Fifteen seconds, That’s about how long it takes a prospective buyer with cash or a great pre-approval to sense whether they’re going to have a good feeling about your house. Homeowners never decide to sell a home overnight, it’s a process. When you know you’re going to sell your home within the next year, you should start thinking about what needs to be done to prepare since Spring/Summer is around the corner. Sellers are talking to me now about what they need to do to prepare to sell in 2025.

That said I sell houses when my SELLERS are ready! As a RE/MAX Realtor with over twenty years of experience, I know how to tone down the pressure and the process so it fits your needs. Many people have become single in the last 5 years or empty nesters. They have low interest rates, built up equity in their homes and a small mortgage or no mortgage to pay off. If you fit that scenario I can help you figure out your best home selling plan.

That all-encompassing question of where would I move to if I sold my home is looming. Together we can look at the options of where you’d like to move to. That makes the selling process easier when you have a new “Home” picture in your mind. People start to visualize condos, Co-ops or townhomes or sometimes a smaller house will fit their needs.

People are thinking about “This house is just too much. I don’t want to garden anymore or fight it out with contractors. What do I do about differed maintenance? My bathrooms are not new.” I have many ways to make these seemingly large problems become smaller and easier to tackle. You do not need to remodel your home to sell your home. Almost all homes are sale-able to someone at some point! It all comes down to that one person who loves the house and the price is right.

The number one most difficult project for a seller to overcome is to declutter your home. Less is more when putting your home up for sale, so clean out the closets and bookshelves. You can send things to storage or make donations to people who need the unwanted items. Have your kids go through the items left in your attic. If you have older windows you need to detail them so they sparkle inside and out. Take a hard look at your yard. Selling in the spring means the yard has to be in good shape. Mulch and get some flowering something planted near your front door. If you have too many semi-planted beds sometimes it’s best to return them to be grass.

I talk to my sellers about calling a licensed home inspector 3 to 4 month before the house becomes active on the market. This way we all know what we are selling. While the inspection can cost a few hundred dollars, it can save my seller headaches and potentially thousands during the process before listing.

Fixing blatantly broken things is important within reason and clean smells like nothing, which means cleaning windows, floors, and furniture. No one wants to buy a dirty house.

I, Betsy Zeitlin, have been coaching Real Estate clients for more than 20 years. My job is to coach you and your home into the best possible condition and mindset so that when the buyer walks into your home that fifteen seconds counts. and your home is sold smoothly to the best buyer for the largest price with the least amount of hassle. Call me for a warm informational conversation: Betsy Zeitlin C 610-999-2454

Gratitude is when memory is stored in the heart and not in the mind. At this time of the year I feel grateful for my for family, friends and clients! I hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday season. I always look forward to New Year’s because it brings such promise of the potential of good things to come.