Tag Archive for Selling a house

5 Tips for Getting your House Ready to Sell

June 24, 2019 Real Estate No comments
sell house

If you are decided to finally move on to a new home– may be in a new city– these tips on getting your house ready to sell will help you take the next step. Realtors will be inviting the potential home buyers to your house for a tour or visit. Buyers like to spend some time in the home and inspect some basic things like spatial distribution and the general energy of your home. Your job as a home seller is to make them comfortable and assist them in making a good decision.

Here are 5 tips for getting your house to sell for a great price.

1) Always hire a realtor

Always work with realtors who are members of the real estate organization called the National Association of REALTORS?. They are trustworthy, ethical and will get you a great price for your home. Consulting a real estate agent is the most important tip for getting your house to sell at a good price. Drive around in your area and talk to several realtors before picking a suitable one.

2) Get your home in good condition

There is a lot more science that goes in when it comes to getting your house ready to sell. You have to capture the buyer’s attention and make them aware of the features of your house. I am not asking you to lie or deceive a buyer but ask any realtor and they will tell you the importance of staging before you sell. People like to quickly judge things based on their external appearance. So, having good plumbing, electricals, a large front space, a lawn, etc, is a good thing, but to get a good price, you also would want it to look great.

3) Research your local housing market

Before consulting a real estate agent, it is wise to do your own research on the housing rates in your area. You can go sites like realtor.org to check out prices of homes like yours. Offline research is equally important. So, if you are not in a hurry to sell your house, you can visit local real estate trade shows. A trade show is one of the best places to find information for the local real housing market.

4) Depersonalize your space

Since you have already decided to move out of your home soon, you can begin packing your personal items such as family photos and any religious items from your living room. our living room is where the buyer is going to be spending most of their time when they come to see the place. Moreover, turn down the volume of television or radio and let the buyer focus on buying checklist. This is also an important tip for getting your house ready to sell.

5) Set the right price

Figure out what the average selling price of other similar homes is. You can you get 20-30 percent more amount by selling your home to the right buyer. The right buyer is a person who is looking for a house like you and are willing to pay extra for it. If your house doesn’t have any unique features like a big lawn, backyard, a large basement, children’s play area, etc, then be happy getting the average market rate.

Conclusion

Remember that a buyer wants a house with least or no repair or maintenance issues. They want to walk into their new home and get on with their life. So, repair and fix all the issues that might exist in your house. Likewise, when you get rid of large items like a sofa or cupboard from your living room, your home is going to feel a lot larger and spacious to the buyer. Put all large items in your garage or in the basement.

What Options Are Available When Trying to Sell a Home?

March 16, 2016 Real Estate No comments

3688731757_162e3e6c7f_zUnfortunately, it’s not just buying a home that is stressful. Trying to sell a home can be a highly stressful task, and it?s one that can last for several months. If you?re looking to sell your home or ?put it on the market?, then there are a number of ways that you can do so; and it?s important that you know them all. In this post, we take a look at all the options available, including some “alternative options“, when you?re trying to sell a home.

Selling on the High Street

Heading to the high street to a local estate agent is the most popular way of selling any home. However, this doesn?t necessarily mean it?s either the best way or the right way for you.

Although selling on the high street maximizes the exposure your home receives and increases your chance of a quick sale, it can also be incredibly expensive, with the agent taking a large sum of the money received. Of course, you can always try to negotiate for a lower commission percentage before you list your home with a particular agent.

Going it Alone

If you believe that you have the legal know-how then you can sell your home on your own without the need for an agent. However for sale by owner is only recommended if you fully understand the process. If not, it can be a legal nightmare and although you?ll save money on agents? fees, you may not conclude the process properly and it can end up costing you far more than if you had used an agent.

Heading to Auction

If you consider yourself to be a bit of a risk-taker, then you can also take your property to auction: Homes Under the Hammer style! This is generally considered to be a good option for properties that are a little rundown or in need of repair.

These properties are then snapped up by property developers or landlords looking for new rental properties. You may not get the best possible price because of this, but you increase your chances of a quick sale. Remember that you can also place a reserve on the property so that it doesn?t sell for a price you?re not comfortable with. You also need to remember that the auction house or auctioneer will also take a small percentage for helping you sell your property.

