Q: What Are the Perks of 3D Virtual Tours?

Here’s why you have nothing to lose and everything to gain with 3D tours.

One of the most important benefits of a 3D virtual tour is that it keeps you safe from any potential exposure to COVID-19. That being said, there are plenty of other reasons why this technology can be a seller’s best friend. Think of it this way: Buyers get to take a look at your house 24 hours a day, seven days a week—it’s like running a nonstop open house without having to put in any work! 

Buyers can get a better sense of whether your home is the right fit for them ahead of time, which minimizes risk and inconvenience. If a home is occupied by an owner or tenant, no one has to leave for a constant stream of buyers who may or may not even like the home. 

Recently, we had clients who didn’t want to show their property, so we used a strong 3D virtual tour to display the home online for buyers. We were able to get the home into escrow over list price! 

If you want to take a look at any of our 3D tours, just head to teamlally.com and click the blue button that says ‘3D tours.’ As always, reach out to us with questions or concerns you have regarding this or any other real estate topic. We’d be happy to talk to you more in depth! Until then, be safe and Aloha!

Q: How Should You Prepare Your Home for Sale?

Preparing your home for sale isn’t hard if you know where to start!

When it comes to preparing your home for market, there are three tried-and-true tips to follow: 

1. Clean. Leave no area unscrubbed; when you think you’ve finished cleaning, clean some more! 

2. Declutter. Here’s a general rule of thumb to remember: Look in every room and eliminate about one-third of the items in there. 

3. Depersonalize. Imagine you’re a huge fan of a particular team. If you leave up all of your fan merchandise and memorabilia, it could distract a buyer whose favorite team happens to be your team’s rival. You never want to offend or distract potential buyers by broadcasting your personal interests; let the house speak for itself. 

Hopefully, these three simple tips can get you started on the right path. If you have any questions on this or any other real estate-related topic, feel free to reach out to us via phone or email. Don’t forget to listen to the Team Lally Radio Show every Saturday on AM830! 

Q: Do Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com Have Your Best Interests in Mind?

Do online real estate tools give accurate information?

If you’re looking to Zillow, Trulia, or Realtor.com to get your real estate information, you should proceed with caution. These sites are in business to make money and generate revenue. The listing agents that you see next to certain properties are probably not listing agents. They just pay the site to be featured next to new listings.

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Even high-tech software can’t determine your home’s true value.

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Additionally, the instant estimates that you get from these sites, such as Zillow’s Zestiamtes, are off by an average of $14,000. They use an algorithm to determine value, but even high-tech software can’t determine your home’s true value based on its price, condition, and location. Zillow allows user-submitted data, which can further muddy the waters.

To find the right Realtor for you, the first thing you should do is ask around for recommendations. If you need recommendations from us, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. In the meantime, stay safe and Aloha!

What Gets Homebuyers to Write an Offer

Want your home to sell faster? Today we’ve got three tips that can help you make this happen.

Want to sell your Hawaii Area Home? Get a home value report

Want to buy a Hawaii area home? Search all homes for sale

Staging Tips to Engage the Senses and More

 Today we want to go over three things you can do to get your home ready for sale, which are: declutter, depersonalize, and “de-clean.”

Let’s start with decluttering. As a rule of thumb, the best way to declutter your home is by removing one third of the content from every room. In the kitchen, clear off counter spaces and remove magnets and other items from the front of the refrigerator.

Next, it’s time to depersonalize. Doing this will allow potential buyers to imagine themselves in your home. Belongings that are near and dear to your heart, like a bobblehead collection for example, may not be so appealing to buyers with different interests from your own. Here are a few tips on how to make your home feel like a clean slate for potential buyers:

• Make all beds every day.
• Keep all toilet seats down.
• Make sure towels are hung properly.
• Make sure all crumbs are cleaned from counter tops after meals.
• Don't leave dirty clothes on the floor and put all your belongings away.

It could be difficult for some buyers to see past niche items or highly personal design choices. Repainting your home with neutral colors is another great way to make your property look more like a clean slate for buyers.

Following these three tips will engage your buyers’ senses.

Lastly, remember to “de-clean.” We recommend making use of professional cleaners. Here's a list of cleaning recommendations:

• Carpets professionally cleaned the first week it is on the market.
• Home professionally cleaned every two weeks on Fridays.
• Hire yard crew for cleanup.
• Hire professional window cleaners to clean all windows.
• Hire someone to cut and bag grass each week, as well as pull weeds and trim.
• Empower children to get involved in keeping the house clean. Get them excited about their new room, or the new yard. Perhaps let them buy items for their new room now, and decorate their room to be what they want in their new room.
• Children are like adults. When it is new and they like it, they are more likely to take care of it. Buy a new basketball hoop and tell them that it will go up at the new home.

Following these three tips will engage your buyers’ senses and make for a much more attractive home. This will make your home sell much faster. You can also check out our more comprehensive list of staging tips here.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Crazy Home Seller Does Nutty Updates - FAIL!

Today, we wanted to share our list of upgrades that won't bring you any value or return on your investment.

Want to sell your Hawaii Area Home? Get a home value report
Want to buy a Hawaii area home? Search all homes for sale

When you prepare your home to sell it, there are certain upgrades you should actually avoid making:

1. Wallpaper: Buyers don't want to see wallpaper!

2. Lavish lighting: Chihuly fixtures look cool in the lobby of a Las Vegas resort, but not in a home. Buyers won't see the value, so keep light fixtures simple.

3. Carpet: If you're thinking of replacing it, go with laminate or engineered wood flooring.

4. Bold colors: Unless you're Austin Powers trying to defeat Dr. Evil, keep colors neutral and calm.

5. Overspending on landscaping: Here in Hawaii, less is best. Have clear sight lines of the home from the street to give great curb appeal. A functional sprinkler system will give you the best return. Think open green spaces, not a jungle landscape.

If you'd like to hear the final five things you should avoid in your home when preparing it for the market, give us a call to schedule a consultation. We'd love to share them with you!