Don’t Assume Your Home Will Sell Itself Just Because it’s a Sellers Market
It’s still high season for sellers out there in the world of real estate. If you just listed your home, you’re probably feeling very confident that your house will garner plenty of attention and sell shortly, right?
While it’s definitely highly possible that your home is ripe for the picking, it’s generally not recommended to just sit back, relax and assume that the home will just ‘sell itself’ just because the market is hot right now. There are actually things you might be doing – and not doing – that could botch the sale of your home.
When properties are on the move and your home isn’t getting much action within the first two weeks of hitting the market, home buyer hopefuls will start to think that there’s something wrong with your house, and assume that they’re in a better negotiating position or blow the home off altogether.
If you’ve got your home on the market, don’t just plop a For Sale sign on the front lawn and walk away. The best real estate agents in the country have a few suggestions for you to set your home listing up so that it’s plucked off the market sooner rather than later.
The Price Point of Your Home Can Make All the Difference
One of the most important factors to consider when selling your home is how much to list it for. Price it too low, and you could leave a bunch of money on the table. Price it too high and you could scare off buyers who otherwise would have put in an offer on your home.
Unfortunately, many home sellers get caught up on the dollar signs they see, thinking that the higher they list their home for, the more money they’ll make on the sale. The truth is, this mentality doesn’t always allow things to pan out the way they should.
Once the home lingers on the market after two or three weeks, it starts to get stale. At that point, you’ll wind up having to slash the price anyway. During that time you wasted with a higher-than-called for listing price, you could have had a completed sale and saved yourself a lot of money on carrying costs.
It’s imperative to price your home appropriately for your local market, and the best way to do that is to get your real estate agent to pull a list of comps in the neighborhood. A properly priced home will almost always sell faster than one that’s way over-priced.
Don’t Underestimate the Power of Staging
Even in a seller’s market where demand is high, you’re home won’t automatically sell itself if it isn’t presented in the best light possible. A nicely renovated home is great and all, but if it’s empty or not furnished nicely, it could be a turn off to buyers.
Professional home staging paints your home in its best light, and helps buyers get a clear visual of its highest and best use. People want to be able to see themselves living in the home, so the better able you are to paint that picture, the better the odds are of someone putting in an offer.
It’s estimated that two-thirds of home buyer hopefuls need some help visualizing themselves in your home, so it’s up to you to give them a little assistance in this department.
Don’t Ignore Your Home’s Exterior
Many sellers place a ton of emphasis on the interior of their homes without putting the same amount of importance in the outside. The truth is, it’s the curb appeal of your home that will make a good first impression on buyers. You don’t want to lose a buyer’s interest before they even step foot through the front door.
Make sure that your grass is cut, shrubs are trimmed, flowers are tended to, and any clutter is eliminated. Your front door should be void of cracking or peeling paint, and your front porch should be void of dead leaves and other debris.
And a nice “welcome” mat wouldn’t hurt either.
Don’t Work Alone
Your secret weapon in the entire sale of your home is working with a good, experience real estate agent. He or she will be your guide and counselor throughout the entire process. You’ll get the best advice and suggestions about what needs to be done to sell your home quickly, even if you think it’s the best house on the street.
The takeaway from this is that there’s work involved in selling a home, even if your pad is impeccable and the market is a hot one. Make sure you do your due diligence and your research in the process, and team up with a realtor who is well-versed in the market in your area. Last but not least, remain humble, and don’t just assume your home will sell itself.
