Selling your home can be stressful and rewarding. Your home’s location, its condition, and your reasons for moving all factor into your experience.
But regardless of why you’re selling, here are some tips to make the process easier:
Price your home right
Your selling price strongly impacts the amount of offers you receive, and their quality. Do some research on how much your home is worth, and think strategically about the price you list it. One high-risk / high-reward selling strategy is to list your home at 15% to 20% below its price. This can cause you to receive multiple bids that eventually rise to more than your home is worth.
De-clutter the home
It’s very important to de-clutter your house to showcase its space, as potential buyers want to feel like they can easily fit all their belongings into a home. Remove clutter from kitchen counters and toothbrushes from your bathroom counter. Also try to remove furniture that fills the room and leave the bare necessities. Sorry lumpy old recliner, it’s off to the garage for you.
Light it up
Maximize the light in your home. Remove any solar screens, clean your windows, increase light bulb wattages, and trim trees / bushes to let in sunshine. Lighting can play tricks on the mind that enhance (or minimize) the size of the room.
Make sure your closets are clean
You can expect prospective homebuyers to look inside your closets. Try to get rid of unneeded items that take up space, and neatly organize what is left. This relatively small task can make a very positive impression on homebuyers.
Choose your real estate agent carefully
It goes without saying that real estate agents can play a big part in your home selling process. Do your research online about a potential agent before deciding to work with them. Choosing an agent who embraces technology can make your home selling process faster and less stressful.
Hide your pets
While most Americans love animals, not everyone does. Prospective buyers seeing pet hair or a litter box can create a false impression that your house is not clean. If you decide to hold an open house, consider putting your pet into an animal hotel and putting away their food / water bowl and toys.
Take personal items out of your house
When buyers see personal items in your home (such as photos), it can be harder to imagine themselves living there. Putting personal items into storage during your homeselling process can reduce the time it takes to sell your home.
You can make your home selling experience fast and less stressful
While selling your home is nearly guaranteed to cause some stress, the tips in this article can speed up the process and help you get a better offer.