Sell Your House Quickly – A Matter of Presentation

Selling a house quick can be very tricky in the current market but do remember that there are a considerable number of people who are buying now in order to take advantage of the fallen house prices.

Keep in mind that 95% of people buying a house are after a home and not an investment or development project. For this reason they can’t see beyond the presentation. You must have heard of the popular proverb “First impression is the last impression”. You must make sure that your property makes a good first impression to your prospective buyers.

You really have to ensure your house is in an excellent order. This is a lot harder to accomplish than you may initially think. When you have been living in the house for many years it is so easy to get used to the way things are and stop noticing the important bits that outsiders see immediately. Take another look at that crack in the ceiling, or the damp patch with mould growing in the corner, or the mould in the grout around the bath or the broken drainpipe outside. All these are simple jobs to rectify but are all stored away in a potential buyer’s first impression.

Call an estate agent and ask for an appraisal. It costs absolutely nothing and you will be told exactly what areas need improving. Here is what you should look out for:

OUTSIDE

It is amazing how most people overlook this part. It really is where the first impression starts so it must be as best as it can possibly be. Make sure you mow the grass and keep the garden nice and tidy even if it is only a small garden. You can make a small garden look cosy rather than small. Only keep items which will enhance the garden. Ornaments which you may think look nice may not be to a potential buyer’s taste such as gnomes.

Have a good look at the outside walls of the house. Are they looking worn and need a little TLC? If so, call upon friends and family to give it a bit of a paint over.

INSIDE

People buying houses with the desire to turn in into a home for themselves are particularly attracted to kitchens and bathrooms. These are the two most important rooms in any house. Even if you don’t have a fantastic kitchen or bathroom you can certainly make them look more appealing by cleaning the taps and any fittings making them shine brightly. Clean all furniture with perfection and don’t forget the cupboard doors, fridge doors, microwaves, dishwashers and any other loose piece of equipment around. Make sure your stove shines.

All doors around the house must look like they are always in use. In other words, they must be well oiled. Creaking doors give a bad impression to prospective buyers. It gives the impression that the house has not been well taken care.

Plants in the right places can add vibrancy and a glow to your home. This little touch will make it feel like a home for the prospective buyers. All these simple changes will help make your house sell quick. Of course this involves some labour on your part but will make all the difference.

Alternative Option

There is an alternative option if you find you do not have the time to do all the work to the house yourself. If you are really desperate to sell your house quick you can have the option of selling it to an investor. Investors are the remaining 5% who purchase property and they don’t worry about the presentation at all.

Investors can buy your house in as little time as 10 days or even to suit your own deadline requirements. They also pay for all the legal costs. A short term sell and rent back agreement can be arranged if you find you need a little extra time after completion. Sales can be done so quickly that you find you are not ready to move. It happens a lot.

If you are selling due to financial difficulties and do not want to move but are being forced to then the sell and rent back option is definitely for you. You can take advantage of the sell and rent back scheme which will allow you to sell your house and rent it back at rents which are set to the current market rates in your area.

Presents for Men that Will Impress

Buying a gift for a man means taking a moment to think about what he does in life for work and play. Men who work in or like carpentry may find a new hammer or drill useful. However, a 3D artist would have very little use for a hammer. It’s important to keep this in mind when buying a gift.

Guys who like electronics will certainly give off some kind of sign. They will usually be talking about the latest greatest thing, or be drooling over a new piece of hardware. If you don’t have time to listen then take a peek inside his den or workshop and see what’s there. If you open the door and there’s a tower of giant beeping plastic with lights on it then that probably means he likes electronics.

Another thing you need to consider is that there is a difference between electronics people and computer people. Computer people are often called packrats for all the parts they keep strewn about their homes. We can’t help it we never know when we will need them. Other men also like camcorders and other audio video electronics, and then you have gamers.

Most notably the hardest to buy for these men love their games. When buying for a gamer you have to figure out which time period of games he likes. Whether he is an older gamer or he is a modern gamer. Then you have to figure out which system and game types he likes. After all this you then need to get him something he doesn’t already have.

Keep in mind not all of us are the same. Every expert seems to think we all like starring at naked ladies and drinking beer all the time but that’s a big misconception. We are often just a sensitive about issues and as complicated inside as anyone else. Finding cool presents for men isn’t hard if you just take the time to get to know us.

7 Steps For a Successful Presentation

Public speaking is fun, and can be very rewarding with the proper preparation. The following steps will help you breeze through your next presentation.

1. Prepare well. Do your research, and develop a checklist of your needs. You’ll include the usual items (laptop and projector, for example), but don’t forget a marker and/or pointer, your reading glasses, and other details. Don’t rely on memory. It’s too easy to forget those things.

2. Anticipate questions from the audience. You can’t plan for all, but answers to a half dozen or so of the most likely questions should be committed to memory.

3. Develop notes or a script, especially if you’re not using PowerPoint. Don’t try to wing it. Notes keep you on message and help keep you on time. An outline format works best.

4. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I can’t emphasize this enough. Try to get your material down cold. This will maximize your eye contact and create a more natural, conversational tone. Practice responding to the questions you listed in Step 2, especially if you’ll be nervous during the presentation. By practicing, your answers will sound more natural and confident.

Record yourself, if possible. Listen for any glitches (um’s, ah’s, you know’s), as well as any other speech patterns that should be corrected.

5. Arrive early. This gives you a chance to get accustomed to the room and test your equipment a final time. You can set up the presentation area to your liking, and acclimate yourself to any distractions, such as outside noise, poor lighting and odd acoustics. Mingle with the audience for a bit. That will help settle any jitters.

6. Don’t let a mistake bother you. Everyone slips up on occasion. Plow on. If you forget something, try to come back to the point, or skip it. Your audience will never know what they didn’t hear. If it’s a more obvious glitch – say, you bump into something – mutter an “oops” and move on. Don’t dwell on it, as that will just draw attention to the error and make you feel more uncomfortable.

7. Speak frequently. To maintain your edge, get out and speak whenever possible. Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions clubs, among other groups, need speakers on a regular basis. They enjoy a variety of subject matter, so don’t feel you’re confined to business-related topics. I’ve spoken about amateur radio; what hobbies can you talk about for 20 minutes or so?

Seminars and other presentations help you refine your communication skills and enhance your professional development. Take advantage of any opportunity to speak before an audience. You’ll enjoy the experience.