The Orange County Register is reporting stats from DataQuick, and the news is encouraging.  Over the last three weeks, of the 83 zip codes in Orange County, 64 had gains in the median price and 54 had more sales than last year.  Overall, prices in the county were up more than 15% from the same period last year.

Topping the list with the biggest gains in both price and number of homes sold, were zip codes in Newport Beach, Irvine, and Foothill Ranch.

Interest rates remain at historic lows, and prices of homes for sale in Irvine, and other great Orange County cities, remains relatively affordable.  How long will these great conditions last?  That’s difficult to say, but it’s clear that today’s Orange County Real Estate market represents a great buying opportunity.

Orange County Home Sales Looking Up is a post from: Orange County Real Estate-Orange County Homes For Sale

Whether it’s condo homes for sale in Irvine, or large equestrian estates in Coto de Caza, homes that are properly prepared by their owners have a better chance of selling quickly in the Orange County Real Estate market.

How to Make Your Home Attractive to More Orange County Buyers

The key to getting your house ready to sell is to make it look as attractive as possible to as many buyers as possible. And since some statistics report the 90% of home buyers begin their search on-line, you have to make your home a star right from the start.

The thing to keep in mind is that you need to decorate your home to sell, not how you like to live in it. We tend to surround our living spaces with things that make us happy and comfortable – photos, collections, handiwork, children’s art work, mementos of events and places. Buyers just want to see if your house will work for their “stuff” and life style. You need to create an emotional experience for potential buyers. Here are some powerful tips to help you make your house shine.

Get Your House Ready for Buyers

1. De-Clutter – use this opportunity to begin your packing. Go through each room and “clear the decks.” Divide anything that is not stored away into three categories – pack, pitch, donate.

2. De-Personalize – family photos, collections, unique art or furniture pieces are a distraction to buyers.  You want them to look at the house itself and visualize themselves living there – not spend time looking at your stuff. Don’t give them the chance!

3. Remove Wallpaper – this is one of the first things buyers will change – beat them to it and take it out of the equation.

4. Re-Paint – if your walls are scuffed, market, dingy, dated, or painted in bold, unique colors, time to repaint. Again, this is on of the first things buyers will need to change to make the home theirs. Beat them to it!  And remember, go neutral – extreme bright or dark colors may make a statement that a few can appreciate, but the majority will just be distracted.

5. Clean all surfaces – counters, walls, carpets, all floors, ceilings, cabinets, appliances. Pet and smoke odors also must be removed.

6. Repair anything that is broken – buyers will make a mental list of everything they can see that needs to be repaired – and their cost estimates are scary! They will subtract their number from your asking price, and add on more deductions for the things they imagine are broken that they can’t see. Don’t lead them down that path – help them realize how well-maintained your home really is.

7. Stage where ever possible – you know what staging is – you’ve seen all the HGTV shows. Turn your bedrooms into hotel rooms – make each room sing its praises and invite the buyers emotional response – go for the response Ty Penninton gets each time a family walks into their new home for the first time!

These are some simple yet effective tips to make your home sell as fast as possible for as much as possible. And when you are ready to start – ask your Realtor for help!

Cross-posted at LeslieEskildsen.com

Seven Tips for Home Sellers is a post from: Orange County Real Estate-Orange County Homes For Sale