Colorado Springs Vintage Homes Blog
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Preparing your home for a home inspection – Advice for Sellers
Time to get ready for a home inspection
I’m booking yet another home inspection for a client next week, hence the idea for an article about what sellers should do to prepare for the inspection.
To start with, most sellers get a little bit nervous when the home inspection is scheduled. As many people know, a home inspection can make or break your Colorado Springs Real Estate sale.
Although there’s not much that can be done regarding the unknown, there are a few simple tips that can make the home inspection 
process a bit more pleasant:
- Clean up! This may sound simple, but the first thing a seller should remember is that a home inspector’s first impression of your home can create an impression in his or her mind. A clean house, for example, evokes a feeling that the homeowner takes pride in his or her home and that basic maintenance has been taken care of.
- Connections! Leave utilities and water connected, even if the house is vacant. A home inspector will need access to the water, the gas and the electricity to test your home’s appliances, furnace, hot water heater, air conditioner, etc. Read the rest of this entry »
It’s a shame
It’s a shame when the photos are bad
Search for Colorado Springs Homes
Related post: The pictures tell the story
I’ve been looking at lots of homes in Colorado Springs lately, and it’s been a good reminder for me on how important the photos are.
The current statistics say that somewhere between 85% and 95% of buyers start their search on the internet; which means many potential buyers make decisions about a property from the MLS description and the photos. Since I provide real estate services to both buyers and sellers, it really reminded me on how important the photos are. It also was a good reminder that you can find a great property for a client, even though the photo didn’t do it Justice.
Photos help make showing decisions
Some of the recent homes I’ve been looking at are in the $250,000 to $350,000 range in Northwest, North, and Northeast neighborhoods. A couple of these properties had outside photos of the properties that were not very good. In fact, my client and I originally didn’t look at these properties partially because of the photos. (I’m sure the sellers would hate to hear that — but, it’s true.)
Since I’m a photographer as well as Realtor, I understand how hard it is to take good shots of a property. All kinds of things get in the way for the outside shots, and mostly it has to do with the landscape, lighting, and angles. Here’s a couple examples of what I consider bad photos.
Current Picture — makes the home look very modernistic and small. Not very appealing
Previous Pic of property, shows how large it is. Yes it is the same property. even though this pictures was taken in the fall, it is still a better representation of the home
Seller’s need to make it easy
Interested in selling your home in Colorado Springs?
Then make sure it is easy to show
Related Articles:
As I’ve been out showing many many different properties to a variety of clients I’m working with; I’ve realized what a 
difference it makes in how easy it is to show a home. There are some days that I’ve showed 10 – 15 properties to potential Colorado Springs home buyers , which means that I’m picking out the appropriate properties, organizing them by the area, and then putting them in to some type of logical order to show. Sounds easy, but it takes some work to get it organized correctly.
When a Colorado Springs home owners puts their property up for sale, they have many options in choosing an agent to list their house. I have many listings of my own; and usually get asked the same questions from potential sellers; and most of the time it has to do with pricing and marketing. But I’ve never had a seller ask me about the process of how buyers and buyer’s agent’s will make the appointments to see their house.
I’ve had some recent experiences that makes me realize what a difference “the ease of showing” can make. Essentially the easier it is for a house to be shown, the better chance a seller has of getting more exposure for their house.
Here’s some of my observations:
- Showing Services are my favorite service for showings; as they are professional, open 7 days a week during extended hours. (Of course, I am biased, as I use a Showing Service).
- My second favorite …………. Many real estate companies in Colorado Springs have you call their office directly, and most of them are open 7 days a week. My suggestion to sellers, don’t pick a realtor and a real estate agency that only answers their phones M-F; 8-5pm.
- My least favorite ……… Read the rest of this entry »
It’s all about the home warranty
Include a Home Warranty with your house — it will help it sell faster!
Everything you ever wanted to know about Home Warranties
Get a Free Market Analysis on your Home, Email KTorline@msn.com or call 719-287-1049
What is a home Warranty?
It is typically a one-year service contract that protects a resale homebuyer or current homeowner against the cost of 
unexpected repairs or replacement of major systems and appliances that break down due to normal usage. Coverage can also be available to home sellers during the listing and escrow period.
How does it work?
For an annual fee of $250 to $600, the warranties cover repair or replacement of basic home systems such as plumbing and heating, plus major appliances. Air conditioning, pools, spas, wells and sometimes roofs can typically be added to the basic policy for an extra fee.
The warranty company contracts with Read the rest of this entry »
