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When you are planning to sell your home, figuring out what to do to prepare can be overwhelming. As I have been both a buyer and a seller, I have some tips that I hope will help:

1. Straighten up
   I mean this one. Seriously. Look at each and every room with a critical eye. Throw away or donate anything that is not being used but is taking up space — that random plastic container sitting on the top of the fridge that has loose change and a pencil, and a paperclip in it. And make all of the beds every day so that you are in that habit by the time the showings begin. No one likes to see an unmade bed.
2. Start packing
   Pictures on the walls, especially family photos and framed degrees, should be packed up and ready for the move. Jewelry should be put in a safe deposit box. Passports and other important documents and paperwork should be packed. Do not identify them as such when you label the box. Mary’s cosmetics, for example, might be a smart label for valuables when everyone in the household is aware that Mary is 2 years old. Weapons should also be moved out of the home and stored somewhere safe. Pack anything you wouldn’t want potential buyers to see if they open your drawers or closets (I know, they aren’t supposed to open your drawers, but they might anyway).
3. Clean
   Not to be confused with #1, above. This part may require a professional. Sign up for an Angie’s List and Groupon account. They have coupons/deals for inexpensive house cleaning all the time. Potential buyers will be turned off by a dirty home. Have carpets cleaned, driveway, roof and pool area power washed. This should not be a major expense. Angie’s List and Groupon can help with this as well.
4. Leave
   This one is really important. Neither you nor your realtor should be in the house when potential buyers are looking. That means you should not be sitting in the garage talking on your cell phone, or out by the pool. You shouldn’t even be taking the opportunity to take a brisk walk around the block. You should get in your car in plenty of time (at least a half hour before an appointment) and leave the neighborhood. You also should not insist that your realtor be present for showings. Potential buyers should have the freedom to look at their leisure and to talk to their own realtor. With you or your realtor present, it will be rushed and possibly silent. With you present, someone might ask you a question that catches you off guard, or even say something negative about the house that could hurt your feelings or make you angry. With either of you present, the showing will likely be uncomfortable, and you don’t want a potential buyer to be uncomfortable in your home. The chances of them buying in that situation are slim.
5. Appliances
   Appliances must be turned off/not in use when you vacate for showings. That means nothing baking in the oven, nothing cooking on the stove. This is not only a safety hazard but those appliances are staying in the house and potential buyers have the right to look at them. Don’t run the dishwasher for the same reason. It will also make the kitchen uncomfortably warm. Even if you’re not leaving your washer and dryer, don’t start a washer or dryer cycle before you leave. Wait to do that until some other time.

You can avoid all of the above by selling your property to McCoy Wyman Inc. We buy as is, pay cash and can close quickly. Give us a call at 813-489-9600 to receive an offer within 48 hours.

“Everybody lies.” That was the cynical rationale for the way Gregory House of House M.D. on Fox, treated his patients. Then we have the infamous little white lie, which in the context of real estate, might be along the lines of “you have a lovely home” when you’re really thinking “how do you live like this?”

On the flip side, we have the Biblical reference in John 8:32, “the truth will set you free.” When you testify in court or at a deposition, you promise to tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” And I have to throw in something from Judge Judy, “when you tell the truth, you don’t need a good memory.”

When you are selling your house, you have to certify that the statements you are making are true “to the best of your knowledge.” Not telling the truth about anything—that time when you ran the bath water then fell asleep and caused a flood — is more trouble than it’s worth. The disclosure helps to convey that you are a trustworthy person. The failure to disclose makes it look like there was terrible flooding that may require a new roof or subfloors. See? Telling the truth is so much better. Plus, if you lie about one thing, people will assume you are lying about others. What actually happened was probably something minor, but leave it to people’s imaginations, and they will think it is major. Not only that, but you are tarnishing your realtor’s integrity. Surely they wouldn’t risk their license for your lie, but that knowledge would be attributed to them anyway.

So just tell the truth. And best of luck as you move on to your next adventure.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to sell your house. You have a small budget for minor repairs, but what should you do with your funds to get the most bang for your buck?

There are a handful of repairs you should consider to maximize the value that you receive when you sell.

1. Replace the roof
   If you have a leaky roof, no amount of ceiling paint will hide it, especially here in Florida with our volume of rain. While a $10,000 roof repair isn’t inexpensive, a homebuyer willing to purchase your house with a leaky roof will, generally, double discount the cost of repairing that roof. If you have a $150,000 house, but need a $10,000 roof repair, a buyer isn’t likely to offer over $130,000. Spending $10,000 here can effectively make you $20,000.
    
2. Repaint the interior
   Nothing freshens up the inside of a house like new paint. For a few hundred dollars and a DIY weekend (or two), you can assure your potential buyers that painting isn’t on their post-move-in to-do list. Choose neutral colors (light tans or light grays) for the walls. Select bright white for ceilings and trim. Consider removing “popcorn” ceiling textures if you have them; most buyers these days are turned off by the dated “popcorn” look.
    
3. Repair damage flooring
   Stained or marred flooring can ruin the otherwise great impression your house makes to potential buyers. Professionally cleaning carpets, tile (and grout), and vinyl flooring may remove stains very inexpensively. However, replace worn and torn carpeting; cracked and chipped tile floors; or damaged vinyl. Most flooring retailers (including the big box home stores) offer reasonably priced products and installation services.
    
