Pricing it Right
Find out what your home is worth, then shave 10 to 15 percent off the price. By doing this you will get multiple offers on your home, even if the market is down. This in turn will actually get you the price that you want for your house. I think this is the single best strategy to sell a home in today’s market.
Clean out the Closets
One of the first things that buyers look at is storage. You can maximize this by taking half the stuff out of your closets and then organize what’s left. Buyers tend to look in every closet so be sure to keep them clean and tidy. This goes for your cabinets as well.
Brighten up the Place
Make sure you have plenty of light bulbs. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer wants to see when they walk in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine. The brighter your home looks the better the chances are that you will sell your home.
Hire a Good Agent
Don’t hire an agent that just puts their sign in your front yard. Make sure you have a broker who is totally informed. They must constantly monitor the multiple listing service (MLS), know what properties are going on the market and know the comps in your neighborhood. Find an agent that will use all the tools out there to sell your home.
Hide the Pets
Not everyone is a pet owner. Buyers don’t want to walk in your home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell the kitty litter box or have pet hair get on their clothes. It will give buyers the impression that your house is not clean. When you do an open house get a pet-sitter for the day.
Don’t over remodel
Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Big remodels for the most part are not worth it. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. (See our blog on remodeling) Instead, do updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout.
De-Personalize your home
One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff – put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes. You might want to consider a personal home stager for this. Staging simply means arranging your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space.
Kitchen
You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. There are many benefits to remodeling. Your return on investment will be anywhere from 65-85%. It may be a few thousand dollars to replace countertops where a buyer may knock $10,000 off the asking price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware. Use a neutral-color paint so you can present buyers with a blank canvas where they can start envisioning their own style. If you have a little money to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance. Why one? Because when people see one high-end appliance they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates the kitchen.
Always be ready to show
Your house needs to be ready show all the time. Your house has to be available whenever they want to come see the place and it has to be in tip-top shape. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will get your house sold.
Houses Sell on First Impressions
No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly colored flowers. You can typically get a 100-percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal. Make the entryway to your home more acceptable. Put away any coats, keys, etc that you usually have in your entryway.
