The appearance of your home and other considerations will affect the sale. Home prices in your neighborhood and the value of your property are also sales factors.
HomeSmart Realty offers the specialists who can answer your questions, apply our in-depth knowledge of current market conditions, and access extensive resources that can expedite the sale of your home.
The experience can be filled with ups and downs, but HomeSmart Realty has the qualified real estate professionals who will guide you through the process.
Here are a few tips to help you:
- Decide what price you’re going to ask for the home, an important and difficult decision. Buyers select by comparison shopping, so your home will have to have a fair market price. What have similar homes in your area sold for? Have homes in your area been increasing or decreasing in value? Realty Agent can help you determine the market value while still obtaining the top-dollar price for your property.
- When selling your home, put forth the very best product. Buyers come for a careful inspection. Outside, paint the trim, clip the hedges, mow, edge, and weed the lawn. Inside, lighten up dark corners, add some fresh paint and put the clutter away to give rooms an open feeling. (See Improving the Value of Your Home below)
- Make sure there are no stale odors in the home. This can be especially important for remote areas such as a basement or attic. On the day of your open house, bake some cookies or bring in some fragrant fresh flowers.
- Bring your home to the buyer, count on a real estate professional who makes the best use of TV and newspaper ads, and uses state-of-the-art techniques such as an interactive voice-response system, a front end MLS system and the internet. Have a number of open houses to expose your property to a wide variety of window shoppers.
- When you get an offer, you have three options: accept the offer, reject the offer or give a counter offer. A counter offer usually will encourage a buyer to continue negotiations. You may also receive multiple offers. You may prefer to take slightly less for your property from someone who is willing to pay cash, versus someone who needs to sell their current home first. Contingencies, move-in dates, and financing are all things to consider when weighing an offer.
- Once you’ve accepted an offer, there will be an inspection of your home by a professional who determines the condition and integrity of your property for the buyer. The buyer’s mortgage company may chose to send out an appraiser who will assure the lender of your property’s worth. The title company will warranty that there are no liens or existing encumbrances which would inhibit a transfer of title to the buyer. You or the buyer may chose to be represented by an attorney. First time sellers and buyers often feel more comfortable to have the paper work reviewed prior to signing.
Improving the Value of Your Home
Here are some easy things you can do to make your home more appealing to buyers!
Outside:
More than half of all houses are sold before the buyers even get out of their cars. So stand across the street from your house and review its curb appeal.
- Sweep front walkway.
- Remove newspapers, bikes and toys.
- Park extra cars away from the property.
- Trim shrubs.
- Apply fresh clean paint throughout.
- Clean windows and window coverings throughout.
- Keep plumbing and all appliances in working order.
- Maintain all sealants (window, tub, shower, sink, etc.) in good condition.
- Make sure roof and gutters are in good condition; no repairs needed.
- Mow the lawn more frequently and plant flowers.
- Keep pet areas clean.
Inside:
- Kitchen and bathrooms should shine.
- Carpets should be clean.
- Place fresh flowers in the main rooms.
- Put dishes away, or set a formal display for decoration.
- Make beds and put all clothes away.
- Open drapes and turn on lights for a brighter feel.
- Straighten closets.
- Put toys away.
- Turn off television.
- Play soft music on the radio/stereo.
- Keep pets out of the way and pet areas clean and odor-free.
- Secure jewelry, cash, prescription medication and other valuables.
- Enhance the spaciousness of each room. Pack away collectables to allow buyer to envision their own furnishings in home.
Important Reminders:
- Potential buyers usually feel more comfortable if the owners are not present on their open house visit.
- If people unaccompanied by an agent ask to see your property, refer them to your real estate professional for an appointment.
- Leave a number where you can be reached if you are leaving town, even for a weekend, real estate deals can move very fast.
There are no guarantees a buyer will walk through your door. Sometimes you have to bring your home to the buyer. Effective marketing will help.
