Tips For Selling Your Home
I have had my home listed with one of the top Realtors in my community for over a year and it has not sold. I priced it to sell and I’m getting traffic, however no one has even made an offer on my house. Do you have any suggestions?
Jim
Normally Realtors will make suggestions, however rarely, there are some agents who are content to seek after listings, post them on MLS and wait for someone to sell them so they can collect a partial commission. Here are the most common items that turn buyers off and that may be part of the reason they are not entertaining making an offer on your home.
Presentation
Make sure that your home is presentable at all times, think of curb appeal. You never know when that prospective buyer will come along knocking on your door, and you do not want to be unprepared when that day arrives. Always make sure that the lawn is cut, the bushes are trimmed, the sidewalk is swept, the windows are clean, and the house smells good. (A couple of scented candles are the best for this).
When prospective buyers look at the home they want to be able to envision their family in that home, they want to feel like it is already their home, and the picture perfect home, is always clean! Make sure the interior of the home is decorated appropriately, avoid cluttering. Store unattractive furniture, boxes, keepsakes, and so on in your garage in order to make your rooms appear larger.
Choosing the right realtor
Trying to sell your home yourself is hard, time consuming, and frustrating; not to mention a bit risky. When you have a potential buyer, you will not know how to pre-approved them for the mortgage loan. A Realtor will know exactly who they are showing the house to, and if they can afford the house, a local Realtor has connections, and the marketing capabilities that you will not. Realtors will send out fliers, letters, post cards, host open houses, send emails, generate leads, and make those phone calls so you that you don’t have to. Make sure the Realtor is experienced and reliable and has read and understood the whole contract before you sign it.
PRICE:
Buyers have an uncanny sense of knowing what a house is worth and of course, what they are willing to pay, therefore one of the most deciding factors in the selling of your home is the price. Your Realtor has the ability to go on-line and run the comps, (comparables), and this is very important as you will need to know what the market value of your home is. The selling Realtors will know how much a house is worth. So if they step into your home and think it is overpriced, they will advise their buyer of this and move on down the road.
Ameneties
Various amenities can make your home more attractive but if they are no longer in excellent shape, they can make a bad impression. If there are fences, they must be in good repair in order to raise the property value. Storage sheds and work shops are another thing that will raise the value of the property, especially if the structure is equipped with electricity and/or water.
Will your home come with an oven, refrigerator, built in microwave, dishwasher, and garbage disposal? Each one of those appliances cost money, and depending on the brand and type of those appliances, they may raise the property value even more.
Landscaping is very important, however it must be well maintained or it will be a distraction. The right kind of grass, shrubs, and a couple of trees will increase your property value and appeal. Having healthy Saint Augustine, four rose bushes, and two pecan trees will do wonders for the property value. Always make sure that these are cared for properly. Water the grass, add fertilizer, trim the rose bushes, and cut branches. Make it look as perfect as possible. An irrigation system in good repair will certainly add to the property value.
Things like, ceiling fans, jet bath tubs, chandeliers, garage door openers, security systems, solar screens, stone BBQ pits etc. cumulatively can help with the sale of your home.
De-personalize your home
You will need to de-personalize your home as much as possible. You may think a buyer would like to see a picture of your happy family on the mantel, but in reality that is not the case. Put away all the pictures, all the posters, pack the hobby related material, and anything that says something about your family. Make as much space in a room as you can. Remove excess furniture from each room and only leave the necessities. The buyers will want to picture their own family in the home, not see your family’s memorabilia.
When it is time for a showing, it’s best not to be there. Leave and let the Realtor do his job. They have done this many times more than you have, and will know what to say to the buyers to get them interested in the home. If the seller is around, watching everyone’s moves like an overly aggressive sales clerk, it will almost always make the buyers nervous and they will jump at the first opportunity to leave your home, even if they did find it attractive.
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