Home Selling Tips

Whether it’s the home where you raised your family, your first (or starter) home, or a home you’ve inherited from your parents, selling a home can be a stressful and emotional experience. Not only will you be packing boxes, but you’ll also be packing memories and embarking on a new chapter in your life.

While selling a home can be difficult at times, it doesn’t need to be confusing. Follow these home selling tips to help keep you on track throughout the process:

Choose a real estate agent. While attempting to sell your home yourself sounds appealing in order to save some cash, investing a quality real estate is worth the money and will save you time and headaches in the long run. Recommendations from friends and family members are great, but also research and interview potential agents based upon their knowledge of the market and to ensure they are a good fit. You should feel comfortable working with your agent and confident that he or she will sell your home for the highest possible price.

Determine the selling price. Once you’ve selected your listing agent, he or she will conduct a comparative marketing analysis to properly price your home. The price will be based on the neighborhood you live in, the amenities (ie. school districts), and prices of recently sold homes in the area.

Elevate curb appeal. They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression, and it holds true when selling your home. If a potential buyer isn’t excited or inspired by the outside, chances are they attend an open house or schedule a tour to view the inside. To enhance curb appeal, consider repainting your front door a bright and inviting color. Planting colorful flowers, trimming overgrown bushes, and a nicely manicured lawn can go a long way in welcoming prospective buyers.

Declutter & depersonalize. When preparing your home for sale, less is more. Remove excess stuff and knickknacks from visible areas including countertops, tables, and mantles as well as storage areas such as closets and cabinets. Curious buyers will attempt to unturn every stone and open every door possible to ensure there is ample storage for their things. While you’re decluttering, remove any personal items including family photos and other personal items. A clean slate will allow the buyer to envision living in their home and not moving into yours. This process will not only make your home more appealing to buyers, but it will also make moving easier as some of your belongings are already packed.

Make minor repairs and upgrades. It may not seem like much, but making small repairs and upgrades can impress buyers increase the perceived value of your home. One of the easiest (and least expensive) fixes is tightening loose cabinet handles and replacing all light bulbs to LED bulbs. If you plan on repainting the walls, choose neutral tones – especially if you need to paint over your bright purple office wall. Neutrals all appealing to most and lighter tones empowers the buyer to envision their own color on the walls. If a full paint job isn’t an option, scrub and touch up the paint on baseboards, doors, and walls. Small and simple fixes, yes. But a broken handle, scuffed floors, flaking paint could have a buyer wondering what else is broken or needs to be fixed in the home. If they feel too much work needs to be done, they will consider other real estate options.

Keep it clean. During the home selling process, it’s most important than ever to keep your home neat and tidy. You never know when a potential buyer requests a spur-of-the-moment showing. This includes any foul smells such as your beloved pet or lingering odors from last night’s dinner. While candles and air fresheners can help, but potential buyers may think you’re using scent to mask a less savory one. Just always make the extra effort to clean up messes and unsightly clutter immediately. And when you think you’re done cleaning, clean some more just to be safe. You want your home to sparkle and shine for potential buyers.

Following these tips can help you sell your home faster and potentially for more money. If you need more advice on how to prepare your home for selling, look no further than Pacor Mortgage. Give us a call today at 773-881-7744, or visit our website to learn more.