The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty
Scott Selleck · Broker / Sales Associate · Request an appointment at meet.sellecksellsnj.com
What buyers ask about at showings, and what to fix before you list
Serving Bergen and Hudson County · SRES®, e-PRO® · Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed.
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Snippet answer (Bergen County, NJ): Buyers in Bergen County keep asking about five features: a room that works as an office, a layout with the main rooms on one level, low upkeep, a clear commute route, and a finished basement. Sellers who show these features plainly in the listing, with photos, measurements and records, give buyers fewer questions to settle before they make an offer.
At showings in Fort Lee, Leonia and Englewood, the questions I hear are about the house, not the market. Where can a desk go? Is there a bedroom and full bath on the main floor? How old is the roof? How far is the bus stop? What is in the basement? This post goes through each of those questions and what you can do before you list so the answer is already on the page.
1. Home office space
What buyers ask about. Buyers want to know if there is a room with a door that can hold a desk, a chair and a video call. They ask about outlets, natural light, and whether the internet service at the address supports working from home. A spare bedroom, a den or a finished attic can all count, as long as the space reads as usable.
How to prepare.
- Stage one room or corner as an office. A desk, a chair, a lamp and a clear wall behind the camera are enough.
- Note which internet providers serve the address. Buyers ask, and a plain answer helps.
- Check that the room has working outlets and a light fixture, and replace any dead switches.
- In the listing, call the room what it can be, such as "den or office," and include its dimensions.
2. Single-level living
What buyers ask about. This is a layout question. Buyers ask whether the kitchen, living area, a bedroom and a full bath are all on the main floor, and how many stairs there are at the entry. Ranch houses, first-floor primary suites and elevator condo buildings in Fort Lee, Cliffside Park and Edgewater all answer this in different ways.
How to prepare.
- If you have a first-floor bedroom and full bath, say so in the first lines of the listing.
- Include a floor plan. It answers the layout question faster than photos do.
- For condos, list the elevator, the parking level and how the unit is reached from the lobby.
- Small updates help: a handheld shower head, lever door handles and good lighting on any stairs.
- If the entry has stairs, show the count in the listing rather than leaving it for the showing.
3. Low maintenance
What buyers ask about. Buyers ask how old the roof, the boiler or furnace, the water heater and the central air are. They ask about the size of the yard and what it takes to keep it up. In condo and townhouse buildings they ask what the association covers, such as snow removal, landscaping and exterior repairs.
How to prepare.
- Gather the dates and receipts for the roof, heating, cooling and water heater. Put the years in the listing.
- Handle the small items before photos: loose gutters, peeling paint, dripping faucets and cracked caulk.
- For condos, have the association's list of what the monthly fee covers ready to share.
- For houses with yards, show the yard as it looks when it is kept up, and note any sprinkler system or low upkeep plantings.
4. Commute access
What buyers ask about. Buyers ask which routes into Manhattan and to other job centers are close to the house. In this area the answer depends on the town. Fort Lee sits at the George Washington Bridge. Edgewater has ferry service on the Hudson. North Bergen has Hudson-Bergen Light Rail stops. NJ Transit bus lines run through Cliffside Park, Palisades Park, West New York and Englewood. Drivers ask about Route 4, the Turnpike and the Palisades Interstate Parkway.
How to prepare.
- In the listing, name the routes near the house: the bus line, the ferry landing, the light rail stop or the bridge approach.
- Give distances in blocks or miles from a map tool, not travel times. Travel times change by day and by hour.
- Mention parking: a garage, a driveway, a deeded condo space or street parking rules. Buyers who drive part of the way ask about this first.
- Skip guesses. If you are not sure of a route, leave it out and let the buyer check it.
5. Finished basements
What buyers ask about. Many older houses in Leonia, Englewood and Palisades Park have full basements. Buyers ask whether the basement is finished, whether it has had water, and whether the work was permitted. They also ask about ceiling height, egress windows, a bathroom and how the space is heated.
How to prepare.
- Collect any permits and final inspections for basement work. Unpermitted finished space can come up during the buyer's inspection and the attorney review period.
- Fix any sign of water first. Clean the area, run a dehumidifier, and keep records of any sump pump or waterproofing work.
- Stage the basement for one clear use: a media room, a gym, an office or storage.
- Photograph it with good lighting, and list its features: a bathroom, a walkout basement door, a laundry area, egress windows.
What this means for your listing
The features above are about the house. The way to use them is to answer each buyer question in the listing before it is asked: photos, a floor plan, measurements, the years of major systems, and the routes and distances near the property. If you are getting ready to sell and want a second look at what to fix and what to leave, we can go through the house together and make a short list.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to renovate before I list? Usually not. Small repairs, clean rooms and clear records often matter more than a large project. We can look at the house and decide what is worth doing.
Should I list a spare bedroom as an office? List it as a bedroom if it meets the requirements for one, and show it staged as an office in one photo. That way buyers see both uses.
How should I describe the commute in my listing? Name the routes near the house and give distances in blocks or miles. Leave out travel times, since they change by day and by hour.
Does an unpermitted finished basement hurt a sale? It can slow things down. Gather what records you have, and talk to your real estate attorney early about how to handle it.
What records should I gather before listing? Dates and receipts for the roof, heating, cooling and water heater, any permits, and for condos, the list of what the association fee covers.
Sources
No outside figures are cited in this post. The questions described come from Scott Selleck's showings and listing work in Bergen and Hudson County.
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Scott Selleck Broker / Sales Associate | The Selleck Group | KW City Views Realty SRES® (Seniors Real Estate Specialist®) | e-PRO® | Licensed since 1993. Over 500 transactions closed. 2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024 Cell: (201) 970-3960 | Office: (201) 592-8900 Email: [email protected] Website: SelleckSellsNJ.com Request an appointment: meet.sellecksellsnj.com AI assistant: https://www.delphi.co/scottselleck My story: coverstory.sellecksellsnj.com | Verified career record: record.sellecksellsnj.com
Licensure does not imply endorsement. Keller Williams City Views Realty. Each office is independently owned and operated. Broker compensation in New Jersey is fully negotiable and is not set by law or by any board or association of REALTORS®. This article is general information only and is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Confirm your own costs with your real estate attorney, tax professional, or lender. Equal Housing Opportunity.
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