When it comes to selling your home, preparing to list it on the market can quickly become overwhelming when you aren’t exactly sure where to start. At Marsh Landing Realty, we understand the need to sell quickly to receive top dollar, so with the proper approach and a little effort, your home can be sold in no time AND at a competitive price. Keep reading to see some of the best-kept secrets when it comes to selling your home.
First Impressions Are Key
No matter how amazing the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they even walk through the door. Most likely you never have a chance to make a first impression again, so ensuring the exterior of your home is in the best shape possible is a great place to start when listing your home. A few easy fixes like trimming your lawn, cleaning up extra clutter that’s laying around, and planting some fresh flowers are all inexpensive ways to boost your curb appeal.
Make Sure to Hire the Right Agent
Most of the time, the number one reason for losing a deal is working with the wrong real estate agent. If your agent is unresponsive, inexperienced, or isn’t aggressive, you could potentially lose out on a lot of money. Make sure to do your due diligence in researching the best fit for you by comparing prices for services and reading agent reviews.
Price It Right
Hiring the right agent will also help you when it comes to listing your home and pricing it right. Depending on the current market and comparable prices in your area, it’s common practice for agents to list your home a little under market value to try and attract more buyers and create a bidding war. Once that happens, oftentimes buyers will sense the competition and end up bidding above the selling price in order to land the deal.
Aways Be Ready to Show
One of the more challenging aspects of selling your home is making sure it’s always in tip-top shape and ready for potential buyers to walk through the door at any time. If you want to sell quickly, you will need to be available to leave at any given moment. Little things like making sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners, the dishes are always cleaned and out of the sink, and the bathrooms are sparkling clean area great ways to ensure your house is cleaned at all times.
Conceal Your Pets
When it comes to pets, not everyone is a dog or cat lover, and many buyers do not want to walk into a home and see a bowl full of dog food, smell cat litter in the bathroom, or see dog hair all over the furniture. A lot of times it will give potential buyers the impression that your house is not clean. If you are planning an open house or have a morning filled with showings, consider taking your pets to doggie day care for the day or make arrangements with a neighbor so that you are able to give buyers the best impression of your home.
De-personalize Your Home
Another really important part of listing your home is de-personalization. Many buyers want to visit your home and also imagine themselves living there. Remove all personal photos, memorabilia, and personal keep sakes and put them away or place them in storage. Consider hiring a home stager to maximize the full potential of your home.
Prioritize the Kitchen
Believe it or not, the kitchen is considered the biggest value driver in your entire house. Many buyers will bid higher or lower depending on the condition and upgrades in your kitchen. If there is any space you want to consider upgrading before you sell, this is the area to concentrate on. Small upgrades like repainting the cabinets and adding new hardware all can go a long way towards your overall home value and won’t break the bank.
Half-Empty Out Your Closets
Storage is always something many buyers are looking for and can usually never have enough of. If possible, remove half of the stuff in of your closet and neatly organize the rest. Many buyers will snoop, so an organized and tidy closet can help show potential storage space and lead to an even higher bid.
At Marsh Landing Realty, we understand that not everyone knows where to begin when it comes to listing and selling your home and for some, it can be a daunting process if you don’t have the proper help. All of our agents have the experience needed to help you walk through the process from beginning to end. Contact us today to get started!
