Are you thinking about selling your home? Whether it’s a “SELLER’S” market or a” BUYER’S” market you want to be prepared to give your home it’s best chance of selling quickly! Here are 10 things that you can do to help sell your home.
- Stage the interior as well as the exterior of your home. Both the interior and exterior of your home need to be considered and completed. (Declutter & Staging inside is next). The exterior may need fresh paint, immaculate landscaping and particular attention to the back of the house as the front! (Outdoor Furniture and a nice outdoor setting!)
- Declutter and Stage. Declutter means DECLUTTER. Pack up all your tchotchkes, personal pictures, “smalls” (which means any knick-knack’s laying around). Clean out the closets and start packing, donating or giving away. Put it all in a nice small area in the garage for an estate sale after you get a contract…but get it out of the house! Then you will want to stage every room. That means nothing on the counters in the kitchen and in the bathrooms…or at least minimal. You want the “buyers” to imagine the house as theirs …so simplify.
- Get real about pricing. REALLY. The truth is that everyone wants top dollar for their house, it is just human nature. What you want to do is be educated about the comparable sales in your area, which obviously affect the fair market value of your home. Ask your broker to get you a list of two or three similar homes in your area that have recently sold and consider pricing 10% below when you set your pricing. Of course, this is totally dependent on your market, days on the market and overall picture. The main point is that you want to be realistic. Consider getting a “pre-appraisal” so you have a professional appraiser that actually has access to all the sales in your market and can give you a totally non-biased number. (Remember that whomever you may sell to most likely will have a requirement by their mortgage company for an appraisal anyway!)
- Get active and understand the competition. Attend open houses in your area and do a reality check of exactly what it is that you are up against so you can work with your broker on a game plan to get your home sold. You may see something that you realize you need to change about your home to be competitive.
- Open Access to your home. The saying “homes don’t sell unless they are shown” is absolutely true so you want to do everything you can to make your home as accessible as possible. It’s okay to ask for two hours’ notice (if you have to), but keep in mind that the more limited you are the more chance you are taking on getting the home shown. Best rule: BE FLEXIBLE.
- Be ahead with condition. Consider having an inspection as soon as you list your home so you can get as many repairs done ahead of time. Also, you can have a termite inspection. You will have peace of mind and know exactly what you are dealing with instead of surprises coming later in the process. Go through your home and take care of any little nicks or scratches on walls and doors. You may want to consider some re-painting, particularly if you have some less than neutral colors. (Fresh paint in a home makes a HUGE difference!)
- Great Photographs. Be absolutely sure that your agent is having a professional photographer take pictures of your home and there should be at least 15 pictures. (Most FMLS sites allow at least 25 pictures). Ask to see some pictures or brochures of other homes the agent has listed or sold. Remember these pictures are what is going to be seen “ON-LINE” and 92% of house hunters are checking out listings on-line and viewed.
- Listen to your agent. Find an agent that you trust and who is a professional and follow their advice. Ask questions, be knowledgeable, but know that you need to rely on a professional realtor!