4 Questions To Help You Decide Whether To Sell Your Home

Do you find yourself dreaming about a new home?  If you think it could be time to move to a new neighborhood, ask yourself these four questions to determine it it's time to take the leap:

1.     How happy are you with your current home?

If you're not feeling the love when you walk through the door, it may be time to start exploring available homes on the market.  Your home is your castle and should make you feel comfortable and at ease...not stressed and longing for something else.

2.     Do you love your neighborhood and schools?

A good neighborhood, strong school district, and neighbors you enjoy should be important to you.  There are plenty of homes on the market in fabulous neighborhoods that pride themselves on safety and community.  Give me a call to find out more.

3.     Do you have too little or too much home?

If the size of your family has changed recently, you may be left with a home that's too small or too large.  Let's find a home that's just right.  Whether you're looking to downsize or move up the ladder, there are plenty of options to choose from.

4.     Is it time to buy?

If you think it's time to make a move, give Judy Wrozier - Coldwell Banker Realty - Gundaker a call to guarantee you find a home that hits all the right notes.

Just What Is A Luxury Home?

Price alone does not distinguish that luxury status.  It is location, property entry, architecture, decor, decadent amenities, entertainment capability, lovely grounds and myriad of other details that help a home stand out from the ordinary.

A supersized McMansion does not qualify as a luxury home, unless it has the requisite extras, superior location and a view...perhaps.

As discerning and honest luxury real estate professionals, we believe we know a luxury home when we see it...especially when the property has all the markings of luxury, location, and panache.

Luxury home buyers want real estate representation that provides, in order of preference:

• 86% - Help in finding a luxury home
• 56% - Help in managing the transaction
• 43% - Expert negotiation counsel
• 34% - Advise on purchasing a luxury home
• 28% - Assistance with paperwork
• 13% - Help understanding the process
•   9% - Help locating jumbo financing

Other tidbits...

• The average down payment for the luxury home buyer is 33.6%.
• The typical luxury home buyer spends 11 weeks searching for a home prior to purchase.
• Luxury home buyers, on average, look at 12 homes before making a final decision to buy.
• The typical luxury home buyer seeks a residence with a minimum of 3500-4000 square feet, at least 4-5 bedrooms, and a minimum of 3-4 bathrooms.

Ready to buy a luxury home in the St. Louis metropolitan area?  Give us a call at (314) 348-4033 to get started.  We have many fabulous luxury properties getting ready to hit the market.

If you have an exceptional home you would like to sell, contact us at (314) 348-4033 for a  FREE home evaluation to find out if your home will qualify as a coveted PREMIER GROUP  "Signature Home" ... the luxury standard in the St. Louis area.

Don't Make These Mistakes That Decrease the Value of Your Home Sale

If you are planning to sell your home in the near future, you don't want to make any mistakes that will cause you to decrease the value of your home.  Once your home is on the market, what a buyer sees as a mistake may not be what you consider a mistake.

Here are a few mistakes home sellers will want to avoid to ensure you won't de-value your home.

Not Maintaining Appliances - You can sell a home "as is", which means the property in the condition to which the buyers initially see it.  Having lots of issues and repairs needed will definitely decrease the home's value.  Cleaning up appliances that are part of the sale is important.  If they are in bad condition, it's worth replacing them.

Going Wild with Color - Generally speaking, home buyers like paint colors that are neutral.  This conveys as a blank canvas for them which, upon moving in, they can paint the way they want.  Extra bold, bright, or non-traditional colors can scare them off.  Therefore, do not paint with neon green walls nor purple shag carpet.  If you have some bright colors going on, change to neutral.

Following Trends - We all get caught up in the latest design trends, but do we really know how long they will last?  If the trend is difficult to change, it could decrease the value of your home when you put it up for sale.  Home buyers will be thinking about how much money they have to spend to fix the trendy mistake.  Do make your home your style, but if you have plans to sell in the future, think about how renovations may impact the sale of your home.

Not Keeping It Cool (or Warm) - If you want buyers to come in and rush out of your home, either overheat or freeze them.  On hot days, make sure the home is aired out so that stale air can escape.  Hot, muggy, stifling homes are not fun to tour.  Turn the A/C on to a comfortable temperature to make sure your potential buyers are comfortable and take their time to really see your home.  This, in turn, should also apply to cold weather.  Keep the furnace at a comfortable temperature so they will linger and feel comfy.  (Realtor Hint:  69 degrees is the best temperature, for both A/C and furnace).

Not Sweating the Small Stuff - You do have to care enough to tend to smaller issues such as fixing a faulty light switch or replacing burned-out light bulbs.  Home buyers go through the home turning on lights, flicking switches, opening closets, cabinets, and drawers.  Keep small things like these in good working order...it's easy and it can help ensure an overall better opinion of your home.

Avoiding some of these mistakes can help prevent home buyers from thinking your home should be worth less than you do.

Top 10 Design Trends Luxury Home Buyers Desire

After extensive research, including personal on-site visits to luxury properties in the St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri area, we have discovered what features home buyers most desire when purchasing a Luxury Home.

Check this out: