Categories
Rent House

The Benefits of Renting without a Real Estate Agent

Renting your house without an agent is empowering and can do wonders for landlords who want to save money in the entire process. Finding tenants for your rental property is what every landlord should do on their own rather than hiring a real estate agent. If you are starting out with the rental search process, you probably have a lot of questions on your mind including whether or not you should hire a real estate agent to rent your property.

Renting a property is not just about finding the tenants and collecting the rent. There is much more to the entire process such as carrying out property inspections, making timely repairs, claiming damages in case of a bad tenant, etc.



Here are a few advantages of renting your house privately without an agent:

It’s all about the money

Most agents charge between 7% to 10% for their services depending on the region. In addition to this, they also charge a setup fee when they first rent your property. If you rent your property without a real estate agent, you can save a hefty amount as you do not have to pay their commission. Instead of paying the agent, you can keep that amount and use it on the necessary repairs to upgrade your house.

Agents lose focus

But this can lead them to lose focus from your deal as they’ll always focus on selling the most expensive property. With your realtors focusing on getting the expensive property sold, your house might not get filled for months leaving a hole in your pocket.

Online sites

The internet is a great tool for people looking to rent their house without hiring agents. While looking for tenants through newspaper ads, ‘for rent’ signs, and flyers is still a viable option, most people looking for a rental property are searching it on the internet. You can reach thousands of potential tenants across the country by posting just one ad. Moreover, most real estate agents use only MLS (Multiple listing services) to find tenants for your property and only agents can list properties on MLS hence they miss out on multiple opportunities.

Screening tenants

Knowledge of the property

You can also show around public transport and nearby parks to potential tenants to give them an idea about the locality.

The truth of the matter is that you don’t need a real estate agent to rent your property. If your property is located in a hot renter’s market, hiring a real estate agent will be a bad idea. Moreover, there are multiple real estate listing sites such as www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/ which can help you find potential tenants or your house just by listing your property.

Categories
Sell Home

How to Sell Home with No Commission?

There’s no doubt that many people believe it’s a challenge to sell your home by yourself and there’s a lot that goes into the process that a typical homeowner might not know. But thousands of people are doing it and once you know the process, it’s actually very doable. Selling your home by opting ‘for sale by owner’ can be a huge decision. It can feel like a giant mountain of a task but empowering at the same time. Once you’ve made the decision of listing your home up for sale without an agent, getting started is a lot easier than you think.

When it comes to selling your house without an agent, there are many options and routes you can take. Fortunately, there are steps you can take before putting your home on the market to increase your chances of receiving a solid offer from a buyer. Listing a home ‘for sale by owner’ is an option many people opt for – to save money on the transaction. Selling your home can be surprisingly time-consuming but that doesn’t mean that the process is not effective and has more advantages than hiring a real estate agent.



Real estate agents require you to pay them for their service which means that you might make less money on selling your home through a real estate agents. Moreover, people who opt for selling their home themselves don’t pay the fees of the listing agent saving them a ton of money. All you need is a little guidance and a few tips & tricks to make sure that you are on the right path when it comes to listing your home for sale online without an agent. Selling your house on your own will ensure that you sell your home on your terms and that includes the price point. A real estate agent may not agree with the price that you believe is best for your home. Moreover, you can reduce the spending on marketing your house if you opt for sale by owner. Being in direct communication with potential buyers will help you negotiate a fair price for your property.

You can sell your own home without agent by listing it on www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/. By adding a good description of your property and adding a few appropriate images, you can sell your home without an agent in an efficient manner. In addition to this, you can also upload videos, a virtual tour, the floor plan, etc. of the property on the website so that the potential buyer can make a well-informed decision. Plus, with Minus The Agent, you only have to make a one-time payment. Minus The Agent also assists you through every step of the sales process and shares your listing on other leading websites in Australia such as domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, and many more.

Homeowners who are wondering how to sell a house by owner should understand that it’s a learning process and isn’t something that people are doing every day. Preparing for what’s ahead will help you gain the most money at closing and keep your stress at bay. In conclusion, as long as you are well informed and ready to sell your house you can list it, even go ahead, and market it and you will be sure to get potential buyers of your home. Selling your home by yourself can be time-consuming and nerve-wracking but only if you are not a patient person. As long as you are well informed and ready to sell your house you can list it, even go ahead, and market it and you will be sure to get potential buyers of your home. Moreover, the financial rewards can be tremendous.

