Are you thinking about putting your home on the market? Like every Seller, you’re probably wondering what you can to do to increase your sales price. Let us give you a few suggestions that should help. Selling homes is second nature to us as we have been doing it for over 25 years. We get nervous sellers all the time who don’t know how to even get started on the tasks that are necessary to get their homes ready for the open market.
First, Let’s talk about curb appeal.
Curb appeal is important because it contributes to the very first personal impression that your potential buyer will have when they come to view your home.
Here’s a few tips:
First, Clean up the yard and exterior of your home.
One of best things that you can do is rent a power washer or have someone come and do the power washing for you. Either way, you want to wash years of dirt off your driveway, off your sidewalk, and off the exterior of your home, if it needs it. We have used a great local power washing service that can soap up and rinse a multi-story property – the difference that power washing makes is really noticeable.
Next, you want to pay attention to the front door. When agents come to show your home, it takes a few seconds for them
to open a lockbox and this gives the buyer a chance to really look at your front door and entryway while they are waiting to get in. Take a moment to make sure that there isn’t any peeling paint or cobwebs around the lights; maybe consider painting your door a fresh, modern color.
Here’s a big suggestion:
You should seriously consider staging your home. 77% of buyers agents say that a staged home makes it easier for their clients to visualize themselves living in it. Staging will help your home stand out against the competition by showcasing the very best features of your home. It’s a proven fact that professionally staged homes can sell for as much as 10% more than homes that are not staged.
Finally, the marketing is essential. You’re going to want to make sure that professional photos and professional videos are used in all of your marketing assets. According to the National Association of Realtors, 67% of buyers will walk through a home that they first saw online – so once again, first impressions are huge and using professional photos and video is an absolute must in all of your marketing efforts.
Finally, now that your home is all ready for viewing, it’s good to have a showing plan, especially if you’re going to stay in residence while it’s on the market. Buyers and their agents may request a showing at any time without giving you much notice, so it’s good to be prepared. Until your home is under contract it’s important to be able to leave your home at a moment’s notice if need be. A few things you can do is to try to keep your place as tidy as possible on a daily basis, or maybe plan simpler meals for easy clean up or make plans for some nearby outdoor activities.
These quick tips should help to get your home sold faster,
more efficiently and for as high a price as possible.
For a more detailed preparation checklist, feel free to contact us.