Need to Sell? Tips for Making Your Condo the Best Value

The San Mateo County Condo Market is Still Very Competitive

The San Mateo County, California Condominium Market is very competitive for a seller in what is still Buyer’s Market for most condominium price points. There are a couple of things you can and should do before trying to sell your San Mateo County condo to help put yours at the top of a buyers list.

Position Your San Mateo County Condo as One of the Best Values on the Market

Make sure your San Mateo County condo looks great. Put all systems and components in good repair and improve its appearance to position your condo among the best values in the San Mateo County condo market. I have come up with some ideas that are not the norm but will enhance the marketing of your San Mateo County condo.

How Do I Position My San Mateo County Condo as One of the Best Values on the Market?

• Pre- Marketing Inspection Before listing your condo, have an inspector review your condo. I have people who will do it for $275 and may save you time and money in the long run. The inspector will investigate all the basics and give you a written report so you can fix the things that need fixing. The buyer will probably get their own inspection, but you know your unit is in good shape and you’ll avoid surprises.
  
• Get the A/C and Heating Serviced Most people forget to have their furnaces and air conditioning units serviced on a regular basis. If you have not done this recently, then do it before a buyer sets foot in your condo. It will give San Mateo County buyers peace of mind that one of the biggest mechanical expenses is resolved. Have the receipt handy and change the filters. Buyers like to know that people take care of the place.
  
• FHA Financing Available? Can your condo association get FHA approval? It opens up the doors to more buyers who can only put 3.5% down and have a much lower Private Mortgage Insurance premium. The property manager can review the approval questionnaire – called a Cert Letter – to see whether all the questions can be answered. San Mateo County condo financing rules change (and get much stricter) begininning in December of 2009.
  
• Paint is Cheap! You want to polish up, touch up and dress up. Your condo is going on a date and needs to look its best. Freshening up its make up is simple and rewarding. Getting a professional paint job done can be the best solution; nothing looks worse than a poorly done paint job.
  
• Professionally Cleaned! Sounds simple and still a lot of sellers forget. Look good, smells good applies to selling homes and going on dates. People smell as well as look, so any smoking or pet odors is a big turnoff.
  
• De-Clutter! The cluttered look may eliminate you from the competition early on. Start packing, you’re moving.
  
• The Reluctant Tenant! Let’s be candid! Tenants have little incentive to get the place sold and very few contribute a positive impression. It’s a real estate agent’s nightmare to deal with a messy tenant that will not allow the condo to be shown when needed and keeps the place a mess. This is a factor in all price ranges and in all areas. There are few exceptions!
  

It Will Take Longer to Sell Your San Mateo Condo if it is not at the Top of a Buyers List

I continue to see sellers not getting it right. In the end, it will take longer to sell your condo and you’ll receive lower offers when your condo is not at the very top of its game. So, take the steps that have proven to be important to get your condo in premium shape for the big date ahead. You only get to make that first impression once. In a slow market those San Mateo County condos are still selling.

Need to Sell Your San Mateo County Condo?

Check out our Stress Free Home Listing Marketing Program to show you what we do to get your home sold in the fastest time for the highest price. If you need to sell your San Mateo Condo now, give us a call at (650) 655-2500 or send us an email at info[@]RayChelRealtyGroup.com to set up a no obligation consultation.

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Raymond Stoklosa, Chela Stoklosa and Rebecca Williamson are Realtors with The RayChel Realty Group specializing in Santa Clara and San Mateo Real Estate.