Community Magazine November 2019

74 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE KAREN BEHFAR Karen Behfar is a Licensed Real Estate Broker of The Behfar Team. She can be reached at 718 309 0439. Tips Every Homeowner Should Know Before Selling Here are a few tips for landlords to help maintain happy tenants. First, be on top of the maintenance. Don’t wait for the seventh time your tenant asks you to fix something to actually do it. Be proactive in making sure nothing needs work or serious fixing. Another tip is to just be a good landlord. It’s important to be respectful of your tenants, make sure they feel comfortable to contact you if they ever have an issue. Be easy to get in touch with and available for them. Also, make sure you keep to your word. If you promised your tenants a new dishwasher, don’t wait for your tenants to remind you about it. The more they feel they can trust you, the more comfortable they’ll feel, and possibly they will stay longer for that reason. Try to feel out what tenants want most when looking for a place to rent. Updated appliances, central air, and new flooring are all incentives for long-term tenants. Lastly, it might be worth it for you to lower the rent by a bit if that means your potential tenants will sign a longer lease. You’ll obviously need to make sure it makes sense for you financially. Why am I selling? Sometimes, your motivation for wanting to sell might not be a good enough reason to actually put your house on the market. For example, if you are in absolutely no rush to move, but you just want to see the offers that will come in, and you don’t mind waiting a year until you get your desired number. What happens in this situation is that the house will get “stale.” Buyers start wondering why the house is sitting on the market for so long, and begin to think something is wrong with the house since it’s taking so long to sell. Potential buyers lose interest when they see a house has been sitting for several months. What can I do to increase the value of my home? The first thing I would say is to make sure the outside of your home is clean and presentable. Many buyers like to get the address of the property and drive by before they actually schedule to see it. You don’t want your house to have random garbage on the porch or the front grass. Also, if your front door is very old, maybe put a fresh coat of paint on it to make it look newer. First impressions are key, so you don’t want buyers turned off just because the outside of your home looks unkempt and dirty. In regards to the inside, a major issue that buyers always notice is any water damage or an active leak. I definitely recommend taking care of anything like that before you list your house. Buyers notice and will either think there’s a deeper issue and not want the house, or they’ll ask for a credit. HOME IS WHERE THE IS Tips for Landlords Am I willing to stage my home? When buyers come to see your home, it definitely helps if they are able to envision themselves living there. Therefore, you want to make your home as neat, clean, and clutter-free as possible. I’m not referring to houses that will get gutted by any potential buyer. Which agent should I hire? I always look at their track record. Check out what other homes have they sold in the neighborhood and their pricing, and look at their reviews online. Choosing an agent who’s genuine and transparent is always the way to go, as some people are good talkers. You want someone who’s available and will always keep you in the loop. You should also choose an agent who specializes in your area and knows that neighborhood well.