Whether you are selling or renting, there is always something more you can do to ensure you get it rented/sold before you start losing money. This is because:

1. It is really hard for people to get a mortgage at the moment, so you need to give potential buyers some inspiration in order to make them go the extra mile to get that deposit.
2. There is a ridiculous amount of competition for rental properties at the moment and prices in the most sought after areas of most cities are astronomical.   Why should they rent your property?

So what can you do to your property to make it absolutely irresistible?

Price

While clearly the price is going to be a major factor in how many people are able to make an offer for your property, you don’t exactly want to sell it for less than it’s worth…what would be the point unless you’re in a rush. No the best thing to consider when it comes to price is, if possible to try and dip the price below the nearest stamp duty tax threshold. These are as follows (for non-first-time-buyers, to keep it simple):

• Under £125,000 – Pay 0% tax
• Under £250,000 – Pay 1% tax
• Under £500,000 – Pay 3% tax
• Under £1million – Pay 4% tax
• Over £1million – Pay 5% tax

Being able to make this big saving on tax will be something that many buyers are looking for, so if you can set that price and make it clear to people what they will be saving, you should have a lot of interest.

Appeal to Your Tenants

If you’re trying to rent out your property, again you don’t want to just undercut everyone, but what you can do is make your property sound as irresistible as possible, because at the end of the day, people won’t mind paying an extra £10-20 or so a month if it means they get some or all of the following:

• Flat screen television
• Off-street parking place
• Jacuzzi bath
• 50% off deposit
• Wireless internet
• Super energy efficient (so bills are low)

You can see how things like this would be appealing to a tenant faced with a ton of properties to choose from, all in the same area. It’s your job to make yours irresistible. And if you make it irresistible enough, they may even pay more than they wanted to just so they get to use the fancy American style fridge or the sauna or even just the self-closing toilet seat.

What makes your property special?

Allan Arrowhead runs successful letting agents Leeds business. He also looks after houses to rent in Leeds for a London based company.

Narrow Down Your Options

Narrowing down your available options to a much shorter list of possibilities will help you begin to look at credentials, small details and experience of prospective realtors. Ask trusted friends and loved ones about realtors they trust and recommend to find a starting point for your search. Once you get a list of proposed realtors, do some preliminary research about the licenses, office location and even Better Business Bureau ratings to discover more about your candidates. As you find out more about your considerations, make a list of questions you can ask them that will provide background and additional information.

Ask Questions

Sitting down face to face with prospective realtors is one of the most important steps that will reveal a lot about your candidates and help you narrow the playing field even further. Ask about past experience and the results of home sales they have taken on previously that were similar to your own property. Question the various listings they propose for your home.

Look Beyond the Surface

Many realtors might promise you a sales price that knocks your socks off. Beware of faulty promises that seem too good to be true. Instead, look at your potential realtors from a variety of aspects, unveiling who will give you the best overall customer service. Although a realtor with fewer clients could provide you with more personalized service and attention, someone with more clients will often have more marketing and listing avenues. In addition to seeking a professional who is good at their job and will go out of their way to please you with quality service, you’ll also want to consider how comfortable you are with them. Can you ask questions freely and without hesitation? Look at the possibilities of prospective realtors from an array of aspects with artillery of questions and research in hand.

Roger is a Houston realtor who specializes in Homes in West University. He often writes about the current real estate trends and has an extensive availability of resale properties in West University.

Uncover Your Property Appraisal

What your property has been valued at is a key component to understanding how much you pay for property taxes and why you pay that specific rate. A professional property assessor is responsible for coming up with the value of your property by following a set of established criteria. Researching how your particular appraiser has come up with your home’s value can often be revealed by studying the information they used as well as any notes they took when coming up with your number. Knowing how that value was developed will also help you spot any discrepancies, saving you money in the long run.

Study Estimated Tax Rates and Deductions

Looking at the estimates for future tax rates in your area is important information to get your hands on to help you prepare. In addition, factor in any deductions that you expect to be able to take in the coming year.  This will give you a more complete picture of how much you will have to pay for in the near future. You can talk to a tax professional to get a better idea regarding possible tax deductions and make your calculations and estimates even more accurate.

The Bottom Line

Once you have an idea of what your house has been valued at and what future tax rates are estimated at, you can multiply your prospective figures to come up with your estimated property tax. Despite the information that accompanies researching your rate and property value, you must realize that the property taxes you will actually pay could vary in comparison to your estimated taxes. In order to insure that you are not overwhelmed by actual property tax rates being higher than your estimated costs, make an effort to overestimate your rates rather than underestimate them. If you end up owing less when tax time rolls around, you’ll simply have some extra money in your pocket

Anastacio Mindiola helps businesses and homeowners learn how to protest property taxes in Houston and surrounding areas. He often writes articles on how to lower property taxes through protesting and knowledge of property tax laws.

But what type of home should you consider? With all of the variety you have to choose from, a smaller home may be just what you are looking for. Today, more people are settling into smaller homes and a simpler lifestyle. Consider some of the reasons for this transition.

