You’ve made the decision to sell, and have completed all the necessary paperwork. There are several ways to make your house more sell-able, and in turn, receive a top dollar offer. Here are some basic tips for preparing your home for showings:
Tidy your yard. Trimming bushes, cutting grass, clearing weeds and adding a few pots of brightly colored flowers can make your house so much more inviting.
Make sure your front patio and door are fresh and clean looking. Sweep area and repaint front door if necessary.
Get rid of clutter. Move unnecessary furniture into storage or into the garage and store out-of-season clothing. Clearing out spaces in rooms and closets can make your home appear larger.
Make minor repairs that can make a bad impression. Items such as torn screens, leaky faucets and drywall cracks can scare away a potential Buyer. Also remember to replace any burnt out light bulbs.
Make sure the house smells fresh and clean. Open a few windows, clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate odors, and consider soft candles or air fresheners to give an inviting scent.
Keep home in exceptionally clean condition. Make sure all windows and blinds are clean, and all switch plates, doors and molding are extra clean.
We hope these tips have been helpful to you. When visiting your home, we may share additional ideas that will help you prepare for showing your home and receiving top dollar.
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Pricing the home is Rule #1! With today’s improved market, many homes sell within the first 30 days, if priced correctly. Everybody wants to get the most they can for their house, but being realistic is the hardest but most effective tool you have.
Tip #2, don’t forget Rule #2!
Be ready and prepared on day one. Get needed repairs done and other musts like touching up paint, dressing up the flowerbeds, and thoroughly cleaning, etc. to give you the best shot at selling. A new listing can get the most activity in the first few weeks so waiting or using the old saying, “if the buyer wants that fixed, they will ask us for it and then we will do it,” is a no-no! This will just cost you money in negotiating. Don’t give them reasons to ask to discount price.
The longer the house sits on the market, the harder it is to sell. If a buyer sees a house for sale that’s been on the market for 100 days, the first question they will ask is, “Why has it been for sale so long? Is there something wrong with it?” So listen to your Realtor for advice on when to sell, what to price at, and what can be done to help sell it.
Companies don’t sell houses, experienced agents do! The days of the big brick and mortar real estate companies are over. How do you find houses when you look? THE INTERNET, that’s right! An agent that has a thorough online marketing plan with other up to date tactics is going to be the one that gets you the most exposure and your home sold.
Listen to Feedback from showings – Once you have your house on the market and you are getting showings, a good agent will get vital feedback from those showings and talk with you about how to solve those issues. If your being told to get rid of a smell in the house or get rid of some clutter in the great room, get on it and do it! Feedback is so important!
Social media works also – Once you list your home, your agent should share it on any social media they can so it keeps getting in front of people. A Facebook post of your house can get you 2000 views of your home in a week easily by potential buyers or friends of potential buyers or relatives of potential buyers (ok ok, you get the idea)! It does work!
Commissions are negotiable – Yes that right, negotiable. Talk with your agent about the fees. If you are buying another house after you sell, it’s only fair that the agent offers to help out some because they will make a commission also on the purchase side. Also, if the agent sells your home their self with no other agent involved, they will make the whole commission so sometimes your agent can be flexible on that as well. But do remember, agents are on 100% commission and no salary and part of that commission goes to a broker, so they have to make money to survive too but at same time, be fair too.
Back to tip #8, Chris Farm offers flexible commissions to sell your home. I will be as fair as I can to help you net more on your sale so you have more money in your pocket. Some companies want to charge outrageous fees to sell your home. I don’t think that is right and I will try my best to make it fair for both of us.
Last but not least, first impressions mean a lot– The first time a buyer sees your house, either online or in person, is a very important and quick time to make a statement. So do your best to make your home’s curb appeal pop, your online listing photos look amazing, and when they walk through your home, make them say wow!
