or any photos of a home. If there is no picture of the outside of the house, it leaves a buyer wondering… “what’s wrong?” and they will likely skip over this listing completely.

We take high-resolution photos and do so with a designer’s eye. We work with our clients to make sure the vignettes are staged well and that there isn’t anything superfluous in the photos. When possible, we take pictures of each room, the outside and the neighborhood.

Another thing to remember is that pictures can be updated. If in the course of selling your home if you clear out some furniture to make a room look bigger, or replace the carpet, new pictures should be posted.

No matter who takes the pictures, look at them before they are posted. Sometimes when you see a room as a picture, you pick out things you didn’t see the first time. Perhaps the blinds were pulled at different heights or the lighting makes it look like there is a stain on the rug when there isn’t.

One of the best pieces of advice before putting your home up for sale is to look at the listings of homes online and see what pictures catch you eye. What are you attracted to? What turns you off? Emulate the good, avoid the bad, and you will be that much closer to selling your home.

Even within the particular towns, you will find neighborhoods with there own personality. Finding the perfect neighborhood is just as important as finding the perfect home. When shopping for a new house, often the best place to start is by just looking at the neighborhoods.

Here are a few tips for choosing your next neighborhood:

1)   The schools – Is the school district important to your family? Families with school age children will particularly want to pay attention to things like school performance and proximity first.

2)   The lifestyle – Next consider lifestyle features such as proximity to shopping, neighborhood amenities, sidewalks, parks, etc.

3)   The people – Clients of ours will often look to see who is outside when they are house-hunting. Some neighborhoods have kids playing outside and neighbors talking in driveways. Others do not. Some homeowners like to have people out and about, and others like to live a more quiet life.

Your best chance of living in the community that best suits your needs, is to take the time ahead of time to find a neighborhood with the characteristics that you enjoy. When you have narrowed down what you need in a neighborhood, finding your dream home will be just a search away.

It is often thought that no one buys a home during the holidays – or that a house on the market will not sell, but time and again, we see that perception challenged every year at this time.

Charlotte’s winter weather is generally lovely, and the moderate temperatures make looking for a home quite pleasant. We rarely have snow to contend with and the sunny skies are make house-hunting cheerful.

Sellers with homes on the market this time of year can expect more casual lookers who may be seeing what is available in their price-ranges, rather than serious buyers on a time-line. But don’t despair, because many people are actually serious—and on a shortened schedule due to the holiday. Sellers should keep for-sale homes festive, but not overly decorated. A red tablecloth with a few pillar candles as a centerpiece, and a beautiful wreath on the front door are enough to say you’re in the spirit—but won’t look cluttered.

Buyers should plan their house-hunting with their Realtor as far ahead of time as possible. As a courtesy, home sellers would certainly appreciate more time than usual to get their homes in order and their families out for an hour or two.

Is the gift of a new home what you want for Christmas? Happy Holidays from Team Papandrea.

Charlotte is a banking and energy center and those industries employ many of the newcomers, but strong technology and retail industries are also the impetus for many to move to Charlotte. Our new neighbors are welcomed by people from all over the country, and the world. Charlotte truly is an international city with culture and entertainment options, some of the finest restaurants and year-long special events.

There is certainly plenty of opportunity in Charlotte to find people with similar interests—be it watching your “home team” play on the weekends, parent groups, churches, book clubs, concerts—or just about anything else. Charlotte is a welcoming and diverse city of people seeking new friends.

Charlotte is located in the southern part of North Carolina and is very close to the South Carolina border. Just hours from the beach or the mountains, Charlotte is and ideal location for those who like to be able to be a short day-trip away from skiing or the ocean. Our temperatures are moderate with hot sunny summers, we have beautiful fall foliage, a rare snowfall, (lasting just hours usually), and early warm flower-filled springs.

Charlotte is a wonderful place to live. Welcome home!

We have put together a few tips for homebuyers to help find the best home for them—without running your Realtor around in circles!

1)   Know What You Want & Need. Do you NEED 3 bedrooms or do you just want 3 bedrooms? Are granite countertops a deal-breaker? Sometimes we focus on the “wants” and forget about the needs. By outlining what you require and what you might like, your Realtor will be able to present you with the appropriate options.

2)   Know What You Don’t Want. When making one of, (if not THE) biggest purchases of your life it is important to identify what you do NOT want. If you cannot live in a house that is more than 5 years old or you just cannot own a home in a neighborhood with an HOA, now is the time to make that clear.

3)   Know Where You Want to Live. The more specific you can be on location the better. If there are certain neighborhoods, proximity to a school, or other geographical needs that you have, make that known.

4)   Do Your Research Ahead Online. Check out the for-sale homes in the area you are looking for and keep a list of possibilities for your agent to review. Note the best features.

