In today’s competitive real estate market, any little advantage you have over the competition can make the difference between a quick sale and a house that lingers. Sellers usually receive plenty of advice on how to make their Thomasville home for sale look good, but most stop there. Your house looks its best, so make sure it smells its best, too. 

Below are seven dos and don’ts to make your house smell as good as it looks. 

1.    Keep frozen cookie dough on hand. Fresh baked cookies are always a hit at open houses.  You can also quickly pop some frozen cookie dough in the oven when a potential buyer drops in on short notice.

2.    Throw a lemon down the garbage disposal. Nothing says fresh and clean like the smell of citrus. Slice a lemon into a few pieces and run them through the disposal right before the potential buyers show up.

3.    Brew coffee. Especially for those early Saturday open houses, the smell of coffee might perk them up so they’ll be sure to notice the best assets of your Thomasville home for sale.

4.   Pop popcorn. It smells delicious and can be made in 3 minutes. Even if you’re pressed for time, you can still manage to pop a bag in the microwave.  Just make sure you don’t burn it because the smell of burned popcorn lingers.

5.    AVOID heavily scented air fresheners and candles. Depending on the scent, these can be too overwhelming for a lot of noses. You also don’t want buyers to think you’re trying to cover up a bad odor.

6.   Clear the kitty litter. For all the cat lovers, make sure your litter box is cleaned and put away. The smell of a litter box, especially in a multi-cat household, automatically turns off a lot of buyers.

7.   Make sure your pantry is up to par. From time to time, anyone can forget about a potato or onion past its prime. Rotting food isn’t the detail you want buyers to remember after they leave. 

If you need more suggestions on how to freshen up your Thomasville home for sale, call First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com.

One of the most important decisions you’ll make when either buying or selling a home is selecting a Thomasville real estate agent.  Picking the right agent for you can save you time, effort, aggravation and money. 

Here are five mistakes to avoid when choosing your Thomasville real estate agent:

1.    Going about it backwards.  Many people start by finding a home for sale they want to visit and then calling about that home.  Instead, select your real estate agent first.  Your agent will help you identify what you want in a home, and will then find homes that meet those criteria.  You’ll save time and frustration by visiting only those homes that fit your needs.

2.    Using an agent who represents both you and the other buyer or seller.  This is called dual agency.  A listing agent who also represents the buyer is a dual agent. Dual agents must treat both the seller and the buyers equally.  Which would you prefer, an agent who works exclusively for your best interests or one who has to consider both the seller’s and the buyer’s best interests?

3.    Hiring the first agent you meet.  Yes, it takes time to interview at least three real estate agents, but it’s worth it.  You’ll save that time and more in the long run when you find a knowledgeable agent you enjoy working with.  Making an impulsive decision by saying yes to an agent as soon as he’s finished his presentation is never a good idea.  Take the time to visit with multiple agents, compare their credentials and styles and only then make your selection.

4.    Choosing an agent because he’s the only one who agrees with your selling price.  That lone agent who agrees with you may not have done the research needed to set the best price or he may just be telling you what you want to hear.  If multiple agents state that your selling price is wrong, listen to them.  You’re looking for the best advice, not a yes man (or woman). 

5.    Skipping the reference check.  Even if you’re a great judge of character, take the time and effort to check agents’ references before hiring them.  Ask for at least three references from recent real estate transactions the agent has completed, then follow-up by calling those references.  Ask the clients how they felt about their experience with the agent, if they’d use the agent again, what the best thing was about their experience and what the worst thing was about their experience.

If you’re looking for a Thomasville real estate agent, we’d be honored to have an opportunity to interview for the job.  Please give First Thomasville Realty a call today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com  to schedule an interview.

Most, if not all, Thomasville real estate buyers begin with an Internet property search. Even buyers who are working with real estate agents start the weed-out process on the Web. 

Because real estate has such a strong virtual presence these days, smart internet marketing (including price setting) is an absolute must for selling your home quickly.  Here are a few pricing techniques to maximize the number of potential buyers who find your home when they search for Thomasville real estate online: 

♦     The theory of 9s – Most real estate search engines have parameters that filter listings based on $25,000 or $50,000 price blocks. For instance, you can search for houses valued $150,000-$200,000 or $200,000-$250,000. Many sellers don’t seem to take this into account. Instead, properties are listed using the same marketing techniques that grocery stores use to sell you a gallon of milk — they use a lot of 9s in the pricing to make it look less expensive. However, today’s buyers aren’t going to be fooled by that system.  

♦     How to span markets – While you might think listing your house for $399,900 will make buyers see your home as a bargain, you might actually be losing out on a lot of interested buyers. When buyers search for houses from $400,000-$450,000, your property won’t show up, so you’d be better off upping the price a little to $400,000. Then you’ll expand your potential buyer base because it will show up in property searches priced $350,000-$400,000 AND searches priced $400,000-$450,000.  

♦     The pros and cons of under-pricing your home – If you’ve priced your property somewhere in the middle, like at $309,000, common sense might tell you that lowering the price $9,000 to price it at $300,000 would be undervaluing it. However, getting many more buyers through the door will certainly help your property sell faster. While I do not recommend purposely under-pricing your home, if you did happen to undervalue it, buyers will notice and you might end up with a multiple-offer situation allowing you to get even more from your property. 

Don’t resort to out-dated marketing tricks that might actually be hurting your chances of a fast sale at top dollar. 

If you need help pricing your Thomasville real estate, we can help.  Call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com  for more information.

With the overabundance of properties for sale these days, your Thomasville home for sale needs to stand out from the crowd.  One of the easiest things you can do to make your home shine is to finish all the basic repairs you’ve been putting off. 

Here are 5 little repairs that make a big difference to potential buyers who visit your Thomasville home for sale: 

1.    Perk up the exterior:  As we all know, first impressions are crucial.  Give your picket fence, mailbox and front door a fresh coat of paint.  Missing roof shingles and hanging gutters frighten potential buyers, so fix them.  Give buyers the opportunity to think, “Where’s the best place for our couch?” rather than “Oh no, there’s a problem with the roof!” 

2.    Fix dripping faucets:  A dripping faucet calls attention to itself, but it’s not difficult or expensive to fix.   While you’re fixing that dripping faucet, why not replace the fixtures.  It’s a minor expensive that gives your bathroom or kitchen a major facelift. 

3.     Cover wall cracks:  Hairline wall cracks that appear above windows and doors are caused when framing lumber dries out and shrinks or the structure settles.  Although they typically are not signs of structural problems, they may scare away potential buyers.  Cover them with spackling or adhesive-backed fiber mesh drywall tape. 

4.    Repair floors:  Replace chipped or cracked tiles, and clean or replace the grout.  Refinish hardwood floors.  Steam clean or replace carpets. 

5.    Restore baseboards:  If you’re like most people, you haven’t thought about your baseboards for years.  During that time, pets, children and vacuum sweepers beat-up your baseboards making them dirty, scratched eye sores.  Take the time to repair the scrapes by sanding them smooth or filling in dents with spackle.  Then, repaint the entire baseboard from end to end.  

If you’re ready to put your Thomasville home up for sale, we can help.  Give First Thomasville Realty a call today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com  for more information.