What Should I Do If My Home Isn't Selling?

Suppose you've been trying to sell your home for months. You haven't had even a nibble from a prospective buyer. What should you do?

Call your agent to request a strategy meeting. Tell him or her to bring you information about current sales activity in your neighborhood, as well as any feedback from agents who have shown the property to prospective buyers.

What are the current market conditions? Is your home the only one of its kind on the market that isn't selling, or is the market just very slow? How long is it taking similar properties to sell? Are you being impatient or does your marketing plan need to be modified?

Find out how many listings similar to yours have sold since your home was listed for sale. What were the asking prices? How did the properties differ from yours in terms of condition and amenities? Why does your agent think competing listings sold and your home didn't?

Ask your agent to give you a summary of the feedback from agents who showed your home to prospective buyers. What was the consensus about your list price? Were there any negative comments about the decor of your home? Did agents mention that your home was hard to show?

Agents need to be able to show your home easily and on short notice. If you have set up a complicated showing procedure, modify this to make it easier for agents to show and sell your home. If other listings in your area have lock boxes, you should too.

There may be something about your decor that buyers don't like. Strong colors and busy wall paper patterns can make a home difficult to sell.

First-Time Tip: In most cases, homes don't sell because they are priced too high for the market. Sellers often wonder why buyers don't make offers on over-priced listings. Motivated buyers usually don't have time to waste, and a high price signals that the sellers may be unrealistic.

In a buyer's market where there's plenty of inventory, buyers gravitate to the listings with the most competitive prices. If prices are flat or falling, buyers usually won't make offers on over-priced listings for fear they might overpay in a declining market.

You and your agent should analyze your entire marketing program, including the list price, and set a new strategy. If your price is too high for the market, reduce the price enough to have an impact.

Usually a price reduction equal to five or ten percent of the list price will be necessary to generate new enthusiasm for the property. So if your home is listed for $250,000, you should reduce it $12,500 to $25,000 in order to make a substantial impact.

You may have to improve the condition of your property AND make a price reduction. If so, make cosmetic improvements before reducing the price. After the home is fixed up, reduce the price and ask your agent to hold another open house for the real estate agents, as well as another public open house.

It's often difficult to get agents back to look at a home that has been on the market for awhile. A cosmetic face-lift combined with a substantial price reduction ought to generate new interest in your home.

The Closing: Sometimes a home isn't selling because the agent isn't doing his or her job. A successful home sale requires teamwork between you and your agent. If at the end of the listing period you are not satisfied with the agent's services, change agents.

How To Make A Quick Sale In Tampa Real Estate

If you are decided to sell your home in Tampa real estate, you have to think of ways in order to make a quick sale of your home.

There are a lot of people out there, who see their homes in the market for long period of time without any offer at all. In order for you to avoid such frustrating situations, you have to do some things to attract potential buyers.

There are some things you need to do in order to prepare your home for sale in Tampa real estate. You have to make sure you that your home is attractive enough so that buyers will be interested to visit it. Before you put for sale sign outside your home, you must have done things to improve your home. Home improvements are important in preparing your home for sale. It is better to paint your walls and ceilings, even the doors and windows. You can just use an affordable paint, no need for too expensive paint, in repainting your home. But it is wiser to clean the walls first before painting it, clean it with soap and water, so you do not to put plenty of coat, maybe one coat will do then. After painting the ceilings and walls, move to the doors and windows, it is also advisable to clean up the doors and windows first with soap and water before painting.

Next thing you should do is clean the house, go to every room, and make sure to remove the unnecessary equipment and things, in order to make it attractive and comfortable to live in. Clean the kitchen, make the tiles sparkling clean, make sure the faucets are functioning well, in case there is need for a repair, and make sure to hire someone to do the work. That is also the same with the bathroom clean it and make it sparkling clean. Clean the bedrooms as well, remove the unnecessary things in the closets and shelves. Do not put all the unnecessary things at the garage, since potential buyers also want to make sure that they will be having a spacious garage.

It is advisable that you decorate your home, make it look modern but simple. In decorating your home, you have to think about the buyers, since the make goal in here is make them feel that they are the ones who are living in your home. So you have to put some décor to attract the buyers.

Another factor you have to consider are the lightning, make sure that the house has sufficient lightning to make it look exciting and attractive. As a piece of advice, when you are going to show your home to potential buyers, make sure to open all the lights of your home.

