For Sellers

Maybe you have to move for work, maybe you have lost the skiing bug, maybe you want to be closer to your kids or maybe you are trading in the beautiful tranquility of falling snow for pristine sandy beaches. When you have decided to sell your home in the Green Mountains, Brooks Barron Real Estate will ensure that you find the perfect buyer.

As the economy recovers, the real estate market in Vermont remains strong, especially for unique, dignified properties. For 40 years, Brooks Barron has cultivated relationships with buyers and sellers of luxury real estate in Vermont, never forgetting that the most moment in real estate is not signing paperwork; it is the personal assistance that comes before and after a sale. Susan Barron is an accredited home staging specialist, an expert in presenting your home as a living showcase; a place the buyers can envision themselves even before they take a tour.
Your property has an identity and you need more than an MLS number and static listing for your property.

A luxury property owner needs to reach the right audience at the right time. Selling a property means marketing your home actively, finding the buyer instead of waiting for the buyer to find you. Nothing hurts a property more than an extended stay on the real estate market. Brooks Barron will breathe new life into your search for the right buyer, reinvigorating the sale of your home beginning with a phone call to Brooks Barron.

Because we deal exclusively with distinctive properties, our audience expects the highest level of service and quality that Brooks Barron provides. We market your home selectively to ensure that your home reaches the right buyer quickly. We work with you from the beginning to prepare your home and present it on the market for maximum effect, reaching out to our buyers market directly. Throughout the selling process, we facilitate communication with home potential buyers and assist you with the inevitable last-minute details of the sale. No matter what phase of selling your home you are in, don’t let your home sale become an albatross hanging around your neck. Move on with the real goals of your life; call us at Brooks Barron to put your central Vermont home on the market.
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Preparing Your House For Sale

In an average year a significant percentage of the US population changes dwellings.  The most common reason for moving is the need for more space (43%).  When you decide to put your house on the market, it is important that you present a spacious, clean living space in which prospective buyers can imagine themselves living.  Following are some general tips for preparing your house for sale.

•  Clean everything thoroughly
•  Put out clean towels, new soap, a nice tablecloth and fresh flowers.
• Don't be at home during a showing or open house.
• If you do stay, be polite, but let your real estate agent do the talking.
• Don't apologize for the condition of your home.
• Make sure your kids and pets are out of the house.
• Eliminate clutter from all areas of your home to create an impression of spaciousness and plentiful storage space.
• Nothing makes a home look new more quickly than a fresh coat of paint.  Neutral colors suggest newness and cleanliness.

Nine Key Areas For Consideration

• Storage — One of the first things a buyer looks at in a home is the storage it offers.  A general rule of thumb for sellers is to take out half of what's in the closets and storage areas to make them look more spacious.  Remove excess furniture to make rooms seem as spacious as possible.  Consider throwing out, donating, selling or storing things you no longer want.  Make sure that storage areas in your basement, attic or garage also are well organized, thus giving prospective buyers the impression that there is room for all of their belongings.

• Kitchen — Ask homebuyers what area or room of the home they consider most important, and chances are they'll say the kitchen.  When prospective buyers look at your kitchen, they will pay particular attention to its cleanliness, layout and storage capacity.  If major appliances are being sold with the home, make sure they are spotless, odor-free and in good working condition.  Polish chrome surfaces, fix leaky faucets, loose cabinet hardware, drawer handles and outdated or inefficient light fixtures.  Make more efficient use of drawers and cabinets with dividers and cutlery trays.

• Walls —Repair any cracks, stains or holes in the walls and ceiling and repaint if necessary.  Strip outdated wallpaper.

• Windows — Clean interior and exterior windows and screens.  Repair cracked panes, torn screens, broken sashes and ropes or cords as well.  When your home is being shown, open your curtains to let daylight in, especially if the view is noteworthy.  While you're at it, wash all the mirrors in the house too, and launder or dry clean your curtains and drapes.

• Floors — Carpeting has a major impact on the look of a home.  Prior to showing your home to prospective buyers, vacuum thoroughly or have carpets steam cleaned.  If the carpet is badly worn, outdated or stained, consider having it replaced despite the expense, or better yet, remove it entirely if your floors are nice.  Check wood floors to see if they need to be refinished.   Scrub and wax tile floors and repair cracked tiles.

• Lighting — Make sure light fixtures, switches, switch plates and outlet covers are clean and in good working order.

• Paint — It is true that first impressions are often lasting so take a good look at the paint on the outside of your house.  Is it cracking, peeling or chipping?  If it so, a fresh coat for your exterior may cost you a bit of time and money but may elevate your home from "fixer-upper" to "move-in condition."  If you decide your home needs painting, choose colors that are appropriate for the style of your home and that blend in well with your neighborhood.

• Roof — Buyers will pay close attention to the condition of your roof.  You should re-patch or re-shingle where necessary and fix leaky, corroded downspouts and gutters.  Inside, a watermarked ceiling is a sign to buyers that the roof has leaked — even if the roof has been repaired.

•  Entry — A neat and clean entryway creates a positive first impression, and a freshly painted door and trim with sturdy hardware add a welcome touch.  Replace faded house numbers with new ones.  Make sure the doorbell is in working order.

If you are buying or selling an older home, information from the National Trust for Historic Preservation can help make your transaction greener. Go to www.nytimes.com

Link to a glossary of real estate terms: www.realestatewords.com

Link to Energy Star for more energy efficient products and practices: http://www.energystar.gov

Link to home staging PDF guide:
7 Deadly Home Staging Sins

Link to home staging resources:

Link to EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide to Radon: http://www.epa.gov/radon/pubs/hmbyguid.html