The Things You Want to Do to Get the Best Price
You’ve decided to downsize or you plan to relocate, so you’re planning on putting your house on the market. Like everyone, you want to maximize the amount you get for your home. What do the experts recommend that you do help get the most for your home and ensure that the sale goes as smoothly as possible? Here’s a checklist to help you out.
Step #1—Hire a Listing Agent Who Knows the Local Market
Your listing agent will have a strong understanding of more than local property values. Your agent will understand what people find attractive in a home, what they are willing to do to a home after purchase and how you can most effectively market your home to the right buyer.
Step #2—Have Your Home Inspected before You Put It on the Market
Unless your home is just a few years old, it can really pay to have an inspection done before you have an offer on the house. That way, you’ll know of any significant repairs that can affect price and appeal. If you wait to have the inspection done until you have a contract on the house and there are major problems, the buyer may back out. That can cause issues when you put the house back on the market, as potential buyers may be leery.
At the same time, you may want to obtain a preliminary title report, so that you know there are no potential problems.
Step # 3—Maximize Curb Appeal
As with many things, first impressions can be critical. According to industry watchdogs, “curb appeal” can affect the sales price by up to 10%. Make certain all exterior paint looks good and that your windows and doors have good-looking screens. You may want to power-wash the sidewalks if they look dingy.
Step #4—Neutralize and Declutter the Interior
You want to the buyers to envision the living space as their space. Replace family pictures with generic, but tasteful, art and put away any highly personalized items, including memorabilia. Decluttering can serve a couple of purposes—you’ll have less to move and you’ll make your house look more spacious.
Step #5—Have Another Person Do a “Sniff” Test
The odors and aromas in a home can have a significant impact on buyers. Because you’ve lived in the house for a while, you won’t be as sensitive to any unusual smells. Have a third party (your realtor, for instance) walk through and pay close attention to odors. If necessary, set up an air purifier or put a fresh coat of paint in some of the rooms. If you paint, though, use a neutral color. Chances are the buyer will repaint the room.
Step #6—Document Any Home Maintenance You’ve Done
Put together a list of all upgrades and repairs you’ve made. This will go a long way toward demonstrating to a potential buyer that the house has been well cared for.
