Marc Cormier - WHERE DO I TURN? A COMPASSIONATE GUIDE TO AVOIDING FORECLOSURE

VIEWING HOME STAGING AS AN EXPENSE, NOT AN INVESTMENT

What you spend on staging your home can actually boost the sale in terms of time on the market and price received. It can help you make more money. A typical home-staging expenditure might range from 1–3% of the listing price of a home. On the other hand, it might result in selling the house for 5–10% more. Don’t underestimate the miraculous impact that staging can create.

NOT REPAIRING OR CLEANING THE HOME

You’re going to lose money on the sale of your home if you’re not prepared to make repairs before listing it for sale. When you act ahead of time, it’s less expensive to fix things, and it’s an embarrassing (and expensive) proposition to let potential buyers see the faults of the property during the open house. Likely, prospective buyers will offer less or demand a credit for the expense of the repair work that needs to be done before the deal closes. Experts say clutter is the culprit that eats at the equity and kills deals. Decluttering your property can create a sense of a spacious home. Clearing off the kitchen countertops, overflowing closets, and filled shelves in the den doesn’t cost much, but brings ample reward. Clear the home of all unwanted things. Completely declutter the home immediately, before listing. Since you’re facing foreclosure, you need to get on this task as quickly as possible.

NOT DISCLOSING ADEQUATELY

If you must sell the home without making repairs to systems or structures (e.g., leaky roof, rusty hot water tank, or not-to- code electric work), be sure to disclose all maintenance and repair issues. You could be liable for problems you didn’t disclose even in an “as-is” sale, and importantly, this will help you save money and time if the buyers end up discovering the problems themselves and you must deal with them during the closing.

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