SELLERS. . . .
It is more critical than ever to learn what you need to know to avoid costly mistakes in order to sell your home fast and for the most amount of money.
Here are some tips from Lyn:
1. Know why you are selling. The reasons behind your decision to sell affect everything from setting a price to deciding how much time and money to invest in getting your home ready for sale. What is more important to you: the money you walk away with, the length of time your property is on the market or both? Different goals will dictate different strategies.
2. Do your homework before setting a price. Setting a price should not be taken lightly. Once you have set your price, you have told buyers the absolute maximum they have to pay for your home, but pricing too high is as dangerous as pricing too low. You have to keep in mind that the average buyer today will be looking at 15-20 homes at the same time they are considering yours. This means that they have a basis of comparison, and if your home does not compare favorably with others in the price range you have set, you will not be taken seriously by prospective buyers or realtors. As a result, your home will sit on the market for a long time and, knowing this, new buyers on the market will think there must be something wrong with your home.
3. More Homework. Your realtor should do this for you! Find out what homes in your own and similar neighborhoods have sold for in the past 6-12 months, and research what current homes are listed for. That is how prospective buyers will assess the worth of your home.
4. Find a good realtor to represent your needs. Make sure they communicate with you clearly and often.
5. Maximize your home's sales potential. Appearance of your home and landscaping is critical, and I cannot say it enough, "it would be foolish to ignore this when selling your home". You may not be able to change your home's location or floor plan, but you can do a lot to improve its appearance. Before showing, clean like you have never cleaned before. Pick up, straighten, unclutter, scrub, scour and dust. FIX everything, no matter how insignificant it may appear. And, please! Don't forget to clean every vent cover in the home. Put in clean air conditioner filters. Present your home so that buyers can imagine themselves living in your home. Homes are purchased on emotion, not logic! As a realtor, it is not easy for me to tell my sellers their home has to be cleaned up before I will list it, but that is a necessary part of my job in order to get your home sold.
6. Disclosure. For your part as a seller, make sure you disclose everything. When listing your home, your realtor will give you a Disclosure Statement to complete and by law, we are not allowed to assist you in filling it out. Smart sellers proactively go above and beyond legal requirements to disclose all known defects in writing. In order to represent your best interests, your realtor has to be informed about every problem and, if the buyer knows about a problem before buying, he or she cannot then come back with a lawsuit against you later.
7. Do NOT move out before you sell unless absolutely necessary. First, it is more difficult to sell a home that is vacant because it looks empty, forgotten, and simply- not warm and appealing. If you move, you are telling buyers that you have a new home and may be highly motivated to sell fast. Then they have an advantage at the negotiating table.
These are just a few tips that I hope will assist you. When you are ready to list, or if I may answer any question, please give me a call at (850) 529-1380 (Cell) or email me at lryan@rationalrealty.com.
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