When on the market to purchase a new home, many buyers think that they know exactly what they are looking for. The truth is that they likely will not find exactly what they want, but this is your chance to show them how something different will work for them. Depending on the amount of time and money that you put into making your home more attractive to buyers, if priced correctly, you will get a great return on the investment when the house sells. These tips will put you way ahead of your local competition and potential home buyers will be able to visualize themselves happily settling into your house.
1. Have Open and Clear Communication
Sherman Foster of shermanfoster.com asserts that your real estate agent should always be totally transparent with the client, and this relationship goes both ways. Be honest with your agent about everything concerning your home. Even if there is something that might be seen as bad, they can communicate it to the home buyers in a different light.
2. Know Your Competition
Your agent should know the area and what you are up against. Consider all the variables of other homes that are for sale in the area – you may even attend the open houses of these homes. After all, the buyers will be seeing these homes as well, so you might as well too.
3. Stage Your Home
This is very important for successfully selling a home. It should look clean and spacious. Rooms will appear larger with limited furniture, and all pieces of furniture should match. Make a room fresh with a vase of real flowers or a bowl of fruit.
4. The Kitchen Needs to be Sold
A kitchen will literally sell a home. The quickest way to update a kitchen is to repaint it and add new hardware. If your renovation budget is a bit larger, all new stainless steel appliances should be purchased. Buyers will offer tens of thousands less than asking price if the kitchen appears outdated.
5. Get Inspected
Make sure that the home is ready to be inspected. John Rota of JohnRota.com states that this is a vital part of the selling and buying process. It may save buyers a lot of money in the long run, and will let them feel confident in their purchase when they know everything about the house.
6. Get Rid of Abundant Storage
Having storage is a must for many buyers, so make yours appear attractive by leaving them half empty and organized. If your house does not have much storage space, you’ll need to creatively make it appear that there is more.
7. Put Out Amazing Photos
For many home buyers, the search will start online, and then they will decide which homes they will visit based on what they see online. If you can, have a professional photographer take the photos. Real estate agents usually have a relationship with a photographer.
8. Market the Home
Once for sale, the home will automatically appear in some places, but request that your agent put your home on websites like Trulia and Zillow, and even the Craigslist. The home will also need to be mapped correctly on each site.
9. De-Personalize Spaces
You should aim for potential buyers to see the house as their own, so remove most of the things that make the house your home; this includes photos of your family, religious symbols, or any kitschy collectibles. All of these things get in the way of potential buyers seeing the home in their own future.
10. The Pricing Should be Right
Pricing a home to sell is actually a strategy. Yes, you will want the most that you can possibly get, but pricing too high has consequences, just like pricing too low. Ideally, your home should receive multiple offers, so a price that is too high will scare off a portion of the buyers.
11. Prepare Appropriately
In order to sell your home quickly and at the right price, Jacki Mayo of IslandHomes4Sale.com says that you should be adequately prepared for anything. Clean the home thoroughly and repair anything like a leaky faucet or toilet. The landscaping should be pristine, interior paint should be touched up, and plenty of light should enter the home. Home buyers will form their opinion the moment that they lay eyes on the home, and in general, the money spent preparing the house is included in the purchase price.