Popping Online

If you?re desperate for a quick sale, then selling through an online estate agents could be your best bet. Online agents such as House Network will provide you with a free valuation for your home so you?ll know how much you should expect to receive.

You won?t receive as much as you would on the high street but your property will?sell far quicker ? it should even sell within 7 days.

With all of these options to consider,?you should have no problem trying to sell a home. Good luck!

 

Have you ever used these methods to sell a home? Have you ever bought a house from one of these methods?

 

Photo courtesy of: Bradley Gordon

How to Prepare to Sell Your Home

November 3, 2014 Lifestyle 14 comments

Sell your homeIf you’re planning to sell your home, there are several things you can do to streamline the process and help your home to sell more quickly. When we sold our last home, we had an accepted offer within a week. The home, although it had many great features, was nothing spectacular in terms of upgrades or special features. In fact, it was quite plain on the decorating front.

So why did our home sell so quickly? There were many factors: the location was great, and that helped a lot. However, there were other things we did that made the difference between a quick sell and a long ride on the market.

How to Sell Your Home Faster – Get the Repairs Done

Little or big, few potential home buyers wants to walk into a house and see that there’s work that needs to be done right off the bat. Just get an estimate from a local contractor. This shouldn’t be too much trouble because, according to the experts at Mechanicsburg roofing, “you should never be charged for an estimate.” In order to prepare your home for optimum sale-ability, fix those leaky faucets, replace anything that’s broken, and do any other repairs that are obvious needs or that will be picked out by an inspector.

The one exception: if something needs replacement but is a bit more on the expensive side, like, say, a window needing to be replaced that is still functional, you may be able to get away with not replacing it, but instead, factoring in cash back at closing for replacement or negotiating the sale price down a bit to factor in replacement cost?if the issue is something a potential buyer brings up. The take away: get all of those little repairs done, especially if you can do it yourself, so that the house looks “move in ready” to any potential buyers.

Stage Your Home Well

There are many companies or interior designers that one can hire to have their home staged for sale. We, being students of Home and Garden TV and avid Internet searchers, staged our home on our own.

First, we took down all personal items such as pictures, etc. The rule according to experts? “No eyes”. This, interestingly enough, includes stuffed animals. Apparently when potential buyers see “eyes” they feel as if they are intruding in someone else’s house and therefore have a harder time seeing their own family in the house.

Second, we de-cluttered. All closets and cupboards were thoroughly cleaned and organized, and “extras” in the furniture department were removed to storage, sold or given away. The goal is to have just enough stuff in the house to make it look inviting, and yet still lived in. We also spent a small amount of money on accent pieces that would dress up the home a bit, and had the carpets and two sofas professionally cleaned as well to give the home that extra sparkle.

Give Your Yard Curb Appeal

The yard is the first thing potential buyers will see when they drive up to your home, so it’s important to make a good first impression.? When getting your home ready to sell, make sure the lawn is cleaned up and trimmed, and that any bushes or flower gardens are trimmed and spiffed up as well. Make sure outside lights are in good condition, or replace them, and be sure to have cleaned the windows for an extra sparkle.

Do Your Own Research

Even if you’ve got a great and trustworthy real estate professional working for you, do your own research on the houses selling in your area as well. Use Zillow or a similar site to see what other homes in your area are selling for, and to find out which types of homes are selling quickest.

Be armed with the information you need to make your home as sale-worthy as possible and to make sure your realtor is pricing the home right, displaying the right features on the online listing, and so on and so forth.? Be your own best advocate for selling your home to make sure you get top dollar and to make sure the home sells quickly.

No matter what your home’s situation is, you can help to speed up the sale of your home by staging it properly, making it move in ready and working with your Realtor to price it right.

 

Have you ever sold a home before? What are your best tips for selling it faster? What do you like to see in a home when you’re looking to buy a house?

