When you have decided that your current home is not quite big enough or is simply not suiting the needs of your family, then it is time to sell it and move on. The key to selling your home is to do it quickly and to get the most money possible from the sale.
Just putting the hous eup for sale and waiting for an offer is not going to be the best way to achieve those two things. It takes getting the house ready so it is attractive to a buyer. In fact, when you get your house listed and take some measures then it can attract a lot of buyers so you will get a lot of offers. Then you can be more choosy about the offer that you accept so you can maxmize how much you get.
In this article, we will go over the steps to take to make sure that you can sell your house quickly and for the right price.
1 - Get a Good Agent
It’s tempting to go for a private sale so you don’t have to pay the realtor fees. However, you are less likely to sell the house in a reasonable time frame and may get far less for the home. A professional real estate agent has the means to get a lot of buyers to your home and knows the tricks of the trade to get the house sold.
You don’t have to go with the first one you talk to. Interview several until you feel like you have the right person that will help you. Once you pick the agent, then take them on a tour of your home. The agent will see the things that are working in your favor in the home and those that aren’t. For example if I want to sell my house chino then the agent would give me advice on the best features to promote.
2 - Declutter
Just about everybody is guilty of having a lot of clutter in the home. It seems like there is no place to put everything and so things end up piling up. It’s important to get rid of the stuff that seems to be everywhere.
The kitchen is one of the worst places for this as there are gadgets, appliances and usually things like mail piled up. When the home is being viewed by somebody, they have to be able to see themselves in it. If they see somebody else’s junk laying about then it is distracting and creates a poor impression.
Another side effect of having to much stuff around the house is that it makes the space feel smaller. When the space feels constricted then a buyer will think it isn’t worth the asking price. They will also wonder if there is enough space for their belongings. Having a clear and uncluttered space is the way to go.
It’s a good opportunity to have a garage sale or yard sale and get rid of a lot of things taking up space that you no longer use. The rest that doesn’t get sold can be donated. Then you’ll have a few extra dollars to go towards some of the moving expenses.
3 - Depersonalize
Adding onto the idea that the house should be decluttered, it should also be depersonalized. The idea is for it to look neutral so that a buyer can see how they would decorate and style the house. If it has too many of your touches then this takes away from somebody being able to do that.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t have some family photos around. It means that everything that highlights who you are should be kept to a minimum. A buffet shoudln’t have a lot of knick knacks on top of it, for instance. And the fridge shouldn’t have a lot of magnets or kids drawings attached.
4 - Create Curb Appeal
How does the house look when somebody pulls into the driveway? It should look neat, tidy, and inviting to the potential buyer. Make sure thatthings like gutters are in good shape and the house has a fresh coat of paint. Replace the front door if it is out of date or looks a little rough around the edges.
Landscaping is also important but don’t overdo it. Make sure the lawn is kept mixed and the egdes are even. Trim the hedges and put some lights in the walkway to the front door. But try to avoid planting a lot of new plants or adding too many features. It should look simple and neutral.
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