When selling your home there are a myriad of things to consider. Hiring an expert realtor ensures that you not only get top dollar for your home, but also that you sell your home in a timely manner and eliminate many of the stresses and headaches that can come from the selling process if you are not appropriately prepared. But, selling your home CAN BE EASY! Here's a couple of tips to consider as you start the selling process. 



1. Disassociate, declutter, depersonalize, and tidy up! 

Once you've made the first step towards selling your home, it's important to realize that you are preparing for a business transaction. For you, this means ensuring that you get top dollar for your home and incentivize buyers with the best value. You'll need to shift your focus from selling your home to selling a house that will be someone else's home and doing whatever is necessary to make your home appealing to potential buyers. 

Remember, your house only gets one impression with buyers, and that's is its first impression. Your job is to create a house that potential buyers can see themselves living in. Start at your front door and work your way backwards clearing out or packing up personal items, "knick-knacks", any unused furniture or household items, and general clutter to make your home look more spacious. This will help potential buyers keep from getting distracted and begin picturing what the house will look like were they to buy it. 

During this process pay careful attention to closets and your kitchen (remember the age old adage "You're not selling your house, you're selling your kitchen"). Making sure closets are at least half empty and clothing is organized by like items helps buyers appreciate the space available and envision how their own items will fit. This is especially true for smaller closets. In the kitchen, make sure excess food has been cleaned out, labels on remaining food are facing forward, dishes are organized and stacked neatly, and everything appears to be in its place. 


This is a great time to begin cutting down on the packing you'll have to do once your house is sold, making your move-in much easier and more organized! It is also a good opportunity to go through your belongings and figure out what you can donate to the less fortunate. 

 


2. Don't over extend yourself on upgrades.


Small, necessary fixes are always advised but you don't need to go all out. Things like a fresh coat of paint, new hardware for doors and cabinets and ensuring that all those leaky faucets are fixed will help you get top dollar. Major renovations before selling can be exhaustive and may not always provide the best return. If you want to do a little bit more, consider replacing one appliance in your kitchen with a nice fancy stainless steel appliance. Buyers are likely to notice this and it leaves the impression that all of your appliances are nice. 

When it comes to paint, try to choose a neutral color so that perspective buyers can envision the home as a fresh canvas. Adding a fresh coat to things such as your front door, garage, and the houses trim can go a long way to improving the curb appeal of your home as well. 

One thing you absolutely must do is replace any burnt out or dim light bulbs and attend to broken doors, tracks, and leaks. Buyers are viewing your home and inspecting it for any potential headaches and addressing small items such as these can go a long way to improving the odds of your home selling. 

3. Choosing the right realtor. 

When Selling your home there are a lot of factors to consider. A proper pricing strategy is perhaps one of the most important. While many companies offer online estimates, the fact remains that the only way to create a proper pricing strategy is for a qualified agent to examine it and take into consideration improvements, necessary repairs, and amenities.

Pricing your home correctly insures a steady stream of buyers and having a qualified real estate agent to handle multiple bids and the personal aspect of dealing with buyers. You'll also want to make sure that your agent has the experience necessary to differentiate between window shoppers and serious buyers, negotiate without giving away too much of your homes equity and handle any criticisms about your home or the work you've put into it. 

Perhaps the most import reason to hire a qualified real estate agent is that they will possess the necessary legal knowledge to make sure that your listing handles fair housing standards adequately as well as making sure that any contracts that are drawn up, or that you enter into, are protecting you throughout the process. 

Let's face it, there's no one more qualified to alleviate the burden of home selling, ensure you get top dollar, and sell in the timeliest fashion than a real estate agent. The right agent will also be there to walk you through the process with valuable knowledge and insight that only comes from years of experience.