Real Estate Special Section Summer 2022 already showing your house before pictures are taken . Then , check out your home ’ s curb appeal . This is the first thing buyers will see when they pull up for a walkthrough . Do dead bushes need to be removed ? Old holiday decorations need to be put away ? Try to view your house as if you were seeing it for the first time . Maybe an exterior power-wash or fresh coat of paint on your front door would make buyers eager to go inside .
2 . Make your interior warm and neutral . Bold or bright colors may have been an accent to you but could turn off a buyer . Some buyers want move-in ready and don ’ t want to think about putting work in , even if it ’ s just choosing a new paint color . Use freshly painted neutral colors and remove abstract art and family photos from the walls . This will be a great opportunity for you to start packing up your personal belongings and provide buyers the opportunity to imagine their own touches added to the room .
3 . Space sells . Buyers want to feel like they can move right in and have a spot for all their furniture and belongings . Store ( off-site , if possible ) unnecessary items that you don ’ t need for day-to-day living such as off-season clothing , holiday decorations , and old toys . This gives cabinets , closets , and storage spaces a clean , spacious look . You could also use this decluttering opportunity to donate or sell these items , giving your next home a fresh start .
4 . Don ’ t go overboard with updates . Ask your real estate agent about changes that can add value to or create appeal for your home . You don ’ t want to put too much money into unnecessary upgrades that may not even appeal to the type of buyer looking at your home . A small upgrade may be just what you need to close a sale .
5 . Don ’ t price yourself out of a sale . A listing price might seal the deal on selling your home . Make sure to work with your real estate agent to review comparable home prices in
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HOW TO GET TOP DOLLAR IN A SELLER ’ S MARKET
High demand and low inventory make up a seller ’ s market in real estate . Listing your home in a seller ’ s market could be the difference of having your home sell in days versus months . Demand for houses typically drives up competition , allowing sellers to potentially receive above asking price for their homes . But listing in a seller ’ s market doesn ’ t automatically guarantee your home will sell quickly . You still need to take the time to find a good real estate agent , ready your home to be listed , and do some research on the housing market in your neighborhood .
Once you decide you are ready to take the next step and sell your home , do some research on real estate agents in your area . Ask family , friends , and coworkers for recommendations and feedback on why they liked their agents . Once you have a few recommendations , reach out to them to learn more about their experience in selling homes like yours , the types of clients they usually work with , and to gauge if your personalities jibe . It ’ s critical to have someone you can trust .
Upon hiring , ask your agent to do a walkthrough of your home from the outside in to provide you with constructive feedback on how to best ready your home for a buyer ’ s eyes . Be sure to keep an open mind when hearing feedback because decorations or paint colors that appeal to you may not appeal to potential buyers .
Once your home is ready to list , work with your agent to do some research on the housing market in your neighborhood . In a seller ’ s market , you may be able to list slightly higher because of limited inventory , but you ’ ll need to still list at a fair market value . If you list too high , it will immediately turn buyers off .
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