FSBO BLOG

This will be the final post on the FSBO.com Blog for 2007.  Although it was a spectacular year for our company, and our customers, we are really excited about 2008.  We look forward to helping as many people sell their homes while saving on commissions.  We will have many new features for both buyers and sellers.  I will discuss those a bit further as we get closer to launching them.

Here is a great article for you to read by CNN Money that does a good job of explaining the FSBO process, and that in a slower market; websites like ours will be crucial to the success of your next home sale. 

CNN Article:  “Homeowners: Sell It Yourself”

Happy New Year from FSBO.com!

I hope you are all having a safe and successful holiday season thus far. 

As America becomes a more heath and weight conscience society, I am sure we are all thinking about that extra cookie or slice of pie we grabbed around the holidays.  Well, maybe not all of us, but if that’s you, I have a few quick suggestions for shedding those extra holiday pounds while increasing your chances of selling your home. 

I suggest getting outside, raking the leaves, mowing the grass, or shoveling snow as a good way to stay active around the holidays, while also improving the curb appeal of your house.  Whether it is currently on the market, or soon to be next year, the more you can do now the better.  Cleaning and fixing the small things now will save you time, money, and stress when it comes time to show your home, or to have it inspected.

Here are a few quick stats that may motivate you to get some work done around the house: 

•  
  • Mowing the lawn for half an hour = 150 calories burned.
  • Gardening for 30 to 45 minutes = 150 calories burned.
  • Raking leaves for a half an hour = 150 calories burned.
  • Shoveling snow for only 15 minutes = 150 calories burned.
  • Vacuuming for half an hour = 100 calories burned.
  • Washing windows for 15 minutes = 50 calories burned.
  • Sweeping for 15 minutes = 50 calories burned.

As of today, none of our current or new customers have taken us up on our offer to discount their Virtual Tour $30.00 based on the blog from Monday yet many have paid full price since then (remember, Circlepix only gave us a discount on ONE tour, if it were unlimited, I would gladly pass that savings on to each of them without making them find it on the blog).  I just wanted to inform you that for the remainder of this blog, we have plans to periodically post special offers and links that are exclusive to our blog.  These offers and links will expire, and then that’s it, they’re gone.  If you miss it, you miss it.

We have plenty of ideas kicking around the office such as Free Listing Days, Free Supply Days, Double Flyer Days, and Free Shipping days, etc…  The plan is to give you incentives and reward you for contributing to and reading out blog.

In my opinion, the answer is yes; you should keep your home on the market during the holidays.  First, some experts may say that this will make you appear too desperate, and that may turn off the buyer.  If anything, it is the buyer’s advantage to work with a motivated seller.  They will be more eager to accept a lower offer than those that are not so motivated.  Second, just because you have a For Sale sign in your yard on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas day, does not mean you are going to field any calls, or let someone come in to look at it.  You don’t bring your For Sale sign in the house when you leave for the grocery store do you? No, if the house is for sale, it is for sale, no matter what the date is.  Finally, any buyer who is out looking at houses on a holiday is a serious buyer, and is ready to buy. 

 As far as decorating or not decorating, I don’t have an answer.  Some buyers may be affected by it, and some may not.  I personally would not care either way unless the decorations were blocking or obstructing my view of a part of the house.  Then it may be difficult to envision what the house looks like when it is not decorated. 

I always try to tell my sellers to make themselves as available as possible.  So pulling your listing off the market for a few days, or removing the sign from your front yard, can only hurt your chances at generating a successful sale. 

So, let’s here you thoughts:  Keep on or take off?  Decorate, or not decorate?

FSBO.com has used Circlepix.com as our Virtual Tour provider for the past 5 years.  We currently charge $109.00 for a Virtual Tour when purchased through the “FSBO Store”.  As part of a year-end promotion, Circlepix.com has offered us $30.00 off of our next virtual tour order prior to Dec. 31, 2007. 

As a token of our appreciation, we would like to pass this $30.00 savings on to one of our current customers.  So, we will give one FSBO.com customer with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Package listing our regular virtual tour for only $79.00.  Simply be the first person to leave a comment on this post with your active FSBO.com ID# to win the discounted tour.  We will contact you privately to collect your information for the tour, and get it ordered for you.

CLICK HERE FOR A SAMPLE VIRTUAL TOUR!