It is also recommended that you work with a real estate agent in selling your home in Tampa real estate since the real estate agent will assist you will the selling process. The real estate agent can be a big help in making a quick sale in Tampa real estate. But of course, you have to make sure that you’ll be working with a professional agent and someone you’ll be comfortable to work with.

How to Sell Your House in Any Market - Make Your Home Irresistible to Buyers

"How can I sell my house for the most money in the least time" is an even more important question in a buyer's market. 'Dressing' your house is the answer, and it's something anybody can do. It's sometimes called 'staging' or 'fluffing', but 'dressing' is a more appropriate term. These techniques have been used by professionals for many years but information has been surprisingly hard to come by for the layman. Here you'll learn the secrets and why they work.

Many buyers think they'll be able to look past a poorly decorated or empty house, but they do have a negative psychological effect on most people. Have you ever noticed that successful home builders always use a professionally decorated Model Home or Sales Suite? Buyers want to fall in love with their new home, and it's very hard to do that if it's cluttered, in disrepair, out of style, or empty.

Every realtor knows that the longer a house is on the market the lower the final selling price will be. 'Dressed' houses sell twice as fast as 'non-dressed' houses. A survey in California of 2,772 homes showed the average number of days on the market for non-dressed houses was 30.9, while dressed houses sold in 13.8 days.

Phenomenal Return On Investment

Some of these techniques involve spending a little money, and many people have a psychological block against spending money on something they won't get to enjoy. But when you look at the Return On Investment (ROI) you'll realize this may be the best investment you'll ever make. Research shows that houses that have been 'dressed', sell for more money, and the higher selling price more than makes up for the investment.

Statistics from the National Association of Realtors show that the optimal amount to spend on 'dressing' your house is between 1 and 3% of the home's value, and it brings in an average Return On Investment of between 8 and 10% in increased selling price. So if your house is worth $300,000, then investing between $3,000 and $9,000 will return an average of $24,000 to $30,000 in increased selling price.

Even if you look at a less than average possible scenario - if you invest $3,000 and get a return of $24,000 in 5 weeks, you've received a net profit of 7 times your investment. That's a Return On Investment of more than 4,200% on an annual basis. It's difficult if not impossible for most people to find another investment with that rate of return.

The key to making your home irresistible is this: "Once you decide to sell, you have to understand that this is no longer your home. It has turned into a great opportunity to make thousands of dollars in extra cash. YOUR home is waiting for you somewhere else."

UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HOME BUYERS

Dressing your house is about understanding and appealing to the psychology of home buyers. They want a home that's bigger, maintenance free, and a step up in class from the home they're living in now. And they need to be able to picture themselves living there.

Making your house look bigger There are a few simple techniques you can use to increase the perceived size of even smaller homes:

• Leave an absolute minimum of furniture and wall hangings, perhaps half of what you have now, and put the rest in storage. You may think the rooms look empty but leave them for a few days and see if you get used to them. Although you may be proud of your furniture you'll be more proud of selling your house quickly for the right price.
• Make it completely free of small items and clutter such as magazine racks, small plants, stools, garbage containers, umbrella stands, shoe racks, CD racks, and throw rugs.
• Use large accessories such as cushions, table lamps and flower pots.
• Turn on all the lights, open all the curtains.
• Add a coat of off-white paint. If you need to, consult a professional with help on colors.

Giving the impression of a maintenance-free home

• Upgrade electrical switches, plug-ins, lighting and plumbing fixtures to give the impression that your wiring and plumbing are up to date and will be maintenance free.
• Make your home spotlessly clean. People naturally feel that if the surfaces of a house are well maintained, things below the surface are in the same good condition. A clean house also feels more comfortable. Be sure to hide all your cleaning materials. Having them visible just reminds people about doing chores.

Gaining a competitive edge with style and features

Every house in your price range is your competition. The first step in gaining a competitive edge is research. You need to find out what style should your house be, what features should it have, and how much you should ask.

Style - When most people are buying a new home they want to take a step up in class. If your house is just as ordinary looking as their current one why should they buy it? They are looking for a home they can be proud of. To find out what current house decorating trends are, look through magazines like Better Homes and Gardens. Look particularly at what colors they use. Of course you want to stick to soft neutral colors in general but also look at the accent colors. Fancy cushions give the appearance of luxury. You can buy large pillows for your sofa in the latest colors. Put a slip cover on your old sofa if it is out of style.

