8 Useful Home Selling Tips
You’ve decided to sell your house and there’s so much to do. There is also plenty that you don’t know. Need some ideas on where to start? Here are eight home selling tips to help you prepare.
1. Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent
Almost 90% of home sellers hire a real estate agent, which is why this is number one on our list of home selling tips. There is plenty of things that need to be done, and it will be a lot for you to take on alone. You might as well get some expert help. A good agent will:
- Help analyze the market
- Set a listing price
- Market the property
- Hold open houses
- Juggle offers
- Handle contracts and trust funds
- Negotiate with the buyer’s agent
2. Price it Right
A top reason houses sit on the market, or don’t sell at all, is that they are overpriced. Any good list of home selling tips recognizes that modern homebuyers know the market price of the kind of home they want. An overpriced house could easily scare them away.
Your real estate agent will do conduct a comparative market analysis. This will compare recently sold or listed houses in the neighborhood with your property to figure out a fair, competitive asking price. The listing price is not based on what you paid when you bought it or how much profit you need.
3. Stop Thinking of it as “Yours”
You need to take the emotions out of the process to make smart choices. This will also help when you are getting ready for open houses. De-personalize and declutter so the house. This will make it look fresh and neat and ready for it to become someone else’s.
4. Make Over
One of the most cost-effective home selling tips is to be strategic in making repairs and upgrades. After all, you want your house to look its best. Florida is a very competitive market, so you need to step up your game.
Try looking at your house like a stranger would. There is sure to be old accumulated wear-and-tear damage you don’t notice anymore. Before any buyers steps foot in your house, fix any:
- Nail holes
- Ceiling stains
- Wall scrapes
- Loose door jams
- Damaged screens
- Leaky faucets
5. Pre-Move
Start on the moving process ahead of time. You want to minimize clutter as much as possible when staging for open houses. Consider putting in storage or donating things like:
- Old appliances
- Exercise equipment
- Off-season clothes and linens
- Grandma’s old rocking chair
- Artwork
- Photographs
- Souvenirs
- Toys
- Other non-essential items
6. Hire a Cleaning Crew
Now is the best time for deep cleaning. Make sure to get the spots you don’t typically clean, like:
- The baseboards
- Inside the kitchen cabinets
- Shower grout
- Ceiling corners
- Kitchen walls
- All the windows
You should consider hiring a professional crew. They will get all those hard-to-reach places and leave your house looking brand new.
7. Kitchens and Bathrooms
These rooms usually have the largest impact on home sales. This means you should ensure they look great. There are plenty of small things you can do to help them look their best:
- Get new towels
- Hide personal grooming products in attractive bins and baskets
- Move appliances and dishes you rarely use to storage
- Clean the inside and outside of the refrigerator, oven, and microwave
8. Stay Ready to Show
Your best chance for your house to shine is at the open house. Take them seriously. Stick with the staging tips your agent suggested.
Reduce the contents of closets and storage spaces to make them appear larger.
- Shampoo the carpets
- Simplify the décor
- Take out the trash
- Mow the lawn
- Remove pets, litter boxes, valuables, and prescription medicine
Remember, odors, like mildew, pet smells, and food odors, can repel prospective buyers from a nice house. Try to find, and eliminate, the sources of the smells. You can also light a scented candle or bake cookies before an open house.
Be ready for pop-in showings whenever an agent has buyers in the neighborhood. Lots of houses for sale will have key lock boxes at the front door. This way agents can show if even when the owner isn’t home. Every day, before you go to work, do a quick clean-and-straighten sweep. Have a plan, and supplies, for a fast clean up so you can get the house ready at a moment’s notice. Place attractive baskets in a couple of rooms to help hide your everyday clutter.
By following these home selling tips, you’ll be able to sell your home much faster and for a higher profit. We’d love to talk with you about your home selling needs, so give us a call today!