Categories
Selling Property

Sell Your Property Now Privately

You also need to handle all the legal and financial paperwork but hiring a solicitor or conveyancer can help with that stuff. There also are a number of websites, such as www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/, to help walk you through the process.

Fortunately, there are some tips to ensure that you sell property privately now and work towards the best outcome:


Prepare your home for sale

Make the necessary repairs, light the house properly, de-clutter every room, touch-up or repaint the rooms if necessary so that when the potential buyers come to visit your open-house, they can make a proper decision. Stick to simpler things like fresh paint and a pristine garden to make your property now more attractive to buyers.

Get the valuations right

Setting a realistic price point is the most important thing. It’s all about hitting that sweet spot between asking for too much money or too little. To make sure that the price point that you’ve set for your home is fair, source at least three valuations from local appraisal agents. In order to get some idea of what the property is worth, ask for a comparative market analysis from them to see what’s recently been sold in the market and for how much.

Stage your property now

Leaving your personal effects around like too many photos on the wall, trinkets on the shelves, toys on the floor, can potentially turn off the potential buyers during the sales process. Buyers, while visiting a property, want to imagine themselves living in the house and making it their own someday. This entire ruckus prevents them from doing that. So make it easier for them to do that by neutralizing the interior of the property now. Any décor that might be controversial or sensitive to others, such as sports or political memorabilia, religious or military icons, should be removed before the buyers visit. Keep it neutral and upbeat.

Be available

The most important part of selling your property now privately is that you have to be available at all times. You must have plenty of time to show your home, have no problem negotiating, and enjoy the challenge of marketing your own house. It’s important that you are ready and flexible to meet the potential buyers and not put them off by turning a simple inspection or meet-up into a difficult task. Don’t do a disappearing act by going on a holiday while your property is still listed for sale.

Market it right

In addition to this, you can also create a few flyers and brochures about the sale of your property now and distribute them around the town.

Categories
Sell Home

How to advertise on realestate.com.au effectively?

If you are thinking of buying or selling a property in Australia, chances are that the first thing you do is hire a real estate agent. They obviously have the knowledge and experience to help you buy/sell a property. But why bother spending so much money in commissions of a real estate agent when you have the power of the internet on your fingertips.

There’s no doubt that it’s a challenge to sell your home by yourself and there’s a lot that goes into the process that a typical homeowner might not know. But thousands of people are doing it and once you know the process, it’s actually very doable.

So let’s get started.

Why advertise on realestate.com.au?

– Save up on costs

By listing your property on realestate.co.au, you can save a ton of money that would have gone to the real estate agent’s pocket as commission.

– Better returns

When you advertise your property on realestate.com.au, you put it in front of a wide network of potential buyers. This helps you to get the desired price for your property.

– Faster sale

A real estate agent has other clients to attend and cannot put his/her 100% focus on your property. By listing with realestate.com.au, you can sell or lease your property faster than ever in your targeted time-frame.

How to advertise on realestate.com.au?

• Choose a package

• Create a listing

Add a good description of your property, price it right, and add a few appropriate images to sell your home without an agent in an efficient manner. In addition to this, you can also upload videos, a virtual tour, the floor plan, etc. of the property on the website so that the potential buyer can make a well-informed decision. Make sure your listing is compliant with REA’s Acceptable Use Policy before you try to publish it.

• Respond to enquiries

When an enquiry is made on your listed property, you will receive a notification right away either via text message or an email. Start responding to enquiries as soon as you get them and negotiate the rental or sale of your property.

These days it’s common for homebuyers to get online to find their next home purchase. Technology can eliminate the need for a real estate agents. You can sell a house without an agent by listing it on www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/. By adding a good description of your property and adding a few appropriate images, you can sell your home without an agent in an efficient manner. In addition to this, you can also upload videos, a virtual tour, the floor plan, etc. of the property on the website so that the potential buyer can make a well-informed decision. Plus, with Minus The Agent, you only have to make a one-time payment. Minus The Agent also assists you through every step of the sales process and shares your listing on other leading websites in Australia such as domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, and many more.

Categories
Sell Home

DIY Home Selling: What Can Go Wrong?

Here at Minus The Agent we are here to take the stress out of this process and provide you everything you need to ensure a smooth process when selling your own home.