Make sure none of the rooms in your house have been decorated in a particular theme. Themes appeal only to a very limited percentage of the population and in order to make your home sell it needs to appeal to the most possible buyers. Paint any rooms that need it with soft warm colors, not bright white. You want your house to feel comfortable, not stark or institutional.

Features - What are your house's advantages and disadvantages over other houses for sale in your area? Dressing your house is about highlighting the positives and minimizing the negatives. Compare your house to the standard for your price range and improve the points where it is below standard. Have a look at the age of people who are moving in and out of your neighborhood. Are they empty nesters looking for a smaller home that is easy to maintain, young couples with small children, or growing families looking for more living space? This will affect what features your house should have. For example, people with young children or empty nesters may want to use one of the bedrooms as an office or den.

Asking Price - The best thing to do here is call an experienced realtor you can trust. They should be able to give you access to a comprehensive website such as realtor.ca or mls.ca where you can conveniently do your research. Most importantly they'll provide you with a comprehensive Comparative Market Analysis to help you establish the correct asking price. A Comparative Market Analysis will show you what houses have sold for in your area and what features they had, as well as which homes are your competition.

The time to dress your house is before you do anything else, before you ask your realtor to come over and certainly before any pictures are taken. Your house has to look its best on your realtor's website. Having your house already dressed will affect the recommended asking price.

Imagine Yourself Living Here People need to be able to picture themselves living in your house, and you make it more difficult if you have personal photos on display, your collections, and any personal items at all. Remove yourself completely from the equation.

TAKING ACTION

Take Pictures Before Dressing Your Home - The first step in dressing your home is to get hold of a digital camera and take pictures of every room in your house from every angle, including what prospective buyers would see if they pulled up in front of your place right now, before it's dressed. Then after leaving them for 3 or 4 days, take them to a nearby coffee shop. This is important. Leaving them for a while and viewing them off your premises is the only way to ensure you'll be looking at them objectively, seeing your house as prospective buyers would be seeing it. Don't confuse this exercise with your final photography session. This is the 'before' set of pictures that only you will see. The photos you use for selling your home will be taken after all your dressing has been done.

The Best Bang For Your Buck - The cheapest things you can do that bring the most Return On Investment are:

1. Lighten and brighten
2. Clean and de-clutter
3. Landscape and yard work
4. Repair electrical and plumbing

Curb Appeal - The most important place to scrutinize is the outside front of your house. This is not only what prospective buyers see first when they drive up, or drive by, it's also going to be what people see on real estate websites. You want people to look at the photo of the front of your home and say "What a nice looking home. Let's see what the inside is like." Large flower pots, small shrubs, and hanging plants on the outside can increase your home's curb appeal tremendously.

In The Kitchen - The next most important places to improve are the kitchen and the bathroom, because that's where new owners will be spending most of their time. New cupboard handles and hinges, or a granite countertop can make a huge difference in the luxury appeal of both your kitchen and bathroom. If you have small kitchen appliances on the counters, first put away the ones you hardly ever use. Then buy new ones for all the rest. Of course you take them with you when you move. Put half of the things that are in your cupboards in storage, and buy small cans and packages of food to make the cupboards feel larger. Be sure to buy a new shower curtain for the bathroom.

Entry Way - The next most important area of your home is the entry way. Here again, it's about making a good first impression. If you do that, there is a much better chance that buyers will be sold on your place before they even see the bedrooms or basement. The front door is important because it is the focal point of the front of your house. Replacing or painting it with a touch of class would probably be a money making investment.

Make a Budget - Look at what projects around your house need to be done, such as remodeling or repainting. Set deadlines and budgets and plan how you will meet them. The cost and time required for each will help you to decide on which order they should be tackled, and if you need to get help or hire a professional.

Avoid Hidden Deal Breakers - Most people don't know the smell of their own place. Either you aren't sensitive to smell or you simply get used to it. It's very difficult to be objective about the smell of your house. The best thing to do is invite a neighbor or a friend you can trust to come over, and be sure to stress that they must be brutally honest. Then don't just cover up the smells, get rid of their root causes. There are service providers that specialize in getting rid of odors in homes. Be sure not to put a potpourri out before a viewing. These days so many people have allergies or are sensitive to strong odors that you will most likely be doing more harm than good.

Last Minute Touches That Really Sell - Before someone views your home open all the windows for 20 minutes to bring in some fresh air. Even if you don't have a smelly place it will be good to get rid of any stuffy feeling. If you like you can bake cookies or squeeze some lemons. Both are appealing natural smells. Fresh flowers are always a nice touch. Play soft FM music at low volume.

