Tips
Right Pricing is a Selling Secret.
Get an estimate of your home’s value, and knock down 15 percent to 20 percent from that. Even in the worst markets, you may expect a swarm of purchasers to outbid each other, driving the price much above fair value. In today’s market, this is the single most effective way to sell a home, yet few sellers have the guts to try it.
Closets with only half of their contents are a Selling Secret.
Every purchaser needs storage space, yet there’s never enough of it. Get rid of half of the clutter in your closets and then neatly arrange the remaining items. You should expect buyers to open your closet and cupboard doors.
Marketing Tip: Turn on the Lights
Use as much natural light as possible. All homebuyers agree that ample natural light is second only to a desirable location when it comes to selecting a new residence. Remove the blinds, wash the glass, swap out the lamp covers, use brighter light bulbs, and trim the hedges to let in as much natural light as possible. Make your home as lively and light as possible, as this will increase its marketability.
Play the Agent Field, a Selling Secret
Hiring the incorrect broker is a secret sale killer. Get a broker that knows everything there is to know about the market. They need to be on top of the market by keeping tabs on the MLS and being familiar with recent sales and listing prices in the area. Look for a real estate agent who is not afraid to employ new technologies; a broker who is well-versed in the digital realm will have access to a wider range of marketing strategies.
Hiding pests is a selling secret.
You might assume a cute puppy would woo potential customers, but that assumption would be inaccurate. Some people just can’t stand either dogs or cats. Prospective buyers will be turned off by the presence of pet food bowls, litter boxes, and pet hair when touring your house. Potential buyers will assume that your home is dirty because of this. Send the pets to a pet motel for the day if you’re having guests over.
Don’t over-upgrade is the Selling Secret.
Immediate repairs before to listing always yield positive results. Extreme renovations are not recommended. If you make significant improvements to your home before putting it on the market, you won’t likely receive your money back. Instead, invest in renovations that will increase your home’s resale value. The walls need to be repainted. Curtains should either be cleaned or replaced with cheap new ones. Clean the grout, replace the leaky faucets, and install new door handles or cabinet hardware.
Take the “home” out of “Selling Secrets”
When trying to attract buyers, removing personal touches from a home is a must. More sentimental items in your home make it harder for potential buyers to see themselves there. Reduce your possessions by a third and store the rest. Personal artifacts, photographs, and collections of mementos all fall into this category. If you want to get the most out of your house’s selling potential, you might choose to hire a home stager. The term “staging” refers to the process of strategically placing furnishings to highlight the layout and make the most of available room.
The Bolden home was refurbished by Ben and Erin Napier, as seen on Home Town. Walls were knocked down to make place for new, more functional plumbing and electrical outlets, and all new appliances and fixtures were installed in the kitchen and bathrooms. (After 2)
Home Staging Must-Haves: 15 Items and 15 Pictures
These home-staging guidelines will help you emphasize your home’s positive features while downplaying any negatives, attracting the largest potential pool of purchasers.
The Kitchen Comes First in the Selling Secret
When selling a home, the kitchen is the main selling point, much more so than the rest of the property. There is no limit to the good that comes from updating your kitchen, and the best thing is that you can recoup as much as 85 percent of your investment. While new countertops might only cost a few thousand dollars, a buyer might demand a $10,000 price reduction if they see an outdated kitchen. Painting and installing new cabinet hardware are the quickest and least expensive ways to modernize your kitchen. Use a neutral hue of paint so that potential buyers may easily picture their own furnishings and decorations in the space. Spend it all on one high-end stainless steel appliance if you can. Just one? Because it gives the impression that the rest of the appliances in the kitchen are equally high-priced and modern, and because it does.
Always be prepared to exhibit, according to the Selling Secret
Since you can never predict when a potential buyer may visit your home, you should always have it in “show-ready” condition. You need to be accessible at any time they request a viewing and the property needs to be in pristine condition. Don’t leave dirty dishes in the sink, always empty the dishwasher, make sure the restrooms are spotless, and eliminate dust bunnies from their hiding places. Although inconvenient, this is the best way to sell your home.
The maxim that “first impressions are lasting impressions” is a selling secret.