Smaller homes tend to cost less when it is time to pay the mortgage but this isn’t always the case as other factors can determine the price as well. But when you look in the same neighborhood the smaller homes tend to cost less.

The mortgage isn’t the only way a smaller home saves you money. It takes money to keep your home running.

You pay electricity, water and gas on a monthly basis. A smaller home takes less energy to heat and cool as the seasons change. There is a good chance that you are going to pay less for these comforts within a smaller home.

Utilities aren’t the only money saving example for a smaller home. At some point in time your home will require maintenance. You may need to have the entire outside painted. It could be that the flooring needs to be replaced. No matter what tasks you need to complete, it will cost less in a home with less square footage.

Some people take advantage of having a smaller home in a different way. It may cost more to replace flooring in a larger home. However, because they have a small home they are able to put down premium flooring in a smaller space. With less space to improve you may be able to get better quality products. You gain more options with this smaller floor plan.

Would you believe that owning a smaller home can even save you time? While no one likes to spend time cleaning the house, it is a necessity.

A smaller home has less space to clean and will take less time to complete. Instead of dusting in rooms that aren’t used or checking to see how much stuff has spread out everywhere, you have a set area to clean and the work is completed.

You may be spending less time cleaning because you have less stuff. Clutter and excess are starting to border on a national epidemic. Homes are filled to overflowing with items that no one uses or needs.

A smaller house encourages you to limit the things that you have to items of importance. You look at each object critically and make sure that it is worth hanging on to when you have limited space. Less stuff and less space means less time spent cleaning.

When you are ready to move from your smaller house you will probably have an easier time selling it than your neighbor with a larger home. Smaller sized homes are becoming a more popular option, especially for the reasons listed.

Smaller homes also work well for rental property. If you are ready to move but want to hang on to the property, consider making it a rental. The smaller space will not only be more popular but will also be easier to rent.

With the chaos of the housing market and the financial future of the nation unstable, people are looking for a simpler way of life. They are taking on the concept of “less is more”.

Nowhere is that more noticeable than new home sales. If are looking for a simple living area that will cost less time and money for its upkeep, a smaller home could be the solution you have been looking for.

Article wrtiiten by Sam, a freelance journalist who used the mortgage calculator at moneysupermarket.com to see how much she could afford to pay before applying for her first mortgage.

One useful tip is to simply get the word out through every free medium possible.  Word of mouth advertising is usually the most effective, and selling a house is not necessarily any different.  Call in favors and use every contact you have.  Someone will want to buy your house; you just haven’t figured out who it is yet.  Phone calls, emails, and social media can help you to get the word out.  You may be able to find a buyer just by going through your own contacts.  It’s certainly worth a shot.

If you go through a realtor, ask around to find someone who is assertive and motivated, and who will take on the challenge of selling the house at a high enough price so that you will not take a loss, even after paying his or her fee.  It is a good idea to find a realtor months before you actually intend to put the house on the market.  Many good realtors will do a free inspection of the house, and tell you what upgrades will be absolutely necessary in order to sell it.  A good realtor knows how home buyers in your area think.  Repairs that you might overlook may be absolutely necessary for selling the house, while upgrades that you assumed were important may not be worth spending your money.  If you have this information ahead of time, you can invest your time and money wisely to do the upgrades that will actually make a difference when showing your house to prospective buyers.

When you know what upgrades need to be done, try to do them as inexpensively as possible, while still doing them well.  Selling a house is a big event, and it’s worth calling in favors.  If you put the word out, you will probably find that you are no more than a couple of degrees of separation away from any expert you could possibly need to help you – plumbers, carpenters, electricians, roofers.  If you are into do-it-yourself projects, you can certainly try to take it on yourself.  Just be realistic about your abilities and tools.  If you do not already have an oscillating multi tool, it’s a good idea to invest in one, like a bosch multi tool.  You can use one of these tools to take the place of a dozen or more different tools.  They are lightweight and you can use them to cut, scrape, sand, polish, and shape just about anything.   It all depends on which blades you use.  The blades can be expensive, but it’s pretty easy to find inexpensive replacement blades that are compatible with any brand of oscillating multi tool.  You will probably find that the versatility and ease of use of these tools and blades will make your upgrades much easier.  Best of all, the tools are affordable, and you can take them with you when you move, to keep using in your new home.

Most realtors will tell you that it is much easier to sell your home when you are no longer living in it.  However, this presents a problem – paying rent or mortgage costs on two places while you are trying to sell your house.  One solution is to put some of your possessions into storage while you stay with friends or relatives.  Obviously, this is not an option for everyone.  Another option is to occupy as little of your house as possible.  You can store most of your possessions elsewhere and try to use as little of the house as you can, always keeping it immaculate.  In many cases, if you had the money for two homes, you would not need to sell your house in the first place.  It’s not practical to live somewhere else while the house is on the market.  If you can’t leave, at least try to make the house look as empty and as neat as possible.  By the time it goes on the market, your repairs and upgrades will hopefully be done.  Then you can clean up and gradually condense your living space to make the home as viewer-friendly as possible.

The author is a specialist in home remodeling and tips on selling your home.