Here’s a list of mistakes that you can avoid to expand your chances of a quick and painless DIY home sale:

Don’t price the property irrationally

If you are selling your home, don’t make the mistake of thinking that your home is worth more than it really is. Setting a realistic price point is the most important thing. It’s all about hitting that sweet spot between asking for too much money or too little. If you are not able to hit that sweet spot, you will either end up with less money or having your home sit on the market for too long. To make sure that the price point that you’ve set for your home is fair, you should study the market trends and prices of the properties around you in your neighborhood. Alternatively get in touch with one of our friendly team available via live chat, email or phone and receive a complimentary suburb/market report for your area.

Don’t neglect preparing the house

Don’t neglect advertising

Unfortunately, sticking a ‘for sale’ sign in your yard and hoping for the best is not enough anymore. However with Minus The Agent and their For Sale By Owner techniques you can be sure that selling your house without an agent can get you the exact same exposure online at just a fraction of the cost. Most home buyers search for properties online nowadays so advertising your home online is really important. Listings on Australia’s top property websites including realestate.com.au and domain.com.au are vital and you can rest assured knowing with Minus The Agent you remain listed until sold on all top sites! With packages including online advertising, social media advertising, professional brochures, professional for sale boards, professional photography and much more, Minus The Agent has every tool and trick you need to ensure the process of selling your own home is a simple one.

Don’t neglect staging

On the other hand, leaving the house empty makes the potential buyer feel the same way: empty. There are a number of home-staging tips and real estate tips available on the internet that you can make use of to make sure that your house is properly staged every time the potential buyers come to visit.

Don’t neglect the curb appeal

Seeing a house for the first time is like going on a first date – appearance matters. The first impression that the potential buyer will form is from its curb appeal. It’s the first thing that the potential buyers notice while visiting the house. So mulch the flower beds, trim the trees, trim and edge your yard and get it in the most immaculate condition to spruce up your curb appeal. Power-wash your walkways and driveways and remove any mud dauber or bird/wasp nests from above your door.

Take a look at our range of different DIY Home selling options available. Fell free to ask the team at Minus The Agent any questions you may have and find out just how easy Selling Your Home Without an Agent can be!

Categories
Sell Home

Tips to List Your Home for Sale Online Without an Agent

Once you’ve made the decision of listing your home up for sale without an agent, getting started is a lot easier than you think. Listing a home ‘for sale by owner’ is an option many people opt for – to save money on the transaction. When it comes to selling a house without an agent, there are many options and routes you can take. Fortunately, there are steps you can take before putting your home on the market to increase your chances of receiving a solid offer from a buyer.

All you need is a little guidance and a few tips & tricks to make sure that you are on the right path when it comes to listing your home for sale online without an agent. The websites where you post your listings and the kind of photos you include in your listing makes a ton of difference and can help you attract potential buyers.

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you sell your private house without agent to make it a smooth transaction for you without any hassles.

Where to list your house?

These days it’s common for homebuyers to get online to find their next home purchase. Technology can eliminate the need for real estate agents. You can sell house without agent by listing it on www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/. By adding a good description of your property and adding a few appropriate images, you can sell your home without an agent in an efficient manner. In addition to this, you can also upload videos, a virtual tour, the floor plan, etc. of the property on the website so that the potential buyer can make a well-informed decision. Plus, with Minus The Agent, you only have to make a one-time payment. Minus The Agent also assists you through every step of the sales process and shares your listing on other leading websites in Australia such as domain.com.au, realestate.com.au, and many more.

How to stage the property before listing?

– De-clutter your house and organize the space for the pictures that you are going to post online. Buyers have a positive response to the pictures of properties that are clutter-free as it allows them to focus on the actual home instead of the junk and the over-flowing closets.

– Paint the walls with some neutral colors such as whites, beiges, light greys, etc. These colors make your homes look bigger, brighter, and more welcoming. Adding a fresh coat of paint will also help cover the imperfections of your walls.

– Buy more light bulbs to ensure that all the light fixtures and lamps in your house are turned on while clicking the pictures. This ensures the potential buyers that all the electrical fixtures in your house work perfectly and it makes your house well-lit.

– Give your house a deep clean before getting photos for your online listing. Dirty floors and dusty surfaces make a bad first impression on potential buyers. To make sure your place is in pristine condition, clean the toilets, scrub the bathrooms, wipe down surfaces, mop the floors, and vacuum the rugs.

Tips for posting photos of your house

– Don’t slope the photos and make sure the roofline of your house is parallel to the photo frame. Be wary of your camera’s angle as this will make your house look level.

– Take a photo of  the entrance of your house with the front door open as this will make your home look more inviting.