In my next article I get into the specifics of exactly how to accomplish all your 'house dressing' tasks - room by room and item by item. Then we'll get into dressing special properties such as vacation homes, rental properties, vacant homes, and talk about flipping homes. We'll conclude with more exceptional tips and valuable knowledge about putting your best foot forward at show time.

Investing in Real Estate on the Internet: The Crucial Tips To Know

Investing in real estate used to be so simple, then the Internet came into play!

When we wanted to consider investing in real estate, we would pop down to see our local realtor and discuss what we are looking for. However, in this digital day and age, times have changed. Now, if you want to save on the commission that you may receive from a realtor, you have the chance to find property listings on specialist Internet services.

Because the marketing techniques of the sellers who decide to use the Internet might not be as obvious as traditional realtors, this means that if you want to discover the best-kept secrets in the housing market at the moment, you will need to delve a little deeper and do careful research. Checking out the condition of the house is a great idea - and to do this, you will need to do more than look at the photos of a property online. Are you investing in real estate with the intention of improving a house and selling it again to make a profit? If so, the first trick of a clever property developer is to see potential purchases up close and personal.

Many sellers will be more than happy to offer you an appointment, with a tour around the house. However, you may have heard of home staging - a technique which is used to enhance the appearance of a property. This is where unsightly blemishes and other problems are brushed under the carpet, out of sight and out of mind. As a potential buyer, you want an upfront and honest look at the house - after all, you don't want to pay more than you need to for a property. The bottom line and your margins need to come first.

As an investor in real estate, you need to brush up on your negotiation skills. Typically, the asking price for a property will be slightly more than the buyer will want to settle for. This means that you need to do your homework, see what other properties in the neighborhood have sold for, and adjust your offer accordingly so it is realistic. Don't be afraid to be bold and go substantially lower than their asking price - after all, the worst thing they can do is say no.

A lot of the time, especially when a property has been on the market for several months, a desperate buyer will be more likely to settle for a lower amount of money because they want to move on and buy a new house.

The most important thing to remember is in the title of this article: buying real estate is an investment, and you need to ensure that you get a return on your money if you're doing it for business purposes. After all, if you plan to invest tens of thousands of dollars to decorate a property back to a standard where it can be lived in, there's no point if the profit won't be worth the bother.

Fix it and Flip it - How I Lost Money on Real Estate

I've known a lot of people who have lost money when they sold their homes. In fact, I'm one of those people, and it's happened to me more than once.

There are a number of factors can cause a financial loss when you sell your house, including the need to sell at the wrong time due to divorce or an impending foreclosure, or a downturn in the local real estate market. However, it's also common to lose money simply by making too many expensive changes to the house before putting it on the market. This is how I lost money on real estate, before I wised up.

My most resounding failure in the fix it and flip it market was a house I bought in Spokane, Washington. Knowing what I know now, I would have restricted myself to replacing the carpets and the kitchen and bathroom fixtures, painting inside and out, and buying new appliances. I probably would have replaced the old-style windows, too, to make the place look nicer and appeal to the energy-conscious buyer. These fixes could have been done easily within the two years I needed to live there to avoid capital gains taxes.

Since I didn't know what I know now, I made major renovations, which included moving the bathroom. I did most of the work myself, but the materials alone cost more than I could get back when the house was sold. With the exception of repairs done to the house to make it eligible for an FHA loan and watering the grass, I doubt that any of my major projects really helped me sell the house or increased its value.

If a house is actually sound, with no structural damage or insect problems, the biggest reason it will sell for less than its worth is usually cosmetic. This was certainly true of the house I bought in Spokane. Dirty carpeting, and a wall in the living room covered with mirror tiles, kept most buyers from going any further into the house. I could see past the cosmetic problems and see the home's full potential - but my imagination went a bit too far.

The floor plan was odd, and slightly inconvenient, but leaving the bathroom where it was would have been far more rational, financially. Why didn't I do that? Because my emotions and my nesting instincts took over, pushing aside all thought of future gain or loss.

Let's face it - most people don't buy their own homes with the intention of making a profit, although they certainly hope the house will be a good investment. In fact, the emotional stress caused by the process of buying a house and moving into it can be enough to completely erase any thought of moving again a few years later. However, I know several families who have made a very good living by buying underpriced homes, living in them and fixing them up, and then selling them when the IRS will allow them to do so without paying extra taxes. Clearly, these folks don't make any changes to these houses without carefully considering the bottom line.