Buyers have already formed an opinion of your home’s quality before even setting foot inside. Making a good first impression is crucial. When guests arrive at your home, you want them to feel comfortable and secure. Add some color and curb appeal to the outside of your home with low-cost shrubs and colorful flowers. The return on investment for improving a home’s curb appeal is typically 100%. Access points are also crucial. You put your coat and keys there for convenience. Make it more inviting by adding a little bench, a vase of fresh flowers, or perhaps some cookies if you’re trying to sell something.
Steps
Determine when you want to sell your house.
Depending on the local market conditions, the process of selling a home can take several months or even longer. Therefore, it is prudent to prepare in advance and maintain order.
As soon as you make the decision to sell your home, you should begin looking for a real estate agent (see Step 2) who has the appropriate experience for your needs. But don’t leave it at that.
Get a pre-sale house inspection at least two or three months before you plan to list. This is not required, but it can help you pinpoint the source of any troubles you’re having. Don’t rush into repairing something that needs time.
Start sprucing up your home for selling photos about a month in advance by giving it a thorough cleaning. To present your property in its best light, eliminate unnecessary belongings and consider placing them in storage.
2. Work with a market-savvy broker
The internet facilitates research on a real estate agent’s background, allowing you to make an informed decision about who to choose. Agents’ internet profiles should include information about their experience, sales volume, and professional certifications. Inquire about the listing’s marketing strategy and the quality of the photographs.
To avoid paying a real estate agent’s commission, some homeowners may decide to sell their property on their own. It’s being sold “for sale by owner,” or FSBO. The amount a seller can save on fees, typically 2.5% to 3% of the sale price, can be in the thousands of dollars. However, the seller is still responsible for paying the commission to the buyer’s agent. For instance, they can advertise your home to the widest potential audience and handle all of the haggling to get you the greatest price. If you decide to sell your property on your own, you’ll be responsible for everything from preparing it for the market to analyzing offers to negotiating terms and conducting the closing. Remember that real estate commissions are usually open to discussion when working with a broker or agent. So, you could possibly score a discount at the deal’s last stage.
3. Choose which features to upgrade and which to keep
Make sure the enhancements you make will yield a substantial profit before shelling out cash for them. For example, if you’ll only be able to break even or even lose money on new granite countertops, there’s no need in installing them. In addition, if there is a shortage of homes for sale in your area, these renovations might not even be necessary to get your asking price. A reliable real estate agent can advise you on whether or not certain repairs are necessary, based on the standards of the local market.
Kitchen and bathroom renovations typically have the best resale value. DIY initiatives that don’t break the bank can also have a big impact: Low-cost ideas to make a good first impression include applying a new coat of neutral paint and tidying up the landscaping.
A pre-sale house inspection is another viable choice. Although not required, this may be a good idea, especially for older properties. A thorough inspection report that details any serious issues will set you back a few hundred dollars. You’ll be forewarned of problems that purchasers will likely raise during their own inspection, saving you time and energy. Fixing up the house at the same time as making other pre-sale preparations might increase the likelihood of a quick sale. Then, when you’re ready to put your home on the market, you can do so knowing that it will sell smoothly and promptly.
4. Establish a fair pricing
Even in highly competitive markets, customers still want to avoid spending more than necessary. Underestimating a home’s value could mean leaving money on the table, while setting the bar too high can backfire. Use comparable properties (comps) to set a fair price for your house right away. You can use the prices of previously sold homes in your area to determine a fair asking price for your own property by comparing it to the prices of similar homes in the area
Furthermore, purchasers may see repeated price decreases as a sign that there is something fundamentally wrong with the house. Avoid having to make several price reductions by setting the initial asking price at a level that will appeal to the largest number of potential purchasers.
When advertising your home online, it’s important to utilize high-quality images.
Here, your real estate agent will submit your property to the local multiple listing service. For those of you who are ready to put your house on the market, here are some suggestions:
Schedule a professional photographer to take marketing shots of your home by coordinating with your real estate agent. High-quality photographs are essential in today’s market, when most people start their search for a new home online. A trained photographer can make any space look larger, brighter, and more inviting. Your yard and outdoor spaces are no exception.
Optimize for online visibility: You’ve definitely heard of curb appeal, but experts say that nowadays it’s even more crucial to have a good internet presence. According to NAR, 96% of homebuyers use the Internet to research properties. Guerra believes that the internet is “the first showing” of your house. “The quality of your web presentation will determine whether someone calls and makes an appointment or clicks the next listing.”