 

Photo courtesy of: American Advisors Group

 

3 Avoidable Mistakes of Selling a Home

August 4, 2014 Real Estate 17 comments
selling a home

selling a home

The following is a contribution from Tali Wee at Zillow. If you’d like to contribute to Wise Dollar, please contact us.

Homeowners sell their properties for a variety of reasons, sometimes willingly, other times under pressure or on short timeframes. If you’re selling your home, regardless of your motive, you want?the highest return possible on your?investment; you want to get the best price possible on your home. Get the greatest resale price on your?property by?cleaning up, making necessary upgrades and professionally marketing your home.

That’s what you should do. Here are three ‘don’ts’ to keep in mind when you’re trying to sell your home.

1. Don’t Ignore Basic Home Improvements

Homebuyers look for the best deals they can afford. Almost every buyer hires an inspector to evaluate the structural integrity and safety of the homes they are interested in buying. If water damage is prevalent, homebuyers eventually find out and either back out of pending sales, negotiate seller credits or reduce their offers. Therefore, it?s in your?best interest as a seller to hire an inspector to examine your property before you list?it. If the inspector uncovers damages, you have an opportunity to correct them?and charge higher prices for newly-updated components.

Repairs might include minor fixes, such as loosening jammed windows, patching a hole in the wall, cleaning out air ducts, shampooing carpets or replacing a screen door. These corrections cost less than $500 each and might help you?avoid a few thousand dollars of credits for buyers requesting new carpet, window replacements or new air duct installments. Even larger fixes such as septic system cleaning and electrical corrections are worth the costs. By making home improvements prior to selling, you?broaden your?audience of potential buyers and ensure a better price for your home.

2. Don’t Disregard Professional Advice

Although For Sale By Owner properties can be successful selling opportunities without real estate agent commission costs, navigating a successful selling process without professional advice can be detrimental. Real estate agents know their markets well, and can help you set your home at an?appropriate and competitive listing price. A real estate agent can help you avoid unrealistic pricing strategies that sometimes arise from?emotional attachments your home. Overpriced homes sit on the market without offers. Buyers then assume stale listings must be poor purchases if they?ve been unpurchased for weeks.

When homebuyers visit open houses, they want to visualize their futures there. If current owners are present or showing spaces, it makes honest consideration awkward. It?s hard for buyers to imagine spaces as their own when they see current owners? lifestyles, including residents, family photos and pets. Plus, honest conversations about home details between couples buying homes is challenging without offending owners showing their homes.

Beyond real estate agents, you?should consider hiring a professional photographer to take high quality, flattering?images of your home. Again, homeowners become attached to their houses, often unable to highlight features buyers are looking for without personal bias. Plus, most sellers don?t own the equipment to properly illuminate small spaces or translate the true dimensions into photographs. Because most buyers start their house searches online, quality marketing images can be the difference between buyers visiting an open house or skipping it.

3. Don’t Assume?a Lengthy?Sale Process

You?might have owned your home for more than 30 years before deciding to sell it. You may have?experienced?enormous costs of mortgages, paid for continual upgrades and maintained your property through long, cold winters and dry, stifling summers. Between the happy memories of raising kids, the pride of ownership and major financial investments, it can be an emotionally conflicting experience for homeowners to sell their properties. Unsurprisingly, many sellers list their homes expecting sale process to take time.

When sellers receive quality offers immediately, they?re often unprepared to accept sales so soon. One misconception sellers have is that more buyers will offer even higher prices if they wait a while longer. Unfortunately, the first offer is often the best offer from extremely serious buyers. Passing on the first offer can leave you?disappointed and force you to accept a lower offer later. Instead, be?prepared to show your home within 24 hours of listing it.

Make?all the necessary property improvements, get professional photos taken of your home?and list your property?online. In competitive markets, agents might recommend listing homes online mid-week, opening homes on the weekend and accepting offers the following Monday. Although fast, you?can yield an impressive return on your home?if you?wait to list it until you?re fully prepared to let it go.

 

Have you ever sold?a home? What things caught you by surprise? Would you ever consider selling a house on your own or would you prefer to go through a real estate agent?

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of:?Daniel Moyle

 

 

*This post was featured on Home Money Easy?and His Finance.