TEN THINGS YOU MUST DO WHEN SELLING YOUR HOME
In a buyer's market, such as the market we are currently in, selling a house can be a bit more challenging. Buyers can pick and choose, so sellers need to do the little things to stand out among the rest. Here are ten things to consider doing in order to greatly improve your chance of selling your house quickly.
1. Hire a Realtor: A good real estate agent will help you prepare your house to show to buyers, take care of advertising and open houses, and generally alleviate hassles for you. Find a realtor whom you can communicate well with, someone who will keep you abreast with all feedback from prospective buyers, be it positive or negative feedback. You want a realtor who really has an effective marketing plan and is looking out for your best interests. This Realtor will bring you the most money in the shortest amount of time with the least amount of problems.
2. Make the outside attractive: If the yard is a mess, people are going to be less likely to want to see the interior of the house. Some simple things that can be done are keeping the lawn mown, trimming the hedges, cleaning the weeds around the flowerbed and in the yard, applying new mulch to the flowerbeds, sweeping the sidewalks and driveway. More involving things can include driveway repair, power washing the siding, and repairing that collapsing stonewall. Give the prospective buyers a reason to really anticipate the interior.
3. Remove clutter: Clutter makes the house seem smaller and also less inviting to prospective buyers. Items you don't want can be given to charity or discarded. Or hold a tag sale on a good weekend and get a little cash for your junk, provided it is still usable. Clutter you want to keep but do not need immediately can be packed in boxes or storage crates and stacked off to the side or in a storage area. A good method to keeping track of what things are in them without a lot of writing is to number each crate and to write its detailed inventory on a separate pad of paper.
4. Neutralize any smells: A smell of cigarette smoke can be a turn-off to a non-smoker. If you have pets, the smell of pets could also turn someone who does not have pets off. Smells such as dirty laundry, mold, and the like should not be tolerated. We tend to get used to smells we are familiar with and tend to no longer notice them. The trouble is, the potential buyers will. Ways to deal with smells include keeping windows open to air out the house, and removing the source of the smell if possible.
5. Clean the interior: Hire a professional cleaner to wash the walls, vacuum the floors, shampoo the rugs, etc. Remove dirt from under appliances and from the edges and crevices in rooms. Doing this will not only brighten up the house but will also make the house look like it is well maintained and in good condition. Another thing to do is to "neutralize" the house; removing artwork, personal photos, cards, etc. It makes it easier for prospective buyers to picture themselves living in the house.
6. Inspect the house: Sometimes something as minor as a creaky floorboard, a broken light switch, peeling paint, or a leaky faucet can cripple your chances of selling your house. Look around for the little things that you may take for granted and ignore. The buyer may see that room you seldom use as an important room, for instance. Look for dirty or stained carpeting, dirty walls, peeling ceiling paint, or any other little thing that needs attention. Then set aside an evening or a weekend to address these concerns.
7. Don't neglect the obvious: Even if you neglect the little things, you still have a chance of selling the house. But if the broken or neglected thing or area is something that obviously needs fixing, especially if it is something anybody can do, it sends a conflicting message to the prospective buyers. Subconsciously, they will start to wonder what the next surprise will be. A lot of first time homebuyers barely have enough money to buy the house and are not about ready to have to invest in any unforeseen repairs.
8. Invest in renovations, if necessary: Does the carpet need replacement? Are the walls in need of repainting? Even if they are clean, a bizarre paint color may not appeal to a wide spectrum of people. If something is in need of major repair, you have a choice; either have it fixed or sell the house as a handyman's special; basically selling the house at a discount price with the understanding that the buyer will be responsible for the repairs. If the buyer has less than perfect credit, he may not be able to secure another loan for repairs and may be turned away. You would have to weigh the pros and cons of each option and see which one makes more sense.
9. Proper pricing: Don’t let the past market conditions lead you to overpricing your property. What it could have sold for in previous markets is not how you should base your asking price. If your home is in the proper condition to receive buyers for showings, you are ready for the important step of establishing your position in the marketplace. Buyers are comparison shoppers. With all the properties on the market, you have to compete for that ready, willing and able buyer. Your marketing position will dictate the number of prospects drawn to available homes in your area. If priced too high, only a few prospects may be interested, whereas, if priced attractively, you may have many prospects.
10. Making Your Home Available: You must make your home available for showings. Top agents will not show homes that they must search high and low for the key and access - they do not have time to rush around town all day chasing down and dropping off house keys. If you will be home during a showing, then put on some soft music and take a walk when the potential buyers come through, letting the buyer be at ease and letting the real estate agent do his or her job. Selling your home quickly can be a benefit if you need to leave immediately, but can cost you thousands of dollars. A buyer sensing the seller is distressed will make a lower offer. This is why pricing correctly is important - you should know all there is to know about the market before listing and work hand in hand with your agent.
So there you have it, the ten basic things you can do to improve your chances of selling your house.
