If you’re thinking of selling your home in 2019, or even more importantly, if you TRIED unsuccessfully to sell your home in 2018, then this post is for you!
Let’s face it – selling a home is a hassle, PARTICULARLY if you’re living in it! Trying to keep it clean, accommodating last-minute showings, taking the dog to work so he doesn’t scare potential buyers. UGH! It’s exhausting just thinking about it. So the sooner the home sells, the sooner you’ll be able to resume your normal life and not have strangers parading through your home, passing judgement on your “priceless” snow globe collection!
If you want to improve your chances of a swift home sale, follow these 10 tips from our team of real estate professionals:
DO de-clutter the house. We’ve blogged about this before. Even if you do NOTHING else to prepare your home for sale, you should get rid of as much clutter as possible inside the home. Put away extraneous items on your kitchen counters, bath vanities, bedroom bureaus, etc. Invest in some inexpensive plastic storage containers and “hide” as many personal items as possible. Keep a few empty ones on hand for quickly tidying up for a last-minute showing.
DO have a professional-grade cleaning just prior to listing the home. Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, be sure the entire home, especially the bathrooms and kitchen, are spic and span clean right out of the gate. Most interested buyers will come to see the house during the first couple of weeks that it is listed, so the initital cleaning is of utmost importance. You can keep on top of it more easily from there.
DO tidy up your landscaping and exterior. Many buyers do drive-bys before deciding which homes to visit. If your home doesn’t present well from the street, the buyer may never even see how wonderful it is inside. Consider a landscaping cleanup as well as an exterior wash if warranted.
DO let there be light! You may love dark rooms, but most buyers do not. Be sure all of your light bulbs are working and that your curtains and blinds are wide open for each showing.
DO be as flexible as possible regarding showings. As much as we try to tell buyers to plan their showings in advance, they frequently request last-minute showings. You should accommodate as many showings as possible, even though it may be an annoyance to you. You never know which buyer will be “the right one”.
DO hold your Realtor accountable to produce a good listing. Realtors cannot guarantee that your home will sell. And they cannot promise a particular price. But they CAN put time and effort into creating a professional-grade listing with good pictures and a compelling description.
DON’T be present for showings. You will make the buyer uncomfortable and the showing will be regrettably brief. Brief showings don’t sell homes.
DON’T ignore buyer feedback. If 3 buyers all complained of a musty smell in the basement, chances are there is a musty smell in the basement. Take buyer feedback seriously and take steps if possible to address it.
DO understand market value. If you have an unrealistic idea of the value of your home, you are setting yourself up for frustration and failure. Remember that how much you paid for your home has very little to do with its current market value. Only current market activity is relevant. Before choosing a Realtor, be sure to get at least 2 and possibly 3 pricing opinions. Once your home is listed, speak to your Realtor periodically about the price and whether or not an adjustment is warranted.
DO consult with a real estate attorney early in the process so that (s)he can review the title and be sure that you are “good to go”. There’s nothing worse than having the house packed up and being just days away from closing, and finding out that a major title glitch has sabotaged the sale. You know what they say about an ounce of prevention…
If you are thinking of selling a Cape Cod home in 2019, it would be my privilege to assist you. Contact me soon and I’ll help you get the ball rolling. Happy New Year to all!