5 Steps to Selling Your House
Selling a home is a process that requires owners to take an active role. The market can be a very competitive place, and everyone wants to sell fast and get the highest price. Of course, the whole process can be very intimidating to someone who’s selling their home for the first time.
However, if you follow a couple of basic steps, you can get a great price on your house and sell within a time frame that’s reasonable – even if you don’t have any experience when it comes to real estate. Below, five steps you need to take when looking to sell your house.
Make improvements that boost your home’s curb appeal
When selling a home, the first impression is everything, so you want to make sure it’s a great one. When the potential buyers first arrive, the first thing they’ll look at is your home’s exterior. The look of your house from the outside can either make it or break it, and it’s in your best interest to invest in boosting your home’s curb appeal. This can help tremendously when it comes to boosting your home’s market value.
First, tackle any repairs you’ve been delaying (e.g. loose tiles or shingles, leaky toilets and faucets, peeling paint, etc.). Then, clean and tidy up everything so your exterior looks well-cared for. Take care of the lawn, trees, shrubs, and flower beds, fix what’s broken, and add a new coat of paint for a fresh, new look.
Stage your home
First impressions don’t stop at the door. Therefore, make sure your interiors look just as welcoming and well-cared for as your exteriors. Start by cleaning, decluttering, and depersonalizing your home to create a blank slate. Then, see what you can do to make the place more inviting. Pay attention to furniture arrangements, remove any excess pieces, and paint in neutral colors.
When it comes to decorating your home for sale, you could benefit from hiring a professional to stage your house. Staged homes do significantly better than non-staged ones, and they tend to sell faster and for more money. In other words, home staging can definitely be worth your while.
Work with the right real estate agent
Other than hiring a professional home stager, another professional you want to work with is a real estate agent. Now, you want to find an agent who has a sales record, someone you can trust. According to a reputable Phoenix real estate agent, having the right realtor to advocate for you and your best interests is of crucial importance. However, many agents are only pretending to deliver results and aren’t nearly as invested in the process as sellers are.
You want to work with someone who will point out what you’re doing right and what you can improve, someone who knows the local market. Most importantly, you want to work with someone who fits your particular needs, especially if you’re a first time seller.
Price it right
When it comes to pricing your home, it’s important that you price it to sell. Oftentimes, sellers will set a price that’s too high and then wonder why it’s taking so long to sell it. Other times, they’ll underprice it, and although it usually sells fast, they end up selling it for a lot less money than they originally intended to.
When thinking about your house’s price, it’s important to be realistic. Price it smartly, factoring in the price points in your area and using a home estimate tool. Consult with your realtor too – they’ll help you come up with a price that’s in line with your objectives as well as the market.
Time it right
When selling a house, timing is everything. Determining the right time to go on the market is a matter of understanding seasonal trends and acting accordingly. Statistically speaking, the best time of the year to list your house is spring. That’s not to say that listing your house in December isn’t going to result in a sale. But, winter months are a slower time of the year for home sales, and there aren’t as many active buyers.
You’re generally more likely to sell your home quickly in late February and early March. This is the time when most buyers are looking at properties. Therefore, it pays to take advantage of this increased activity and list your property when it’s more likely to sell.
Wrapping up
When it comes to transactions such as selling a house, the process can seem quite overwhelming and complex. No one wants to undersell nor does anyone want their house to sit on the market for too long. But, these things do happen, and it’s usually because the seller fails to optimize their home for a fast sale.
Of course, there is an element of luck involved in the home selling process. However, you should also make sure you do everything right on your end before putting your house on the market. Keep these tips in mind, and you can hope for a smooth and fast transaction and maximum profit.