When it comes to selling your home, do you know what you’re in for? Countless calls during the day and night, low-ball offers, stress, second guessing, anxiety and inconvenience , did I mention stress? Consider hiring a professional to handle all of this for you.
Whether it’s your first or fifteenth time selling your home, the experience can change every time. Buyers are unpredictable, and you never know what you’ll encounter with each one.
Here are my top 10 tips for selling your home.
#1 Gather all important information about your home. Documents, payoff, age, warranties, mechanics etc. Decide what goes with the home when it transfers.
#2 Know when to sell by determining when you want to be moved to your new home. Remember it takes 30-45 days to close, and that is after you spend some time marketing and showing. The higher the price, the longer you can expect to be listed. There are pro’s and con’s to different seasons. A real estate professional can discuss both with you.
#3 A pre-listing inspection is always a great idea. When I put my home on the market, I had a home inspection performed. The information prepared me for what to fix before a potential buyer came. It saved me over a $1000 to do the repairs myself rather than a buyer ask for repairs. Ask me who I recommend!
#4 Prepare your home to sell. It is crucial that certain steps be taken to list your home. Decluttering is number one! Your home should look like company is coming at all times. Fresh paint and a couple of new throw rugs, and some deep cleaning are low cost preparations that can get you top dollar.
#5 Pricing- This is the most critical step in selling your home. When your home goes on the market, you don’t want it to get overlooked because it is priced higher than other homes in the neighborhood. There are 3 ways to price your home. A) If you aren’t in a hurry to move, you may can afford to price a little above the comps. B) If you are in a hurry, price it just under the lowest comp. C) If you want to sell, but can afford to do it on your terms, price just below the highest comp. If you want to be confident in your price, consider hiring a professional appraisal. That step gave me complete peace of mind when I listed my home.
#6 Consider offering a Home Warranty with your home. It is a nice feature to offer and gives a buyer confidence that he is making a good decision, especially if you are asking top dollar.
#7 Ask your agent what places in your home need improvement. A professional agent can do a walk through and show you things you may or may not already know. A professional staging may not be necessary, be sure to ask your agent whom views homes on a regular basis.
#8 This one bears repeating. Keep the exterior and interior of you home show ready. Yes, it’s inconvenient, yes, it’s stressful, and yes, buyers requests of a showing is never the right time. If you turn down a showing, trust me, they are moving on to the next one. When a buyer is hot, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to let them make an offer on your property.
#9 Expect your agent to host one or multiple open houses. They can be hit or miss, but it just takes one buyer to buy your home.
#10 Most important tip: Hire a professional . It’s more than placing a sign in the yard. From professional pictures, to staging advice and marketing, I can get your home from listed to sold.