Whether you’re ready to move into a larger house to fit your growing family, downsize to a smaller place, or simply need to relocate, the process of selling a house is one that requires work. The more work you do to prepare, the higher the chances will be of attracting serious buyers for your house. To help you prepare for the big sale, follow these tips:
Choose an agent.
Sure, you can try and go at it alone to save on commission. But a real estate agent who understands your home, your community and your expectations is well worth it. An agent can help with everything from advertising your home to setting a fair price and managing the paperwork.
Set a price.
Once you’ve settled on an agent, they will help set a price for your home and conduct a market analysis of current listings and recent sales of comparable homes in your area. Your agent may also request that you have your home appraised. Factors such as your timeframe to sell, and repairs and upgrades you’re willing to make, will also play a role in determining your asking price.
Get a pre-listing inspection.
Many sellers choose to have their home inspected prior to putting it on the market. A pre-listing inspection can help uncover surprises and allow you to get estimates for repair work ahead of time before you reach the final stages of the home sale. Even if you’ re unable or unwilling to make the recommended repairs, knowing how much it will cost to fix or replace faulty items can help during negotiations.
Get together important documents.
Get together appliance manuals, warranty info, past utilities bills and other paper-work to answer questions from prospective buyers and provide to them after the deal has closed.
Boost your curb appeal.
Your home’s exterior is the first thing potential buyers will notice, so make sure it makes a good and lasting first impression. Touch up paint or repaint entirely and fix cracks in or repave the driveway. Put down new mulch, pull weeds, plant flowers and shrubbery – whatever you can do to make the exterior of your home as appealing as possible.
Clean, declutter and depersonalize.
A prospective buyer wants to envision themselves living in your home – not see you living in there currently. Clean the place, take down family photos and personal items. And if you have a dog or cat, remove signs of them as well. Not everyone is an animal person.
By following these tips, your house will move quickly – even in a non-peak selling season!