5)   Know Your Price Range. All too often, buyers do not fully understand their budget, and just because you qualify for a mortgage, does not mean you should take that full amount out. Be smart, and know what you can afford for a monthly payment with plenty of “buffer” for those unexpected expenses. You can always pay more on your mortgage, but they never appreciate it when you send less.

6)   Refine Your Requirements. As you are going through the process of looking for a home, you should be updating your list. Have you decided against a neighborhood completely? Are you open to a home without a basement if they have enough storage in the attic? Are you completely against vinyl siding? Update your needs and wants and you will get to that dream home faster.

If you choose to hire a Home Stager, you can expect several things. First, they will go through your home and if you are still living at the property, they will likely ask you to “declutter.” This is another word for “take out the majority of your stuff”! When a home is showing, the buyers will want to see more space, they won’t want to be distracted by the post-its on the refrigerator, and they do not need to see the piles of paperwork on your desk. The first step in Staging a home for sale is always to edit, remove extra furniture and the collage of framed photos that adorn your stairway.

Next, a Stager will focus on cleanliness. Sometimes when we live in a house for a while, we stop noticing the scrape in the wall, or the big stain on the bedroom carpet. While these are seemingly minor details to you, this may seem like you are the kind of homeowners who aren’t detail oriented—and that “type” of person may forget to change the furnace filters, or ignore the leaky faucet. Not “taking care” of a home may indicate that there will be problems for the next owner and buyers rarely like to buy a house that they know—or think—will be a project.

Disclaimer: Knicks in the walls, a broken door handle, or that cracked window pane, probably doesn’t mean you are a bad homeowner—it probably means you are busy, that you have a family, a job and a life… but now is the time to fix these things so that it does not reflect on you or the house in an unfavorable way.

Your Stager may suggest things that make you uncomfortable or you feel are out of your budget. Be honest with you Stager, since even though you are selling this house, it still may be your home for several months, and you may need to live here! Starting with the basics may get buyers through the door, and more extreme measures can be taken down the road if you have time to wait it out—but consider that the investment now could save your time and money later.

Finally, the best advice when working with a Stager is to remember that they are on your team. They want to help you sell the home and they know what that will take. If the suggestion about removing your babies’ pictures and preschool art from the walls stings a little, it should. But selling a home to a new owner will require a little sacrifice and a lot of de-personalization. Take your treasures and gently tuck them away in a safe, (and out-of the way) storage space to be proudly displayed in your brand new home later.

What that does mean for sellers is that the market is more competitive than ever. New builds combined with a saturated inventory including short-sells and foreclosures make selling a home in the Charlotte area more difficult than in recent years.

There are several things that you can do as a seller to make your home more attractive to potential buyers. The first is to make sure it is properly priced. Work with your Realtor to determine where your house should be priced. The biggest mistake we see is sellers making is wanting to “get their money out” of their homes. The sad truth is that many people in Charlotte bought at the height of the market and financed their homes. Today, those same properties are worth considerably less. Depending on your situation, you may have to take a loss if you are selling. The good news here is if you are buying, you will essentially recover that loss.

Secondly, remember that homebuyers have a lot of choices right now, and that means that they have the luxury of being picky. So remember that home presentation is important. This may mean having the siding pressure-washed and some fresh paint on the inside, or it may mean a full-on home staging by a professional stager. Consult your Realtor for their advice on this subject as all markets, price-ranges, and situations will vary. However, for the competitive advantage, remember that doing more to completely un-clutter and spruce up a home will give you a leg-up on the competition and speed up your time on the market.

“Bonnie truly went above and beyond to make sure that we were well positioned and protected through out the process. There were a few bumps in the road, but with her help the issues were anticipated and effectively handled, greatly reducing the stress involved with purchasing a house that was over 2,400 miles away.” -Steve Gensler

“Bonnie is excellent! She represented your company very well!” -R. McVane

“Bonnie did a fantastic job with assisting us to find our new home. Her attention to detail is superb. I would highly recommend her!” -Kim Bernal
Read more Team Papandrea Home Realty Testimonials  

Bonnie Papandrea

Meet Bonnie Papandrea

Bonnie is a former Interior Decorator, studies décor finishes in Europe and assists in staging and preparing homes for resale. She is a former Regional Marketing Director and Regional Sales Director which enables her to ensure your marketing material catches the eye of buyers and is an expert in negotiating skills with different personalities.

Contact Bonnie:
704.756.8071
bprltr@gmail.com
www.bonniep.com

Read Bonnie Papandrea’s Testimonials 

Daniel Papandrea

Meet Daniel Papandrea

Daniel is a former Regional Sales Director and is experienced and skilled in negotiations that require tact and strategy. He is also a Certified Executive Chef and does Realtor luncheons and kitchen design. He has also owned a residential renovation company.

Contact Daniel:
704.904.5334
teamphomes@gmail.com
www.teamphomes.com

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