After my Spokane adventure, I decided to learn from my mistakes, and find out how to stop losing money on houses. I read books by authors who are experienced in fixing and flipping houses - and then read them again. When I saw that most remodeling projects almost never recoup their costs when the house is sold, I was a little shocked, because I had been guilty of almost every mistake on the list at one time or another. I know many people who have also made the same mistakes, even when they started those remodeling projects with the intention of increasing the value of their homes.

When I bought my next house, I kept that list very firmly in mind. For instance, my kitchen was badly in need of a major overhaul, (or so I believed), and it was far too small. I pored over the latest home decorating magazines, and ideas came flooding into my head. I thought about knocking out some walls, and I even tried to imagine adding on to the house to make the kitchen bigger. New cabinets would be needed, and new appliances...

In the end I painted the kitchen cabinets and replaced the sink with a new one I purchased at Ikea. I covered the chipped orange Formica counters with printed cotton fabric, and coated it with many layers of water-based Verathane that was intended to protect wood floors. The complete "remodel" cost less than $400, as opposed to the thousands of dollars that I would have spent if I followed through on my idle dreams of a "perfect" kitchen. Since the house sold at a very good price within two weeks of listing it, my buyer obviously didn't mind that the kitchen didn't meet my idea of perfect. Because I kept my costs down, I made a handy profit on the sale.

Would I have been able to sell the house for more money if the kitchen had been remodeled and expanded? Perhaps, but not enough to cover the cost of the remodel. Although the National Association of Realtors lists a kitchen remodel as one of the projects that will increase a house the most, they still advise that you should expect to get back only 80% of the costs. If your new kitchen is far fancier, bigger, and more expensive than any other kitchen in the neighborhood, the returns will be even less. A full kitchen remodel can cost thousands of dollars, so the 20% you don't get back can be a big chunk of change.

Does this mean that you shouldn't make changes to your home that would make you happy? Not at all, especially if you intend to live there for many years. But it does pay to sit down with your spouse or partner before you start making your remodeling plans, determine exactly how long you'll be staying in the home, and then think about the full financial implications of the remodeling project. Even if you don't think of yourself as a professional house flipper, it might pay to slow down a bit and find ways to improve the home without spending money you'll never see again. As a bonus, your family might be able to avoid the stress and disruption of all that remodeling mess.

Home Improvement And Repair Projects Have Never Been More Popular And Easier To Accomplish

The popularity of HGTV (Home & Garden Television) has created a
thriving market in do-it-yourself home improvement and interior
decorating. All sectors of the home improvement industry have
benefited since HGTV started airing in 1975.

The real estate boom was followed by a home improvement boom.
People would buy a old house and want to redecorate the house
from floor to ceiling. People who had lived in their houses for
a while wanted new kitchen cabinets. The home improvement shows
were an impetus for a massive movement by homeowners to start a
remodeling revolution

The home improvements that people take on include makeovers from
the attic to the basement. They perform functional repairs like
fixing a leaky roof, replacing windows, and adding more room to the
house. Then there are the projects that are just for the
beautification of the home like updating kitchen, remodeling a
master bedroom.

Some people use home improvement as a creative outlet. They paint
and redesign just for the satisfaction of improving their living
space. HGTV has been a large contributor to the home improvement
revival.

HGTV reaches 89 million households every week and over 800,000
nightly prime time viewers. The format of the show has been copied
several times and spin offs like Trading
Spaces, Extreme Makeovers. Viewers sit for hours watching
"Design on a Dime" "Devine Design", "Landscapers Challenge".
The home improvement shows just keep coming.

HGTV provides instructions for thousands of home improvement projects.
They provide video clips for everything from garden projects to
constructing a bed. HGTV is the one-stop resource for finding anything
you need for expert help with "doing it yourself" projects.

HGTV makes home improvement look easy and fun. HGTV gives viewers
new ideas and inspires the week end warrior to do some type of home
improvement project. HGTV mission is "to provide ideas, information,
and inspiration for decorating and home improvement".

The impact that HGTV has on home improvement can be measured in these
statistics.

Furniture sales grew by 75%, between Between 1995-2005

Sales of home furnishings increased 97% in this same period.

These items included soft goods as well, carpets, lamps, area rugs,
linens, glassware

People all over the country are decorating their homes to look like
these superbly beautiful fantasy creations that they view on HGTV.
If you are not a "do it yourselfer" you can just imagine the way your

home might look when you go on tours of million dollar home all
across the country. You see people who look like you making grand
improvements to shacks that end up looking like your dream home.

