5 Things You Should Know Before Listing Your Home For Sale
2018 is almost here, this is the time when everyone begins to think about what they want to do better in the coming year. Some of you are thinking about selling your home and buying a new one. Selling a home can be an emotional, exciting, and stressful time. Believe me I do feel your pain. I recently moved to a new state with my husband and two kids. Wondering what you should do to sell your home? Before you list your home for sale, follow these 5 simple steps to make your home selling process a smooth one.
1. Organize your belongings
We all accumulate things we don't really use. You know what I mean...that box of stuff you have but haven't used in 5 years. Or the clothes that are cluttering up your closet that you just know you are not going to wear again. You can organize your belongings by starting four separate piles, one for what you are going to keep. Two for what you are going to donate. Three for what you are going to sell, and four for what you are going to throw away. By clearing out what you do not need, you will be able to cut cost on your moving expenses.
2. Hire a Certified Home Stager
A home stager is your personal home advocate. A professional home stager can research your area and provide insightful information of what your target market is for your home. The stager can provide you a home evaluation report that gives you step by step advice on what items to fix up to gain top dollar on your home. Your home stager will provide you with the advice you need, and help you think like a buyer. A home stager will setup emotional connection points for the buyers to fall in love with your home. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 77% of home buyers stated that staging a home made it easier to visualize the property as their future home. In addition, a survey conducted by Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. noted that staged homes on average sell 6% above their asking price.
3. Hire a Realtor
Your realtor will have insight about the market and comparables in your area, provide negotiation for offers, and provide advice on how much you should list your home. Listing your home for the right prices is extremely important. If it list too high it doesn't matter how good it looks it will still sit on the market and you may have to eventually drop your listing price. It is better to list for the right price and get multiple offers. In most markets your agent will provide professional photos for your listing and provide marketing for your home. This is very important since over 90% buyers check listing photos online before deciding to visit your home. You only have one time to make a first impression.
4. Clean and Declutter
You know what most people like about model homes (other than the beautiful staging)? Model homes are clean and there is no clutter. Sometimes sellers forget that when buyers view a home with all the personal items and too much clutter it makes the buyer feel like they are peaking at someone else's space (and not their own future home). Take the time clean, and start packing items that are not needed during the selling process. After all you do believe you are going to sell your home, so why not plan ahead and pack. Don't forget to declutter your countertops, closets, and remove personal items (i.e. personal pictures). Believe me decluttered spaces will make your rooms feel larger.
5. Don't forget to fix broken or damaged items in your home.
Buyers will place a much higher price tag for fixes, which in turn may make them walk away from putting an offer on your home. Make the needed repairs prior to listing, it will be much cheaper then a sales price reduction.
Following these 5 simple steps will help you get top dollar for your home. Subscribe to our blog to get more free tips. Until next time, I wish you and your family a Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Monique
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