Selling your house is usually easier and less stressful when you have the help of a professional. However, not everyone can afford the added expense, so some prefer to take on the challenge by handling the entire process. Taking this route would take a lot of effort, but it’s not an impossible feat to undertake.
If you want to sell your house without the help of a realtor, you must know exactly what you're doing to get the best price for your property. In this blog, you can get some valuable tips on how you can make the most out of your real estate.
Identify the market value of your home
This is a tricky element that you must get right. If you price your property too high, you risk keeping it in the market with no prospects, but if you sell too low, then you’re at a great financial disadvantage.
Here are ways for you to determine your property’s value:
Consult a licensed appraiser
This method would give the most accurate estimate of your property’s value. You can use the appraisal as a basis when negotiating the sale price with the buyers.
The downside to this is the cost. Most appraisers will charge around $300 to $500 for a report, and for most who are trying to cut down on big expenses, this might be more than you’re willing to pay for.
Get a competitive market analysis from a realtor
This is where a real estate agent performs a thorough analysis of your house based on sales of comparable properties in the area. Unlike the first option, this one is generally free, and the estimate is also quite reliable.
However, you must expect to receive a pitch during your transaction since the agent helping you will want to list your property with him/her.
Prepare your home for sale
Take a slow walk around your house and see it through the eyes of a potential buyer. Peruse everything carefully, and follow the tips below:
Clean Like Never Before
Cleaning your house is probably the biggest chore you’ll have to do when you’re selling. You have to do it from top to bottom while hitting everything in between. Dust fan blades and fireplace mantles, and make sure you polish appliances and home accents. Giving your windows a thorough washing can only improve your chances as well.
Consider Odors and Aromas
What home buyers see isn’t the only thing that matters; what they smell also holds equal weight. Cooking oily food with strong odors such as bacon is not a good idea. Anything smoked or grilled is also a turnoff, so that goes without saying smoking of any kind should be avoided.
Pets, although adorable, can leave strong smells, as well as full bins, blocked drains, and damp areas in the house. Make sure you empty your trash cans, unclog your drains, and dry up any wet spots.
Once you’ve neutralized the odors inside, it’s time to add a few pleasant aromas to level up the appeal of your property. You can put out fresh flowers or introduce scents through candles or reed diffusers.
Some of the best scent options are:
- Lemon
- Orange
- Bamboo
- Green Tea
- Jasmine
- Cinnamon
- Cedar
- Pine
- Vanilla
Also, make sure to air your house as much as possible while it’s on the market.
Clear Out Clutters
Buyers need to think about how spacious and light your house is, not how messy and disarray it looks. Anything that detracts from the gorgeous features of your property should be kept away.
Aside from making your house look more presentable, decluttering is also a way for you to mentally prepare for your move. Doing this would help you look at your property as a commodity for sale rather than your home filled with memories. The reality is, having strong emotional attachments to your house might cloud your judgment and hinder you from selling fast.
Paint Walls with Neutral Colors
Since different potential buyers have varying tastes, it’s best to stick to safe options. If you have rooms in your house painted with bold colors, you should repaint them with neutral tones such as beige or white. This allows the buyers to focus on the space instead of the walls.
An added benefit of going neutral is it would make your space look bigger and brighter, which are undoubtedly good selling points. Especially since creating a blank canvas makes it easier for buyers to positively envision what their life would be like in the house.
Depersonalize
As mentioned earlier, buyers want to envision their lives in your house. They won’t be able to do this if you have your family pictures, trophies, and other personal items scattered about the property.
You can make your house look homey without making it look too personalized. When buyers can imagine your house as their future home, you know you’ve succeeded in staging it effectively.
Light is Your Friend
Dark areas are unwelcoming, so ensure all windows are open to let natural light in your house. For rooms that lack windows, make sure you add enough light fixtures or improve the ones already installed. Bright, cheery rooms appear bigger and are more inviting to guests.
Welcome Nature Inside
Potted plants and beautiful buds in a vase can help bring energy and freshness to a place. You can use indoor greeneries to fill in empty corners or draw the attention of buyers to certain focal points. Just make sure that the plants you use are healthy and bug-free.
Fix Everything Broken
Damages in your property can decrease its value, making it vital for you to finish and repairs and routine maintenance. Keep in mind that buyers are more confident to invest in real estate that’s well-cared for.
For every damage that a purchaser sees, they’re mentally calculating how much it will cost to fix it, the trouble it will cause them, and remove it from the contract price of the house.
Market the home for sale
You don’t have to limit yourself to just one way of trying to sell your property. Here are some effective steps you can make the most out of:
Put up a good yard sign
It seems cliche but it is a vital element to let people know your house is on the market. You can often buy them from office supply stores. This is something you can afford to splurge a little on, so you can have a better one.
Create flyers and brochures
You need to have this readily available to hand potential buyers. You can easily create this yourself using free tools online, but make sure you use good photos. The flyer should also indicate important information such as an address, your contact details, property specifics, and sale price.
Host an open house
An open house is an event where you open your house to the public. It’s best done during the weekends and works best under good weather conditions.
Advertise online
There are several popular websites where you can do this. Social media platforms such as Facebook also serve as a good medium for your property listing.
Handle the sale and closing
The closing on a house is a legal affair. That means there is a specific process handled either by a closing attorney or the title agent. The biggest closing obstacle in most real estate transactions is the buyer’s mortgage. Even if you have a copy of their mortgage approval, do your best to stay on top of related developments.
However, if going through all these steps is overwhelming, and you just want to sell your house quickly — no muss, no fuss, then websites such as Trusted House Buyers is for you. They can buy your property even if you don’t fix it up, so you won’t need to shell out for repairs, nor would you have to exert much effort in trying to impress buyers.
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