HGTV has had a dramatic impact on the home improvement industry
because HGTV appeals to the age group of people who have the money
to pay for major home improvement projects. The demographics of the
typical HGTV is a female age 35-64 years old. Over 70% of HGTV
viewers are females.
That means that the female viewers are encouraging husband, fathers,
brother to do the work so they can enjoy the benefits.
The additional general consumer demographics for home improvement by
female indicate:

They shop more often

Visit more stores

Spend more than the typical shopper

The target demographic for the Do It Yourself Website is:

Homeowners

Ages 25-54

Incomes of $60,000

Internet access

Propensity for home improvement

The home Improvement Research Institute studies show that both men
and women are active participants in the planning of home improvement
projects as well as the purchase of those products used for
improvement.

Increasing the Resale Value of Your House

If you are looking some of the best ways to increase the value of your house so that you can sell it for maximum price then this article will make you aware of some of the best methods or ways to do it. By increasing the value of your house, you will not only be able to sell your house at a higher price but also you will be able to sell it quickly.

Adding colors to your house to make it look better. By just adding some innovative and complementary colors to your home, you can considerably increase the value of your home. Just a little experiment with colors can give you house an entirely new feel and look to your house. You can easily display paint feature walls, fresh colored flowers and add colored plant vases etc. A good paint is must to sell your house at a higher price.

You need to improve the smell of your house. Sometimes odors or stench tends to decrease the value of a house. This can prove to be a great turn off for the buyers. If you are looking for some of the most effective ways to overcome such a situation then these are, freshly paint walls, replacing carpets, getting your placer professionally cleaned etc. If you want to sell your house at good price then you need to have a look at it from buyer's perspective. You need to go an extra mile when you are trying to sell a house.

Try to get the best of the agents. If you are having a good real estate with you then you can sell the house in almost no time. You should select some time in searching for the best dealer. You should interview few agents before you finally select one. You can also approach the existing homeowners who have recently sold their house through agents.

You need to market your house in a better way. No marketing plan is generic you have to draw out a marketing plan that is specific. Be it fliers, doing open houses, print advertising etc. you need to develop specific plans.

If your budget allows then you should go for hiring an interior decorator. Being a professional, an interior decorator will make your house look best. Even though it may seem a bit costly to you, it will surely prove to be very helpful to you to get a good return.

Lighting Fixtures - Home Decor and Remodels Can Have Personality Without Sacrificing Cost or Quality

For the past 20 years the real estate market has experienced extensive growth until the market declined in the last few years. With this explosive growth also came an explosion of home décor, styling and lighting, which the average home owner could afford. Prior to this time most of the average buildings constructed showed little flair or imagination, with few exceptions, such as hotels, government buildings and wealthy estates.

The average home owner does not need to sacrifice with the home décor and lighting. The available choices of lighting range from the mass produced and cheaply made aluminum fixtures found in the big brick-and-mortar home improvement stores to custom crafted lighting imported from Europe. The latter will not be found in any hardware store, but in specialty lighting boutiques.

Most lighting fixtures will not break the bank, nor should it be necessary to skimp on quality. Specialty lighting houses will, of course, have the best and widest selection of styles. There are well over a hundred different manufacturers of lighting fixtures and lamps in the United States alone. Most lighting stores can not compete with the home improvement behemoths for square footage so will make up for that by having the need to sometimes cram as much as possible into a smaller space. For this reason alone these specialty houses rely on a myriad of catalogs. Many times the customer will be permitted to "check out" these catalogs as there is not a way to leaf through them all in a few minutes.

Surprisingly most of the lighting shops are quite good at minimizing the wait time for a light fixture order. Quite often the average shipping time can be as little as 3 days or so. For custom designed order a realistic time frame may be up to 6 to 8 weeks or more.

The customer should be prepared for the majority, if not all lighting stores, to normally require a deposit for any special order. The purpose for this down payment is to cover the minimal expenses which the store will incur in the event of an order cancellation. Many specialty boutiques may also assess a restocking fee in the event of an order cancellation as well.

When shopping for lighting fixtures, a prior special order cancellation may be available at a significant discount in order to move stagnant inventory. Should the customer decide to purchase a number of fixtures then price negotiating may also be an avenue for savings for the customer. The saying, "the more you buy, the more you save" can be applied to this situation.