WHAT EVERY RICHMOND SELLER SHOULD KNOW BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO LIST THEIR HOME!
So, you just found out another child is on the way. Once again you walked through a room and realized your running out of space. Your growing children are outgrowing their rooms. Your teenager wants a car and you have nowhere to store it. You want a pool in the back yard, but you don’t have a back yard. You want elbow room and it just isn’t happening in this home. It’s time to sell!
While there are many questions and concerns that will be asked and discussed
as you start this process, here are some of the most important ones.
1. WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR IS BEST?
While single buyers or newlyweds will shop all year long, most family buyers with school age children will start their search at the end of the school year, during May. Statistics say 60% of all home sales occur during the summer months, making it the peak season to sell your home. Buyers want to find, purchase and move into a new home before the new school session starts in the fall. However, listing in other seasons has its advantages. Sellers have less competition in the fall and winter with inventory being lower. And buyers who are looking to purchase a home in the winter typically are more serious and tend to make stronger offers. Especially if they need to be in a home by a certain time. But if you cannot list at the most optimum time, don’t worry, a good agent Richmond Real Estate agent, like the Murray Morris Group, will market and help you sell your home at any time.
2. DO I REALLY NEED TO UPGRADE BEFORE I LIST?
If you want to sell your home and get top dollar, absolutely! But they don’t need to be massive big ticket items. Some of the things you may consider, should you not have them already:
- Bright kitchen and bathrooms. Consider changing out sinks, faucets, or counter tops if yours are very old and outdated
- Energy efficient anything. Windows, doors, appliances and programmable thermostats.
- Good looking flooring. If carpets cannot be sufficiently cleaned, think of replacing them. If wood floors are stained, consider refinishing them. Most buyers are not DIY’ers, they want move in ready rooms!
3. SHOULD I MAKE COSMETIC CHANGES OR LET THE BUYERS DO THEIR OWN?
Is there wall paper in every room? Are your paint colors distinctly to your liking? Is every room a different color? Are the lighting fixtures from the year the house was built? Are baseboards and door frames nicked and the paint chipping off? If you want your home to sell quickly at a price you like, then yes, they are necessary. Paint goes a long way to make your woodwork and walls looks clean and new. It doesn’t take long to do and the cost is minimal compared to the impact it can make. Remember to stick with neutral uniform colors throughout the house, light gray, light tan, soft white, etc.
Changing out old ceiling fixtures and bathroom lights is an easy fix and quite affordable for the value it brings to the look of the room. HGTV.com listed lighting as the second most cited request buyers look for. They suggest you maximize the light in your home by taking down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine.
4. IS STAGING AND DE-PERSONALIZING MY HOME REALLY NECESSARY?
Buyers need to see past the items in your home and envision themselves living there. If you have knick-knacks filling the shelves, family photos lining the walls, kitchen and bathroom counter tops overflowing with personal items, design accessories covering every nook and cranny and special furniture you’ve gathered over the years, they won’t be able to. It’s time to clean up, pack up and store some of those items. Counter tops, tops of furniture and walls should look clean, ready for their items. Furniture in rooms should be placed to maximize the area, making it feel roomy, open and inviting. This is not only important for buyers coming through, but for the photos your Richmond Real Estate agent will take. These photos will be seen by all potential buyers and will be the first look at deciding if your house can become their home.
5. IS CURB APPEAL REALLY THAT IMPORTANT?
VERY! It is the first impression buyers get when coming to see your home. If the outside turns them off, they may not even come inside to look at the house. Your house has to stand out as warm, inviting, fresh and well taken care of. Mow the grass, clean up the weeds and leaves, trim bushes and flowers. Add some new plantings if you need to and perhaps a hanging basket or two on the front porch. Don’t forget about the back yard either. It can make or break a deal if not taken care of. New buyers don’t want to invest money making the outside of their home attractive.
6. HOW SOON SHOULD I FIND AN AGENT?
As soon as you start thinking about selling! Your agent will help you every step of the way during all of these. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. A good Richmond Real Estate agent will explain what the current Richmond, Virginia market is doing. What upgrades will actually improve your listing and make an impact and which will not. They’ll show you how to stage your home to its best advantage and showcase all of its best features. Your agent should help you do everything necessary to your home in order to help make it sell fast and for top dollar.
We at the Murray Morris Group excel at helping our clients buy a new home and/or sell their current home. We are trained professionals who put you first in everything we do! We’ll be there for you during the entire process, every step of the way. So, if you’re thinking you might want to make that move you’ve been planning, give us a call. We’ll help make your dreams come true!
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