Home selling basics

It’s that time of year again.  Many home owners, just like you, are getting ready to put their houses on the market.  One thing I’ve learned over sixteen-plus years of home selling is that there are different strategies to achieve the same result.  Basically, there is no “one way” to sell your home.  But, if you look beyond the gimmicks and tactics promising to sell a home faster and for more money, the basics are essentially the same.  In other words, focus on home selling basics to increase home buyer traffic and possibly get a better price.

Prepare for home selling

Most would be home sellers don’t realize that selling a home is a process.  Preparing your home can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.  Focusing on home selling basics will not only get you excited about selling your home, but can help your home sale results.

Preparing your home to sell can be a costly endeavor, especially if your home has a lot of deferred maintenance or lacks updates.  However, the obstacle of selling when your home is in need of attention can be overcome by pricing it with its condition in mind.

Regardless of your home’s condition, it should still be neat and clean.  This means decluttering.  Decluttering is a process of prioritizing and clearing out unnecessary items from your home.  Removing unneeded items and furniture from your home will make your home feel larger and organized.  You don’t necessarily have to throw out these items, you can decide to make charitable donations and/or store them until you move.

People talk about “Neutralizing” a home to take away personal affects from the home.  It basically strips away the things you did to personalize your home.  Neutralizing applies to paint schemes, decor, wall hangings, flooring, etc.  It may sound extreme, but neutralizing your home will allow home buyers to envision how they can live there. Although your proud how to show your personal touch by displaying trophies, awards, diplomas, family and personal photos, these should be removed because they can distract home buyers’ attention.

Should you stage your home?  Maybe.  Staging can be another home selling expense you’re not prepared for, but it can help sell your home faster.  You can hire a professional stager or interior designer for the total staging experience.  However, staging doesn’t have to be expensive.  Some staging or design professionals can provide you a list of recommendations for a nominal fee.  If you’ve already decluttered and painted a room or two, you’re well into the first phase of staging.  Although some home sellers decide to rent furniture for their home staging (which can also be expensive), it’s not an absolute.  Once you remove the unnecessary furniture, the remainder may just need rearranging.

Don’t let your home’s exterior can turn away potential buyers before they get inside.  Even if you spend lots of time and money on preparing your home’s interior, it may not matter if home buyers don’t make it inside.   Many home buyers decide if they like a home by its exterior appearance.

Improving your home’s curb appeal is similar to preparing the interior.  Take care of deferred maintenance and declutter the exterior.  Believe it or not, landscaping is a key factor to attract buyers when home selling.  Make sure the lawn is cut regularly, and don’t over-crowd the flower beds and shrubs.  Trimming back trees will not only add to your manicured landscape, but it will also make your home easier to see from the street.

Once your home is one the market, consider having an open house.  The open house is more important today than it has been in decades.  Consider that contemporary home buyers are taking control over their home search.  Besides searching listings on their own, many will visit open houses on their own as well.  Deciding to not have an open house eliminates many potential home buyers from seeing your home.

Home selling basics is about safety too.  Selling your home means having people whom you don’t know visit your home, mostly when you’re not there.  Having unknown people walking through your home increases the chance of things going missing.  Don’t tempt would be thieves by leaving money, jewelry, medicines, or any other valuables on display.  Don’t just put your valuables away, lock them in a safe place.

But in the end, home selling basics comes down to the price.  Home buyers are savvy and know value.  In this market, it’s easy to get big eyes and over-price your home.  Making the mistake of over-pricing your home can stretch out the days-on-market and test your nerves.  Instead, decide on a list price that is consistent with recent neighborhood sales of homes that are similar in size, style and condition.

Home selling basics

  1. Make repairs
  2. Declutter
  3. Improve the curb appeal
  4. Staging
  5. Open house
  6. Find a buyer

By Dan Krell
Copyright © 2019

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Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

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