Preparing your Home for Selling
Thinking about selling?
If you are considering selling your home or investment property you should be getting your home prepared now for marketing if you haven’t already started. Our peak tourist season brings vacationers who are potential investors of income producing properties and retirement homes. Families who are relocating to our area will find it easier to move while schools are out.
Timing is very important.
Put your home on the market ahead of the upcoming increase in inventory. The most active real estate season in our area is just around the corner and there will be more properties coming on the market competing for buyers. Demand exceeding supply generates higher prices. Get ahead of the increasing inventory.
Why not plan for success?
You will want to invest wisely in attractive staging and improvements that will attract buyers and get you the best sale price. Begin by taking a look at your property and identify ways you can reflect pride of ownership and give buyers confidence it has been well maintained.
Spring is the perfect time to spruce up landscape with new mulch and a nicely cut, edged green lawn and pruned shrubs. If there are no flowering shrubs or trees in bloom, a well-placed display of spring flowers can go a long way. Now take a look around you. Is your property among the most appealing?
Greet potential buyers with a freshly repainted door with new hardware and a classy new door mat. Pressure-wash the driveways, sidewalks and the exterior of your home and take care of all exterior maintenance.
Well, now that you have attracted that potential buyer to come inside, they should be greeted by an environment that will make them want to stay awhile. Be absolutely sure they are greeted by a comfortable room temperature and a fresh clean smell. Have others give your home the smell test because sometimes we are so used to what our home smells like, we may not notice what could turn off the enthusiasm a buyer may have for your home the minute they walk through the door. Be extremely cautious with room fresheners, oils, candles and etc. What you find to be a nice fragrance may be offensive to others and it is a red flag indicating you are trying to mask an offensive smell. If you have odors in your home, sometimes a good professional deep cleaning with window washing will solve the problem. If not, it may be a good investment to hire a company who specializes in removing odors.
Staging should be done with the Buyer in mind.
Placement of furniture and décor comes second to being sure to declutter and depersonalize so the buyer can imagine how they would use the space.
Buyers do not like unknowns.
Potential buyers will be more likely to bring an offer when the seller provides as much information as possible. Complete a Seller’s Property Disclosure, provide the “cost to own” (taxes, insurance, HOA fees and estimated utilities), HOA Covenants and Restrictions and a current HOA financial statement when there is a Homeowners Association. Many buyers come into our market looking for an investment property so offer the rental history and full financial history when selling a rental property. If a history is not available, provide the history of comparable properties.
Get out there first with your property prepared for maximum sales price.
We can help!
