Every home seller wants their home to sell fast and for the highest possible price. How does that sound to you? To get top dollar in any marketplace takes planning and preparation to create maximum desirability in the eyes of potential buyers. You are entering a competition where home buyers will be comparing your home to 11-14 other homes on average, so it’s critical to prep the house properly and make it show remarkably well.
PLAN AND PREPARE – The first step in the process of selling your home often begins months before the property hits the market. It’s key to put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer and determine what needs to be repaired, cleaned, painted, or thrown out. Cosmetic improvements, such as paint, organizational solutions and landscaping help a home to show better and are usually solid investments. When you can demonstrate this ‘pride of ownership,’ potential buyers will see that you take good care of the home. If you need to rent a storage unit to de-clutter personal items and unneeded furniture, this will allow the home to feel larger with more open space.
DEFINE YOUR NEEDS AND RESONS FOR SELLING – While you’re in the preparation process, it’s important to write down all your reasons for selling the home and what it is that you expect to accomplish with the sale. This will help you to get clear on your goals. What is your time frame and what will the successful sale accomplish for you and your family? How much would you like to net from the sale? Work with your real estate agent to create a specific plan to achieve your goals and set a realistic time frame.
PRICE YOUR HOME – Pricing is the most important factor when it comes to selling your home. You may be tempted to just pick a sales price based on what you paid or what a neighbors property sold for. However, what you really want to ask is “how much will a ready, willing and able buyer be willing to pay for your home?” Having your agent do a ‘5-5-5’ with you is very helpful to show you the market trends of comparable homes that are currently active, pending and sold within 20% of the square footage and ideally within 1 mile of your property. You are always far better off to set a fair market price than setting your price too high. If your home sits on the market too long, buyers will naturally start to believe that something is wrong with the property.
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