What Should I List My Property at?
When deciding to list your property you will need to do a comparative market analysis to find out what the current average list price and sale price is in your neighborhood. A CMA is an estimate of a home’s value that is used to help sellers list their home and helps buyers make a competitive offer. Not only does square foot matter when pricing your home there are many other factors that consider when figuring out your list price. Does your home have a pool? What upgrades do you have in your home? Flooring/granite in kitchen and baths. Your lot size can matter as well depending on how much bigger/smaller your lot is compared to the others in the neighborhood.
What Do I Need to Do to My House Prior to Putting It on the Market?
As we always say do not judge a book by its cover, buyers tend to judge a book by its cover. You will want to make sure that your home has curb appeal! Make sure the flower beds have fresh mulch, fresh flowers and weeds are gone. Adding color to the flower beds can make your home pop. You will also want to consider pressure washing the walkways, driveways and remove any algae off the bricks. Believe it or not that goes along way for a low cost. When thinking of inviting your friends and family over you always make sure that the entry way is inviting, so why not do the same thing when listing your home? Make sure you clean off all the cobwebs around the door entry and adding a fresh coat of stain to the front door (if needed). You all want to make sure that any an all-loose handles or knobs are tighten and if you are aware of any issues go ahead and have them fixed prior to going active on the market to avoid any repair request or possibly termination during the contract process.
How Long Will It Take to Sell My House?
This all depends on the market and the average days on market for your subdivision and/or area. It is proven that when a home is staged appropriately, cleaned from outside to inside and priced correctly your home tends to sell faster than the homes that are not staged and overpriced. After your home goes under contract then you are typically looking at 30-45 for the lending process. Your agent will need to keep a close eye on the contract terms to avoid any delays.
Is Staging and Having Professional Photos Matter? (Declutter and Depersonalize)
Yes! Go through each room and remove excess stuff, you can donate it or put it instorag e. Less is more when staging your home. The buyers want to know that they have ample room to grow in the home and have plenty of room/storage for their items. You will want to depersonalize the home as well by removing family photos and any artwork with your family names on it. You want the home to be as neutral as possible so the buyer can visualize themselves in the home. Do a deep clean from ceiling to leaning out drawers in bathrooms and kitchen to flooring. Touch up any holes from hanging pictures or markings on the walls with a fresh coat of paint.
How Marketing Your Home Is Important?
Marketing is huge when choosing to sell your home. When choosing an agent, it is very important to ask them what his or hers marketing strategies are to get your home sold. Thereare several different avenues that are available to show off your home. You and your agent will want to make sure that the marketing strategies are inline with what type of property you have and set your budget accordingly. When you are doing social media or online marketing you have one shot for a buyer to want to schedule a showing, so make sure that your home description and professional photos are on point! Remember first impressions are everything.
Have an Exclusion List - What You Are Taking With You When You Move
As we know when purchasing anything nowadays, we always ask or read what comes with this purchase? So, make sure you have a written list handy to give to the buyers and your agent. When creating an exclusion list, you want to think about the items that you, seller, will be taking with you. These items can be a special ceiling fan, a foyer chandelier, built in refrigerators, mirrors, television wall mounts/brackets or any leased security systems that you will be removing from the property.
Have You Been Preapproved?
Prior to listing your home, you should reach out to a lender to make sure that you qualify to purchase another home if that is your intention, whether it’s around the corner, in a different city or state. The lender can also tell you if you are contingent on your current home selling. It is very important to know where you stand prior to making any decisions, so you can make the best decision for you and your family.
Showings and Open Houses (Belongings Up)
When you have showings, you will need to make sure that your home is “show” ready at all times. This means all beds made, nothing on the floors and everything is put away and tidy. If you have pets, you will also want to make sure they are put up or you can leave with them during the showing time. You will also want to make sure that your home has a clean fresh smell, so make sure you eliminate all odors.
Provide Your Property Details and Information!
When selling your home, it is important to gather as much information about the property as possible. Here are some items that the buyer or Realtor will need (if applicable):
- Any Foundation reports or repairs
- Transferrable warranties
- Age of the roof and A/C with any transferrable warranties,
- Any manuals for electronic and appliance that would be staying,
- Any 3rd party contractors (ie pool/septic/ well/electrician/plumbers/house
cleaning) - Insurance claims made against the property (roof, flooding)
- Current Survey
Final Thoughts
It is important to take time and consider all these steps when listing your home to maximize
your profit and help sell your home quickly. By careful planning and due diligence, you can
maintain a show ready quality house to ensure that you attract a larger number of inquiries. It
would be my pleasure to have a phone call or consultation with you about your real estate
needs.