Positioning your home to sell quickly and for the highest value possible can be accomplished with a little legwork up front to make your house show at its best, working with me to create a strong marketing plan and handling the subsequent negotiations to create the best deal possible.
Here are five things to expect throughout the home selling process leading to a successful transaction.
Expect a facelift.
As you prepare your home for the market, focus your energy on making the property as marketable as possible. Before starting any major projects, work with your real estate agent and, in some cases, a stager to create a plan that will not only make your home show its best but will give you the best return on investment.
Unless you’ve already moved out and the home is vacant, focus on minimizing clutter as much as possible. This will create an open and inviting feel for potential buyers while showcasing the space. The “less is more” rule is in full effect, whether it relates to showing off kitchen countertops, a large living room, or an outdoor entertaining area.
Rather than showing off your used house, create a new home for potential buyers. We suggest painting and other cosmetic improvements that will lead to a “new house” feel, as well as some potentially big-ticket items that could help your resale and net proceeds.
The Three Most Important Do-Able Tasks When Selling Your Home
- New Paint: new home smell, and new home look.
- Hardware: Add decorative handles to cabinets that don't have 'em.
- Lighting: That 1982 chandelier? Nope. Nada. Hard stop.
Expect a quick sale.
Selling your home quickly should always be high on your priority list. Not only does it mean a shorter duration of showings, but it should also mean a higher-priced sale. The longer your house sits on the market, the more people will wonder what’s wrong with it, automatically assume it’s overpriced and will be less likely to give you a competitive offer.
Keep in mind, “quick” is a matter of perspective. A quick sale for a log cabin on 100 acres in the Montana wilderness may be three months, while a quick sale for a suburban townhouse may be just three days.
Ask me to send you weekly reports on your local market and what has sold in the past six months to help gauge how fast your house should sell at any particular time of the year. No problem for me.
A quick sale should not be an automatic assumption – it should be the result of hard work from everyone.
Expect inconvenience.
You undoubtedly know someone who has sold their home and has heard just how big an inconvenience all the showings can be. Expect the same. In fact, you should want the same. The more showings you have, especially right after listing your home, the better your chances of a quick sale.
To create less hassle, many agents utilize showing services to schedule the showing a set number of hours ahead of time to allow you the ability to straighten up and leave before they arrive. Keeping your house “show worthy” is one of the more annoying inconveniences of the listing process, especially if you have kids.
By decluttering as much as possible before putting the house on the market, it will be easier to maintain. Although it can be hard to part with them, keep pets at a friend or family member’s house to make the house easier to show, if you can. Plus, it will create less mess to stay on top of.
Expect negotiations.
Throughout the transaction, you will encounter several different negotiations and it is important to look at them as a whole. First off, the highest amount you will net from your house sale is determined by the sale price. After that point, you are only looking at a series of deductions from the net, whether it is from the home inspection, subsequent other inspections, or the appraisal. It is important to keep in mind that the initial negotiation will set the tone for the entire transaction. Your goal is to sell your house for the highest net profit possible.
If the buyer feels taken advantage of during the initial negotiations, they may look to make up for it in the home inspection. While you should always seek the best deal possible, it is important to always look at the big picture.
Expect top dollar.
Let’s end with what is your most important goal – expecting top dollar for your house. So how do you go about figuring out what top dollar is, and how you get it? At one of your initial listing appointments, you’ll sit down with us to review comparable sales in your area, which will help you set an accurate list price, based on your home's strengths and weaknesses.
But let’s be honest – you’ve been following the market through internet sites for the past year and already have a good idea of your home’s worth. Just remember, those sites aren’t even 90% percent guaranteed to be accurate or completely up-to-date. Ask Zillow. More importantly, you should trust our market expertise to keep the pricing objective. From printed flyers and massive online presence to transactional skills, we'll attract buyers and negotiate the best deal possible.
Expect Some Paperwork
No pain. no gain. Between the disclosures and advisories, inspection reports and price reduction requests from buyers, there will be a flurry of PDF documents flying back and forth, and it'll come to you digitally for signing. Financial savvy will be key here as well, with knowing your rights and responsibilities during the sale. For instance, Prop 19 is a law to have a handle on.
