Thinking about selling your home? Here are 9 tips to help you get the most.
Declutter
It’s absolutely OK to have a home with a “lived-in” feel—EXCEPT when you are trying to sell. Buyers need to see themselves in your home and they don’t do well at looking past your stuff. Now is the time to pack up or pare down
Clean
This is the only time people are coming to see the house and not you. The baseboards, the windows, and under the stairs; people want to know a home is well taken care of and cleanliness goes a LONG way.
Neutralize
Don’t go crazy with this one, but if your kiddos convinced you to paint their bedroom neon yellow it would be best to cover it with something with wider appeal like a gray, white, or beige.
Landscape
Buyers shouldn’t be able to rule out your home before they get to the door. Things like weeding, mulching, mowing, and trimming will let a potential new owner see past the overgrowth toward writing a great offer.
Repairs
Everyone has projects they have put off; if you know there is a leaky sink in the guest bathroom or the lock on the back door is broken—fix it. Potential buyers want to see a home is well taken care of and they see dollars signs with each project that “just wasn’t a big deal” to you. If you are considering a big project, like a new roof or kitchen renovation, talk to your agent first. Sometimes a big project is not worth spending the money.
Rearrange
Over time we move things to the most practical spot in the room, but when preparing to sell aesthetics are most important. Make sure furniture shows off the space rather than just faces the TV.
Gather Your Maintenance Records
Did you replace the furnace last fall? Completely redo the carpet 6 months ago? Make sure to let your agent know—these things increase the value and marketability of your home. Buyers also like to see you are up to date on maintenance so having records saves times later.
Pay Your Bills
When you sell your home you usually buy someplace new to live in, it’s important to not tank your credit or you may not be able to afford that new home you were dreaming about. Pay your bills on time, don’t finance new things, and don’t open or close any accounts.
Call Your Favorite Agent
Yes, you can sell your own home. Though, it’s not advisable. There are so many moving parts, deadlines, people to connect with, and marketing and research to be done; accomplishing all these things without the connections an agent has is so difficult. Research shows you will even make more money when you work with a great agent.
Even though following these steps is a great start, each home is different and a real estate agent can help you determine what will sell your home for the most money!
This post was provided by Crace and Associates, resident real estate agents at Choctaw Lake. This post is part of a regular feature on Choctaw Lake Weekly. Every Tuesday we hope to feature an article of local interest, preferably written by children here at the lake, but we are accepting articles from any lake residents. Do you have a child who loves to write or do you have a local interest article you’d like to write? Check out our submission guidelines, here.