Selling your Home in 2012

With the 2012 Spring Real Estate season upon is, it’s time to start thinking about what is the best way for me to maximize my selling price without spending a bunch of money.   It is a well known fact that spring is a great time to buy and sell houses.  But what most people don’t know is that winter is the perfect time to get things done around your home to prepare it for selling. 

Here are some low-cost ideas:

If you’re like most people, you’ve accumulated a lot of stuff over the years. Moving provides a great incentive to finally get rid of the junk you’ve been hoarding. Starting now will give you ample time to take that trip down memory lane as you go through old papers, letters, photographs and other mementos. If you set aside a couple hours to do this each weekend, you will have weeded out a lot and moving will be much less stressful.

2. Paint the interior:   Nothing will give you more bang for the home improvement buck than a fresh coat of paint. Keep your potential buyer in mind and go for a neutral palette. Using the same color family in adjoining

rooms will improve the flow of the house and tie everything together. And remember, neutral does not necessarily mean white or beige. In fact, white can be quite stark and cold, while beige can be boring and blah. Go for warmer

tones in the main living areas to make the rooms more inviting.

3. Donate to a good cause:   This is the time to edit your wardrobe. Take everything out of the closet and force yourself to let go of those 90’s outfits and anything else you haven’t worn in a year. Be ruthless about what you get rid of. You will thank yourself when it comes time to move. This is also a great time to collect all the clothes your family has outgrown or grown tired of and donate them to the needy. Several organizations do clothing drives for the homeless this time of year and would be thrilled to have your cast-offs.

4. Make a list of needed repairs: Go through your house, inside and out, and look at it objectively, as a buyer would. Write down everything that needs fixing. These are things you simply must take care of before listing your house.  Otherwise, buyers will see small problems and wonder what bigger problems await them. Call a handyman and get those repairs done soon if you are not able to do them yourself. 

5. Call your, Local Real Estate Expert, for a Free No Obligation Market Analysis of your home. That way you can start doing the numbers for your next purchase early. He/She will also give you a good idea of anything you may have overlooked.

Being prepared for the spring market means you can list your house ahead of those people that weren’t as prepared.  Sell early and enjoy your summer in a new home!