This is simply an example of special discounts, and offerings that we will be making randomly on our Blog, so please make sure to check back on a daily basis as this will be the only place to find out about them in the future.

As per Circlepix specifications, this offer will expire on Dec. 31, 2007 and is only available to the first person to comment with their Listing ID#.

This week I have gone over a few worthwhile remodeling projects for you to consider, and few that may not be worth the effort.  Of the projects we have discussed, which ones will you attempt, which ones have you attempted, and which ones will you stay away from?  No matter what the answer, just know that the more effort you put in to preparing your house for sale, the better chance you will have to impress the first buyer that walks through the door. 

In a slower market, any competitive edge you can give yourself over your competition is something that you should consider.  Remodeling may not always be the answer, but is worth researching.  The easiest, quick, fix can be done with a can of paint, and a fresh cut or the grass and trimming a few trees and shrubs.

I encourage anyone getting ready to put his or her home on the market to check out the 2007 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report to which projects may give you that edge that you need to sell quickly and for a good price.

So, we have been talking about which projects will get you the most bang for your buck.  Now let’s look at which projects had the lowest return for the money according to the  2007 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report …

57.0% return - Home office remodel (mid-range)

58.0% return - Back-up power generator (mid-range)

59.1% return - Sunroom addition (mid-range)

64.1% return - Master suite addition (upscale)

64.6% return - Garage addition (upscale)

65.7% return - Roof replacement (upscale)

66.0% return - Bathroom addition (mid-range)

67.4% return - Roof replacement (mid-range)

Have you had any personal experience with these projects?  How was the return on your investment?  Let us know if you think these figures are accurate and if any of these remodels/additions are worth it.

Keeping with this week’s theme of remodeling ideas, the two other top projects for you to consider are discussed below.

Siding Replacement:  Replacing the Siding (fiber-cement) proved to be the number one remodeling project on this years Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report with 88.1% of the cost recouped.  Vinyl Siding showed an 83.2% recouped cost.  This seems like a pretty big undertaking, and it would most likely be in your best interest to hire a professional to ensure everything is installed properly and up to code. 

Window Replacement:  This project showed an 81% return on investment.  Upgrading your windows can do several things for you home.  It can bring more light inside to help show your home better, save on energy cost depending what type of windows you choose, and finally, new windows can help your home appear more modern which could be important to your buyer. 

Of the four projects mentioned so far, I think I would go with the Minor Kitchen Remodel, and the Window Replacement.  They both seem like they would be finished in less time, and with less headache. 

Minor Kitchen Remodel -  This project showed an 83% recovery of the cost, and was the TOP interior remodeling project for the survey.  Please take notice of the word “Minor”.  This suggests that you do not need to rip apart your entire kitchen, and build a new one.  Some small upgrades to consider would be replacing the kitchen faucet or sink, installing new counter tops, or even something as basic as re-painting the cabinets.  All three are small projects that can be done by a contractor, or yourself in about 1-2 days.  Always remember that your time costs far less than that of a professional, so use it whenever possible while still maintaining a certain level of quality and safety.

Wood Deck Addition - This may seem like an expensive and time-consuming project, but showed 85.4% of the cost recovered the survey.  In a slower market, adding a deck could be exactly what you need to win over a buyer, or to keep pace with the competition (your neighbor).  For some of you, this is a project you could handle yourself which could save you even more money, and for others, with enough due diligence, could probably find a reasonable time and cost estimate from a local company, or even the Home Depot.  And after viewing the “Decking Idea Gallery” by Home Depot I am ready for the weekend, and a cold glass of lemonade!

If you have attempted, or are attempting either project mentioned above, please share your experiences with us, and let us know what to do, and what not to do.

Again, for a full copy of the 2007 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report please Click Here!

 The 2007 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report  produced by Hanley Wood, LLC and the NAR was recently released, and should help us to better answer this question.  Is remodeling worth it?

Keeping in mind that each home has unique needs and specifications, this information should help the majority of us to best decide where to spend your remodeling dollars,  if at all.  I’ll spend the remainder of this week discussing information provided by the report, and highlight which projects will most likely help your home sell, while recouping the majority of your costs. 

Please feel free to jump in with your own home remodeling experiences, and let us know if you have had any success or failures that we can all learn from.  I know I have plans early next year to upgrade a kitchen on a home I am preparing to sell, and according to the new report, I have a good chance of recovering up to 83% of my cost.