Most sellers have the same goal, they want to make sure they maximize their profit without having to spend too much time with their property on the market. After all, keeping you home spotlessly clean at all times would wear out Marth Stewart or any other domestic diva. If you want to make sure you get maximum selling price in minimum time, here are my trure tips based on the sales of hundreds of homes:
1. Price your home to sell. Nothing stops action like overpricing. Don't tell yourself you can come down later, if it doesn't sell. If you overprice at the beginning you will start a long downward spiral effect of reducing until your home finally sells because it was underpriced. Be smart about this! Don't let your agent tell you your home is worth more than it is if you suspect the suggested price is too high. Look at the comparable sales yourself and make sure you home is priced just right.
2. Repair anything that needs to be fixed. If you need a new roof, replace it now. If you house needs a few things, that is a red flag for the buyer. The buyer will worry they will get stuck with a lot of repairs after the closing or even that there are other nagging problems they can't notice. After all, if you don't fix everything, the buyer may think you have never fixed anything since you lived in the house.
3. Clean up and unclutter. Your home needs to look like a model home. If it needs painted, paint it. However, do not paint it all white. Right now this is out of style. Ask the peple at the paint stores which colors are popular right now and buy them. Buy the popular neutrals. If you have a lot of clutter, it makes your house seem smaller and darker than it actually is. If you need to rent a storage facility to remove the clutter, do it, it will pay off in the end.
4. Have the house vacant for showings. This includes kids and pets! Everyone knows their children and pets are anges but they may not act like angels for strangers. It is distracting to the buyer and takes away from the home. I have actually been bitten by a dog during a showing which was upsetting to the buyer and to me! In addition, I have walked in on some teenagers up to no good!
5. Use an experienced full time Realtor who works in your area. I have been the second Realtor on several occasions after the first Realtor could not get a house sold. I have heard complaints like: he/she was brand new and didn't know what they were doing, the agent never called up because she/ was a always at her/his other job, they agent worked in another town so they never showed our home or put it in the correct multi-list, or even, our house was never advertized.
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