Six steps to make when selling your home
If you're selling your home this year, be prepared for a marathon, not a sprint. For many people, their home is their largest asset, so when they sell, they want to maximize the return. Though there can be some forces out of your control that affect the price you get for your home, there are plenty of issues you can control. Here are six steps to help you get the most money from your home.
1. Recognize every market is different. Your state, town or neighborhood could dovetail with national numbers or buck the trend entirely. "There really is no national market," says Sambrotto. "There's a patchwork of regional markets." Never rely solely on one person's advice or opinon. Talk to a handful of professionals, do your own research and listen to your gut instinct.
2. Price it right. One of the most important factors in getting a good price for your home is to price it right, which doesn’t necessarily mean to price it high. Your home’s price needs to match the other similar homes on the market. If you price your home too high, it could sit on the market, requiring you to reduce the price later anyway. If you price your home too low, you could wind up getting less than it is worth.
3. Light it up. Maximize the light in your home. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in sunshine. Do what you have to do make your house bright and cheery – it will make it more sellable.
4. Market your home as much as you can. To get top dollar for your home, you need to attract the right buyer, and to do that, you need to get your home seen as much as possible. A Realtor will get your home in the Multiple Listing Service and will put up a yard sign. If you are selling on your own be sure to use your own yard sign. Get your home on as many websites as you can and promote it on your social media accounts as well.
5. Don’t over-upgrade. Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. Instead, do updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout.
6. Spruce things up. People don’t pay top dollar for a fixer upper or a house that looks tired. You can boost your chances of making the most from your home sale by sprucing things up a bit. You don’t have to make major renovations; in fact, doing so may not be cost effective. Small changes, such as repainting, updating window treatments and light fixtures and sprucing up your landscaping can help you get top dollar when you sell.
