Selling your home may seem as easy as slapping a ‘For Sale’ sign on the front lawn and watching the buyers line up, but there are many things to consider if you want your home to sell fast, and at a price that you’ll be happy with.
First, Don’t make it personal:
You love your house. Actually, you can’t even call it a house. It’s your HOME. Memories were made here and your house shows it at every corner.
Unfortunately, the things that mean a lot to you – pictures, collectibles, your guitar in the corner of the room, the things that make your house a home to you – mean absolutely nothing to buyers. If you want people to want your HOME, do your best to remove anything personal during a viewing, or for open house events.
The goal is to allow future buyers to see it as their new home, not make them feel like they are standing in yours. So, focus on proper staging, decluttering, and considering the functionality of each room. You want potential buyers to picture themselves cooking dinner in the kitchen, eating with their families in the dining room, hosting guests in the living room, etc.
Second, Consider Professional Cleaning:
There’s having a clean house after Saturday chores, and then there is a professionally clean house. The difference is the nooks, cranny’s, and areas you didn’t even know needed cleaning. The difference is the house smelling fresh and brand new; I know you don’t think your house smells like your cats, but it does.
You would never show up to a job interview, or a first date, un-showered, dressed in old sweat pants and a tattered t-shirt. That’s because you want to present the best version of yourself. Selling a home is no different. You want to present viewers the best version of your house.
Cleaners will cost a bit of money, but look at it as an investment. Having a clean house is going to impress viewers that much more, and sell your home faster. A minor expense in the grand scheme of your home sale is nothing.
Third, Let a Realtor Price Your Home:
Pricing your home can’t be that complicated, right? Plus, you know all the wonderful intricacies that make your home special, and that’s worth more than people could find anywhere else, right
Not so fast.
Too many people make the mistake of not trusting their realtor with pricing their home. This typically results in the home being priced too high and not selling, or being priced too low, and the sellers missing out on what they deserve.
Your realtor should have the knowledge and insight on market trends, your neighbourhood, and buying patterns. Their understanding of the market allows them to properly price your home. You may love what they are requesting, or you may think it is a bit low. Either way, trusting them could mean the difference between selling your home now, or selling your home in a year (and likely for something close to what the Realtor originally suggested).
In Fact, Trust Your Realtor With Your Best Interests:
A great realtor will have your best interests in mind in more than pricing your home. Your realtor will market your home properly, make sure buyers are properly qualified, and handle negotiations.
Your realtor will also act as a consultant, offering advice and walking you through the sale without any issues. Realtors also have a network of connections at arm’s length, from lawyers, house inspectors, mortgage brokers and moving companies.
At the same time, a great realtor will also get to know you, your family, and help strike the balance between an emotional life event and major business transaction.
Are you thinking about selling your home? If you want some more great tips and insights on to how to sell your home, contact us and we’ll be happy to talk.