– Don’t include yourself in any of the photos, accidental or otherwise. Try taking the photos of your bathrooms from angles that won’t show you, your camera, or your flash.

– Make sure your photos are well lit using lamps and window light as dark photos make your house look smaller and dismal than it actually is.

Categories
Blog

‘For sale by owner’ guide to get an accurate home valuation

In addition to this, appraisers also research public records, gain further information about the value of your neighborhood and complete a far more thorough inspection of your home.

  • Square footage

This is a very basic, yet effective method of evaluating the worth of your home. Locate the recently sold properties in your area that are similar to your home in size, features, age, and square footage. Find the mean sales price of these properties by adding up the total sales price of each property and dividing it by the number of properties. Repeat the same step for the square footage of the properties. Divide the mean sale price by average square footage to calculate the average value of the properties per square foot. Finally, multiply the average value of the properties per square to the number of square feet in your home. This will give you a very accurate estimate of the fair market value of your home.

Mean sales price = Total sales price of all properties / total number of properties
Mean square footage = Total square footage of all properties / total number of properties
Per square foot value = Mean sales price / mean square footage
The market value of your home = Per square foot value * Number of square feet in your home.
Categories
Sell Home

5 Tips for Selling your House Without an Estate Agent

Selling your home without a real estate agent can be an overwhelming process but with – a few tips, a little planning, and a lot of work – you can do it too. You will be doing a lot of things that real estate agents normally do but with a little preparation, you’ll be able to nail it better than an estate agent. When you sell your house without an agent, it’s natural to want to get the highest return on your transaction. This is why some homeowners prefer ‘for sale by owner’ as the perfect choice.

‘For sale by owner’ can save you a huge fee when you eliminate the typical 7 perfect commission fee for the real estate agents. Homeowners, who are worried about selling their house without an agent, remember that it is a learning process.

With all this in mind, if you do decide to sell your house without an agent, here are five tips to help you get started:



Get educated

Learn about the legal formalities that you may need to do along the way.

Price your home right

Get the word out

Getting the word out about the sale of your property is the way to go when you sell your house without an agent and unfortunately, sticking a ‘for sale’ sign in your yard and hoping for the best is not enough anymore. Use your social media presence to your advantage and put up an advertisement on various Facebook and Instagram pages. Most homebuyers search for properties online nowadays so advertising your home online is really important. You can also list your property on various listing websites such as realestate.com.au, domain.com.au, realestateview.com.au, homesale.com.au and many more through www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/. In addition to this, you can also create a few flyers and brochures and distribute them around the town.

Hire a lawyer

Even though it’s an additional expense, hiring a lawyer who can assist you with the legal work can do wonders for you. Unless you are significantly experienced in selling a house, having a real estate lawyer by your side will provide you the peace of mind that you will need during the process. The lawyer will not only help you reviewing the contracts, evaluating complex mortgages or leases and complex offers, but will also tell you what things, by law, you need to disclose to potential buyers and help you formulate a disclosure agreement.

Negotiate

This includes appliances, closing date, and closing costs.

Categories
For Sale By Owner

Most searched “for sale by owner’ questions – answered

Selling your home by yourself is hard if you don’t have a proper guidance system in place. It requires time, energy, market knowledge, and some upfront money. With people coming in and poking around your closets and cabinets, complaining about the design and build of your home, and offering you less money than you believe your home deserves, ‘for sale by owner’ can become an emotional roller coaster in no time.

Minus The Agent helps home sellers list their properties on realestate.com.au, domain.com.au, realestateview.com.au, homesale.com.au, etc. and also provide on-going assistance to make the sale or leasing a stress-free process when you opt for sale by owner.

If you are planning to sell your home by yourself, here are a few questions we answered for you so that you have a smooth home selling process:

Q) How much is my house worth?

A) A home’s fair market value defines what you could expect to receive if you were to sell your home on that day. There are a number of factors that determine a home valuation such as:

– Location – Number of rooms – Square footage – Age of the property – Upgrades and improvements – Market trends – Construction and repair

You can run a comparative market analysis by yourself and study the market trends and prices of the properties around you in your neighborhood. Match your property to comparable properties in your neighborhood in terms of features, to get an estimated value of your property. In addition to this, there are numerous websites available on the internet that can give you an estimate of your home’s worth. You can use these sites, along with other methods, to build a rough estimate of your property’s market value.

Q) Should I make repairs before listing the house?