4. Restore plumbing operations
   A running toilet or dripping faucet can quickly diminish a potential buyer’s interest, as they worry what other plumbing issues exist in your house. A toilet repair kit, ($10 – $15) which includes a replacement fill valve and new flapper, will take less than an hour to install and will keep the toilet quiet during every showing. Dripping faucets will take a bit more effort to correct, but can be as simple as tightening a loose handle or replacing a worn O-ring. For the non-DIYer, a call to your favorite plumber can get these repairs handled quickly.
    
5. Resolve hinge issues
   Squeaky entry doors and sagging cabinetry doors make a house appear (and sound) unmaintained. Use spray lubricant on entry (and room) door hinges (protect walls and trim with a rag) to eliminate most squeaks. Tighten the screws on sagging bathroom vanity and kitchen cabinet door hinges to straighten and align door pairs. Use spray lubricant here, too, if the cabinet doors creak.

These fixes can make big differences in both the amount of time your house is on the market and the final sales price you receive.

Alternatively, you could call us at McCoy Wyman. We buy homes As-Is (without you having to perform ANY repairs), without using a realtor (saving you 5%-7% in commissions), and can close in as little as 15 days (instead of 60-90 days for a traditional buyer). McCoy Wyman can help keep your repair funds, commission dollars, and two or three mortgage payments in your pocket. Call us today at 813-489-9600, for an As-Is, commission-free, fast-closing offer on your house within 48 hours.

Negotiating home prices can be an emotional experience. You may have invested your heart and soul in a home you raised your children in, or you are selling the home you grew up in after a parent’s passing. It can be a frustrating experience as well. You might make an offer for exactly the selling price, wait with bated breath to hear back from the seller, only to find out that they used your offer to get a higher than asking price offer – that they accepted without even asking if you wanted to counter. It’s too late for you to counter, because the purchase paperwork is already signed.

In the 1990s, I was negotiating a settlement with a Canadian company, and they made a settlement demand. We made an offer in response that was a lot lower than they were willing to consider. We didn’t do it to insult them, but clearly that was how they took it. “Oh, no,” they said. “We don’t do that dance that you seem to favor here — we make a demand, you make a really lowball offer, then we come down a little, and so forth. In Canada, we come to the table with the number we are willing to settle for.” I have to admit, I thought the insured’s representative was making that up. But when I Googled it, I found out that it was actually true.

As a buyer, I think having a game plan is critical. At McCoy Wyman, we always come to the table with our best offer. There is rarely much wiggle room after that. That whole dance we Americans are famous for takes too much time, and if you really want the property, might signal to the seller that you aren’t really serious. Sometimes it can be helpful to explain the rationale behind an offer, but in my opinion, it is only effective when your rationale is based on something the property needs, versus something the buyer wants. “It needs a new roof,” for example, is a legitimate reason to make a reduced offer. “We want to add a patio, deck or pool,” are not. What you do with a property once it is yours is your business and it won’t impact the sale price.

As a seller, you have to be realistic about the value of a property if you are motivated to sell. Working with your realtor to figure out similar sales in the area can be extremely helpful. It will also save time if you give your realtor an absolute price you won’t go below, even if that happens to be the sales price itself. Your realtor is duty bound to convey all offers, but if someone verbally conveys an offer that the realtor knows the seller won’t accept, it might save some time and paperwork if a potential buyer knows that before wasting time with a formal written offer.

Good luck out there. Happy buying and selling!

Let’s look at renting versus owning, shall we?

When you rent, whether in an apartment complex, or a single family home, it’s yours only for the duration of your lease.  The lease is usually boilerplate, which means that the terms are the same ones they use all the time and are not open to negotiation, especially the rent. Every aspect of your life in your rental is subject to someone else’s terms, and the rent increases each year, sometimes significantly, just because you have been bestowed the honor of getting to stay. When you move out, you have to leave it cleaner and in better condition than you got it in or risk losing a portion of your security deposit (or all of it).  If your air conditioner isn’t blowing out cold air (a really big deal in Tampa for most of the year) you are completely at someone else’s mercy to have it fixed — when they come; what they do; whether they even do anything at all; and if they make a mess, you get to clean it up.  You have zero control over whether it is ever repaired or repaired properly.  When we rented a house when we first moved to the Tampa area, we were prohibited from hiring our own vendors for repairs, even at our own expense.  When I rented in New York City, the air conditioner in my bedroom, which had no other source of ventilation (no windows), broke. Management kept sending someone to “fix” it, which usually didn’t do anything at all.  The air conditioner wasn’t reparable, but they were certainly not about to spend the money to replace it, at least while I was living there.  Nothing like coming home from a long, hard day’s work, and the second you walk in the door, you know – the air conditioner is still not working.

If you rent in an large complex, you may have access to a nice pool or gym.  Again, there are rules that you must abide by as a condition of using these amenities.  And when you finally move out, you leave with only what you came with.  You have no equity in renting.

When you own your home,  you have much more responsibility, no question, but you gain stability and control.  As a homeowner, you are responsible for maintaining your own home (unless you buy brand new – then there’s a short warranty period for most things in the house).  You are usually responsible for caring for your own lawn, your own landscaping, pretty much everything that is on your property.  If the air conditioning breaks, you have to hire someone to repair it.  However, you control the vendor selection and get to make an appointment that works with your schedule. You don’t have to pay for the repair until it is actually completed to your satisfaction.  Any upgrades or changes to the home are yours to keep.  You also build equity in your home by making your mortgage payments (on time, in full, hopefully).  The federal government encourages home ownership by allowing tax deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes.  These deductions exist only for home owners and not for renters. While property taxes may increase from one year to the next, your fixed-rate mortgage’s principal and interest payment remains stable for the life of the loan.

Home ownership — responsibility, on the one hand, stability and control on the other.