6 Best-Kept Secrets to Selling Your Home
Are you thinking of selling but feel overwhelmed and like you’re forgetting the crucial steps you have to take when you list your condo? We know you want to sell in record time and for top dollar, but you may feel a little stressed right now. With the proper approach and a little effort, your home can be sold in no time at a competitive price. Keep reading to find out our 6 best-kept secrets to selling your home.
Price it Right
First, find out what your home is actually worth (you can use our free home valuation HERE). This will help you determine the strategy you want to take to attract more buyers. Below are the three stategies to pricing your home:
- Overpricing: The first way to price your home is to overprice it. This is the "old-fashioned way" to price your home. Many want to price their homes above market value and leave some "wiggle room" for the buyers to make an offer. However, in today's market this is not the most effective strategy as buyers are now very educated. If they perceive your home as overpriced, they often will not even come look at your home. The biggest problem with this method is that your ideal buyer may not even realize that your home is on the market because they are only looking in their very specific price point, so you are likely to miss out on your ideal buyer if you overprice the home.
- Price It At Market Value: After we perform a home valuation report, we would provide insight on what we feel is the selling price of your home, and price it at that price. This will bring many people to view the property and hopefully an offer very close to your listing price. When priced just right, you are likely to sell your house at listing price!
- A Bit Below: In this case, buyers will bid above the price of what your home is actually worth. By creating a sense of competition, you will ultimately increase the price that buyers are willing to pay. Many sellers are hesitant to price their home below what the market value is, but this is one of the best strategies to take when trying to sell your home.
De-Personalize your home
One important tip to take note of when trying to sell your home is to ”take the home out of your house” and de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your home, the less that potential buyers can visualize themselves living there. You should be getting rid of or storing a third of the stuff in your home. Some specific things to take out include family photos, personal keepsakes, any distinctive family items, as well as pets. You may think that everyone would love to see your cute little pup but not everyone loves dogs or cats. Make sure to hide any pet food bowls, kitty litter box, and pet toys and take your pets to a friend’s house or a pet hotel during your open house.
Light it up
Did you know we’re psychologically programmed to move toward light? It’s true, Nobody likes a gloomy or a dark room! Good lighting is something every buyer wants in a home, and the right lighting has the power to liven up and add style to a home. So open those curtains, clean the windows, increase the wattage of your lightbulbs and trim bushes to allow the most light. Whether you have to create light or showcase the natural light, focus on making your home bright and cheery in order to sell it faster.
Hire a tech-savvy listing agent
The person you hire for the job could make or break the sale of your home. Your agent should be not only extremely knowledgeable about the MLS and comps in your neighborhood but also tech-savvy. Agents who embrace technology have many tools to gain digital exposure for your home. Sticking a for sale sign in your yard and relying only on traditional advertising methods is not enough anymore. Versatility and innovation are key qualities modern listing agents must have in our digital world.
Focus on the kitchen
Your kitchen is arguably the most important room in your home to a buyer. If you do remodel your kitchen, there’s a good chance you will recoup most of your investment during the sale. You could spend a few thousand dollars on necessary updates but if you don’t, a buyer may knock $10,000 off the asking price if your kitchen looks dated. The fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include a fresh coat of paint and new cabinet hardware. Use a neutral paint color so buyers can envision themselves making the space their own.
Always be ready to show
Your house needs to be "show-ready" at all times. You have to be available whenever they want to come see the place and it has to be in immaculate condition. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep visible surfaces decluttered and make sure the bathrooms sparkle. It’s a little inconvenient, but it will get your home sold.
We realize that not everyone knows where to even begin when preparing their home for sale. For some, it is a daunting process if you don't have help. Please consider a pre-listing consultation where we can explain all that we do to help you become a home-seller. Make An Appointment by clicking HERE.