Selling a house can be stressful. To ensure success, you’ll need to maintain your home meticulously while it’s on the market, declutter your spaces to create a spacious feel, and be prepared to vacate for showings. The aim is to minimize this stress by selling your home quickly and at the best price possible.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to improve your chances of achieving this goal. In this blog, we’ll outline the essential tasks to prepare your home for the market and offer valuable selling advice.
Find A Trusted Listing Specialist
Begin by selecting a listing agent familiar with your local market. A knowledgeable agent can guide you on setting the right asking price and effectively market your home to potential buyers.
When interviewing agents, inquire about their experience and recent sales history. This will help you assess their effectiveness in maximizing sale prices.
If you choose to sell without a real estate agent, be prepared to handle marketing responsibilities yourself, though this may limit your reach to potential buyers.
Do Your Research
If you don’t set the right asking price for your home, you’ll find it difficult to sell. It’s crucial to strike a balance—not too high and not too low. Luckily, you or your real estate agent can conduct research to help determine the optimal asking price.
- Research Comparable Properties
Appraisers evaluate comparable properties, or “comps,” to determine your home’s value. These are similar homes in your area that have recently sold. By studying comps, you can understand current market trends and gather ideas for your own property.
When touring comparable properties, take note of popular features and amenities. While you don’t have to copy everything you see, it provides insight into what appeals to buyers and what your competition is doing.
- Be Wary of Trends
Although it’s tempting to follow trends seen on social media, it can backfire. Trends are fleeting and may not resonate with all buyers. Additionally, making trendy updates can date your home, whereas classic styles have broader appeal and stand the test of time.
At Lucas Howard Group, our dedicated listing specialists are also here to help you sell your home! We can provide you with an update market analysis so you can make informed decisions.
Declutter And Stage
It’s essential to stage your house properly for viewings. This involves arranging your home differently than how you typically live in it.
Considering you may not have experience staging houses regularly, hiring a professional stager can be beneficial. They can offer advice on optimizing your space for potential buyers.
- Prepare for the stager’s recommendation to remove items, helping buyers envision their belongings and creating the illusion of a larger room.
- When staging, list your house on platforms like Zillow and Trulia for active buyer searches. Also, check and fix lighting to ensure all bulbs are working and of the right shade.
- Depersonalize by removing family photos and personal items to help buyers envision themselves living there, not as intruders.
- Remove all signs of pets before showings, including litter boxes, crates, food, and toys. Thoroughly clean to eliminate any pet odors.
Invest In A Deep Clean
For a successful sale, your home must be immaculate to impress potential buyers. A dirty or cluttered environment will deter buyers, making it essential to invest time or resources into a thorough cleaning before listing your home.
- Prioritize cleaning high-traffic areas such as the kitchen, closets, and bathrooms, as these spaces significantly influence buyers’ impressions. Ensure these areas are free from clutter and grime. Additionally, pay attention to details such as clean and polished floors, steam-cleaned rugs, and sparkling windows.
- You have the option to undertake the deep cleaning yourself or hire professional cleaners for a more thorough job. Whichever route you choose, a clean and well-maintained home enhances its appeal to prospective buyers.
Improve Curb Appeal
First impressions are crucial when selling your house. Start with the basics, such as ensuring a well-manicured lawn. Additionally, there are affordable ways to enhance your home’s curb appeal.
- Consider painting the front door in a trendy color or adding potted plants for a touch of vibrancy. Installing new shutters can also refresh the exterior appearance.
- Power washing can revive a grimy brick facade or aging deck, breathing new life into these surfaces.
- Even if you’re selling in the fall or winter, there are ways to boost your home’s exterior appeal.
Selling a house requires careful preparation and attention to detail to maximize its appeal to potential buyers. By following the steps outlined above, including finding the right listing agent, conducting thorough research, decluttering and staging the home, performing a deep clean, making strategic upgrades, and enhancing curb appeal, sellers can significantly improve their chances of a successful sale.
Despite the stress that often accompanies selling a home, taking proactive measures can expedite the process and help secure the best possible outcome. With proper planning and execution, sellers can navigate the real estate market with confidence and achieve their desired goals.
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