Are you thinking about selling your home but don’t know where to start?
Making your home stand out among the rest of the homes for sale in your area may take a bit of work but the payoff will be well worth it – it could mean the difference between getting top dollar for your home or getting much less than you were hoping for.
Here are just a few of the things I suggest my clients consider when preparing to sell their home:
- Get a Comparative Market Analysis [CMA] – Or better yet, a Pre-Listing Appraisal with a reputable company that will back their back appraisal if a lenders appraisal comes in too low (I have company I have used and have had much success with them) . You may think you know what your home is worth but there are many factors that go into pricing a home and Realtor tools used for CMAs will factor in all that is required for proper pricing analysis. You don’t want to be over priced and you certainly don’t want to “leave any money on the table” either. Even if you get an offer on your home, if it doesn’t appraise, you will be left with a very tough decision that will leave you extremely disappointed.
- Do The “Honey Do’s” Once And For All – There’s never been a better time to complete that lingering list of fixes that have been lingering around the house inside and out. Things like caulking around doors, windows and trim or painting all of your scuffed up trim and molding inside and out, replace broken door knobs, leaky faucets, damaged furniture (yes even your furniture as it will reflect on your home), replace burned out light bulbs, etc.
- Remove Bulky Over-sized Furniture – You may love your massive sectional because it’s comfortable and fits all of your friends and family but your furniture should fit within your room leaving space for movement and visual flow.
- Give Each Room A Purpose – That extra room that you’ve been using for storing furniture you don’t really use will only make your home look old and useless – try staging any rooms that don’t really have a purpose to look clean, uncluttered and well used.
- Morph That Bathroom Into A Spa! – With a few minor renovations and upgrades, you can turn your bathroom into a valuable asset for your home. A trip to Bed Bath and Beyond could fetch you the right buyer when she sees the luxurious bath room she’s been dreaming of. By the way, don’t forget to close the toilet lid and remove tooth brushes, soap bars, hair dryers, shampoo bottles, etc. before every showing.
Tips for Selling Your Home
Enhance The Curb Appeal – This may be one of the most important things you can do. You can never get a second chance for a first impression! Little things like adding fresh mulch or pine straw, trimming bushes, edging the lawn, Painting the house, adding hanging ferns and pretty flower beds can make the difference.
- Clean And Organize – Look, nobody wants to walk into a house and be reminded of someone else’s clutter and/or mess. First start with organizing your closets and pantry. Store close that you aren’t wearing this season to make your closes look and feel larger and less cramped. Take nick-knacks off the shelves. Clean EVERYTHING! Clean appliances, windows, bedrooms and bathrooms and family rooms. Clean your carpet if necessary. Try to make your home look as close to a model home as possible.
- Modernize And Brighten – Those old drapes or window treatments might have been really nice 10 years ago but it’s time to remove them… no it won’t make your home look sterile it will make it look for updated. Then be sure to open all of the blinds to ensure each room is light and bright.
- Remove Personal Items – This one is a tough one but it’s necessary. Potential buyers want to be able to see themselves in your home so removing your kids artwork, school projects, family photos or the urn from your mantle might be a good idea.
- Repaint the Walls – OK, I know that now you think we’ve gone too far, but it’s true… you might think that bright purple wall is dramatic and ads a nice touch a color but it could turn off a large portion of potential buyers. So repaint all of your rooms in a nice neutral toned color. You might even surprise yourself and end up liking it.
These are just some of the things to consider, but know that if you hire me, I will help you in making the right decisions that will will make a huge difference without “breaking the bank”.
Give me a call for a free CMA.
Denise de la Hoz
