Selling your home should be an exciting time in your life. Many individuals decide to sell their homes because their family is growing, and they have outgrown their current home, or they are ready to downsize because their children are grown and have homes of their own. Regardless of the situation, the process of listing your home doesn’t have to cause you stress. The below guide is tried and true tips to help make selling your home a smooth process.
Hire an Experienced Real Estate Agent
Hiring a realtor to sell Working provides many benefits as well as removes the stress of selling your home off of your shoulders. An experienced real estate agent will be able to sell your home more quickly as well as negotiate a better price than if you were to sell your home on your own. A realtor has many tools available to them such as online listing tools that you would not have available to you such as MLS listing. Not to mention, they have a list of buyers looking for homes and your home may be exactly what they are looking for.
Your agent will be familiar with the local market and will be able to provide you with tips to prepare your home as well as helping with setting the right price. The price will be impacted by things such as the square footage of your home and comparable sales of homes in your area. Pricing your home correctly is a vital step in successfully selling your home.
An experienced realtor will also know what the best channels of marketing your home are. This includes online listings, social media, and video tours, in addition to a traditional showing or open house.
First Impressions Count When You List Your Home
The first thing that a potential buyer will see when they arrive at your home is how well your home has been kept up from the exterior siding, front entry, driveway, and your lawn and landscape. There is no need to be extravagant however be sure that your lawn is mowed, and that your bushes and flower beds have been tended and mulched. Also, consider power washing your driveway, sidewalk, and front porch. If your front entry is a deck or wood porch, consider a fresh coat of stain for a refreshed look. The first impression potential buyers have of hour home can make or break a sale so be sure to make it count!
A Little Bit of Paint Can Make a Big Difference
When preparing to sell your home, a little bit of paint can be a great improvement and increase the selling price of your home. With a little advice from an experienced Realtor, you will be able to change the look and feel of your home with a little bit of paint. Dark colors can make a room feel small so be sure to choose lighter neutral colors to make the rooms feel bright, clean, and happy. The paint you choose, with guidance from your realtor, may not be your style, but the goal is to appeal to more potential buyers.
A Home Feels Bigger With Less Distractions
Over the years we naturally begin to collect things in our homes. While this can make your home feel like home, it can also make your home feel small or cluttered to potential buyers. When a buyer comes into your home, you want to make it easy for them to envision what their things will look like in the space rather than what it looks like with your personal belongings in the space. Go through each room and remove personal items such as knickknacks and any items that are not essential to eliminate distractions for your potential buyers.
This same premise applies to every nook and cranny of your home including the pantry and closets. Potential buyers will open every door in your home so it’s best to get organized before you list your home.
Make Necessary Repairs to Eliminate Show stoppers
Renovating your entire home is not needed when you put it on the market to attract buyers, however, it is recommended to make any necessary repairs. This includes things like touching up settling cracks in walls, leaky faucets, or any repairs that may be called out by a home inspection. If you end up with a long list of things to do from a home inspector, the buyers will certainly use that to their advantage in renegotiating the sales price or worse yet, back out of the deal.
Top Renovations to Consider When Listing Your Home
Many home buyers will be focused on your kitchen. If there is one thing you may want to renovate this would be the top area to consider. The kitchen seems to be the area most families gather which means that people looking to buy a home will want a kitchen that is inviting. Updating your kitchen can be as simple as re-staining or painting cabinets and changing out the hardware. However, if your countertops are dated to the ‘70s, with Formica, you may consider replacing your countertops with a more updated look. This applies to appliances as well. Up to date and matching, appliances make a much better impression than outdated or non-matching appliances.
Hire a Cleaning Company
A clean home is not the same as a tidy home. While your home may be nice and tidy, putting a dirty home on the market will turn potential buyers off. The standard of cleaning required at this stage is of a professional level. While you may opt to use hacks, it may take you a lot of time and effort. We suggest hiring a professional cleaning company to take care of the task for you. A good deep clean is the best first step. Also, opt for weekly cleanings as long as your home is listed on the market to keep everything nice and clean.
Again, the goal is to ensure that your home is immaculate in appearance and in the way your home smells. A bad smell can drive a potential home buyer away. If your home has carpet, consider having your carpets cleaned as well.
Professional Photos and Video to Highlight Your Homes Features
The images and video tours you share on your home listing are usually the first things a prospective buyer will see. Many people that are looking to purchase a home start their search online and if the images or video you are using do not highlight the best features of your home, they may skip past your listing and opt not to have their realtor schedule a showing. This is why hiring a professional is so important. While this may be an extra expense, in the end, it will be more than worth it.
Time to List Your Home
Once you have gone through your home with the above home listing guide tips, it’s time to put it on the market! Luckily, you started the right way by finding the right realtor in advance and following recommendations on things that will make your home sell quickly. Listing your home doesn’t have to be stressful. At Summit Way Realty, we make the entire home selling and buying experience as stress-free as possible.