A) Home buyers want the property to be in a ‘move-in-ready’ condition. Get real estate tips online on home improvements, make the necessary repairs, light the house properly, de-clutter every room, touch-up or repaint the rooms if necessary so that when the potential buyers come to visit your open-house, they can make a proper decision.

Q) How long will it take to sell the house?

A) The time it takes to sell your house depends on various factors including the location of your home and the conditions of your local housing market. The condition of your property, its staging, and the way you market the house can also play a huge role. Just remember that selling your house is a process that takes time and tests your patience at every step. You can get assistance in selling your home fast and efficiently by listing it on www.staging.minustheagent.com.au/.

Q) How much does it cost to sell a house?

A) All this can amount to 10% of the sale price. Moreover, don’t forget the moving expenses and if you are not moving to a new house that you already own, you’ll need to account for the rental fee as well.

Q) What can I do if my house isn’t selling?

A) Moreover, the financial rewards can be tremendous.

Categories
House Inspection

Preparing Your Home for an Open House Inspection

First impressions count when it comes to open inspections. The expert team of real estate agents behind Minus The Agent have had years of experience guiding sellers through the process of preparing for open house inspections. It is important to prepare for an open house inspection to present your property in the best possible light to maximise the opportunity for find the right buyer. Attracting potential buyers with the open house inspection is critical in achieving a higher sales price and selling in a quicker timeframe.

It can seem overwhelming, so we have compiled the best advice that we give to our clients in order to help streamline your preparations to make your property appealing for new buyers and effectively focus your attention.

Make a First Impression

Clean and De-Clutter

Your home probably has a lived-in feel right now as it has been your home for many years. When buyers are walking through your property, they want to visualise themselves living in the space. Before your home inspections begin, clean your home from top to bottom. Declutter and tidy inside cupboards, clean the oven, clean window frames and skirting boards, clean underneath and behind furniture and all the hard to reach places that may not be a part of your regular cleaning routine. Consider getting your carpets professionally cleaned so they are bright and don’t have any lingering smells. Once your home has been deep cleaned, it will be easier to maintain and just require a quick tidy up and refresh before each inspection.

In preparing your home, make any easy and obvious repairs to the property that would be off-putting to buyers. For example, leaking taps, cracked glass, broken light bulbs, holes in the walls and broken tiles are all quick fixes that will help you make a good first impression.

You want buyers to walk through the property and fall in love, easily visualising themselves in the space. Remove any personal items such as photographs or ornaments and pack them away for the inspections. Depersonalise the space so that buyers can see it as their new home.

Light and Air

Buyers are attracted to light and airy spaces. Prepare your space to allow for fresh air and natural light to enter the property. Open your home regularly leading up to open inspections to air out the space. Fresh air flow will remove mustiness and lived in smells. Avoid cooking meals with overpowering and lingering scents, and carefully clean up any areas that pets use as lingering scents from pets can be particularly off-putting for buyers. Artificial scents like air fresheners or candles are not recommended as they can leave a negative impression on buyers. In addition to letting fresh air flow through your property, consider an air diffuser with a fresh and natural essential oil blend.

Allow natural lighting wherever possible so rooms feel more spacious and alive. Consider removing curtains and drapes during the open inspection period if they are reducing the light. In the lead up to the inspection, open all blinds, curtains and shutters.

Style Your Home

Consider removing some of your furniture and only leaving key neutral pieces, and removing or covering bright ornaments and wall coverings. Many sellers consider staging consultants. Advice or a package with staging consultants can assist in making your home more appealing and have an impact on the final sales price, however can be expensive.

Increase Curb Appeal

Repair any broken light bulbs, clean the front windows, remove any cobwebs and even consider a fresh coat of paint on the front facade of your house.

Final Touches on the Day

Turn on your air conditioning or heating so the property is inviting depending on what the weather is doing outside.

During the Inspection

It is best to make yourself scarce during the inspection. Prepare to to leave the home and take other family members or pets with you during the time that the potential buyers will be walking through your space. You want them to feel relaxed and feel as though they can take their time and visualise themselves in the space. If you are coordinating the open home without a real estate agent, welcome the guests but them stay in one place without hovering over the buyers. Allow them to walk freely through the space, but be able to find you easily if they have questions.

Open home are all important when it come to selling your property. At Minus The Agent, our expert real estate agents provide advice and support throughout the process of selling your home. You can save thousands in agent fees by listing your property with Minus The Agent on our easy to use platform, while also having the peace of mind knowing that you have real estate agents in your corner to guide you through the process of preparing for open home inspections.

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