If you’re considering selling your house, you’re in good company. 4.71 million units changed hands across the nation in the year to September 2022. With a median price of $384,800, many people are looking to cash in and move on to something that better suits their current lifestyle. But sales figures are dropping, with pending home sales down 10.2%.
This could make it a great time to list your home, as inventory is lower than it has been. But how can you prepare for an impending home sale? What are some critical tips for selling my home for the best price?
Let’s explore how to give your home the best chance of achieving top dollar.
Complete Your Snagging List
When you live in a home for several years, there tend to be unfinished jobs you just live with. Or minor repairs that you never quite get around to doing. But that won’t cut it when you’re trying to sell your home.
Take a notepad and walk around every room in your house. Even better, take an honest, objective friend with you who won’t be afraid to tell you what needs doing. This may include:
- Repainting scuffed walls
- Fixing door handles
- Completing unfinished DIY tasks
Do you love bold wall colors? Most buyers won’t. Stick to a neutral palette and repaint your walls in a color that has mass appeal.
Remember, a real estate buyer won’t accept living with your unfinished DIY projects. And if they do, they’ll make a lowball offer and play hardball in the negotiations.
Give your house the best chance of achieving a great price by elevating it to turnkey condition.
Get the Exterior Right
You only get one chance to make a first impression. Curb appeal matters, and real estate buyers rightly expect to see a neat front and back yard. They expect the fencing to be in good repair and everything from the path to the porch to be in good condition.
Again, take an objective look at your home and make a detailed list. Some jobs are easy fixes – removing trash, sweeping leaves, and cleaning the guttering.
If your external paintwork is in horrible condition, this will send buyers running for the hills. Get quotes for getting the house repainted. Discuss with your real estate agent whether you’re likely to recoup this money when you sell your home.
Don’t forget your garage. If your old garage door is in bad condition, getting a new one is often a sound investment.
Stage Your Home
When the interior snagging jobs are complete, you can start to stage your home appealingly. The first step is to remove clutter. You can involve the whole family in a significant clearout or hire a storage unit until you move.
If your furniture is oversized, it can make your rooms look smaller than they actually are. You can consult a professional about this or take inspiration from home staging tips online. Temporarily parting with large pieces of furniture and arranging the rest can make your home look open and appealing.
The same applies to the kitchen. Home sales go faster when counters are clear, and buyers can picture themselves living there. If you have any appliances, like coffee machines or stand mixers on the counters, make sure they’re in good condition and spotlessly clean.
Finally, remove personal items such as family photos. They can make it hard for buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.
Keep It Clean
From the moment a potential buyer gets out of their car, your home needs to look and smell clean. Throughout the home selling process, it’s essential to keep the exterior of your home tidy. This can be a particular challenge during the fall!
Inside, your home should be spotlessly clean. Everyone in the family needs to be on high alert that there can be viewings at any time.
Dishes should be out of sight in the dishwasher. Likewise, you should take out the trash daily and keep pet odors to a minimum.
Bathrooms also need to be gleaming and well-presented. It often pays to invest in professional cleaning at the start of the process and then maintain it.
It takes a lot of work to live that way. But it’s worth a few weeks of extra work to achieve an excellent price for your home.
Work With an Experienced Local Real Estate Brokerage
Rather than trying to go it alone, it pays to work with a trusted local real estate broker to sell your home.
You already have a full-time job. Trying to market your home, schedule viewings, and negotiate on top of that will be overwhelming. Local agents have years of real estate sales experience. You’re paying for their expert advice, contacts, and negotiating skills.
A real estate agent is also familiar with the legal paperwork of selling a home. They can guide you through this, helping you to avoid expensive pitfalls. For example, Maryland has strict disclosure laws that require sellers to inform a real estate buyer of any defects in the property.
With a real estate agent on your side, your home may sell more quickly. You should be able to move on with your life and minimize stress.
I’m Selling My Home: Who Can Help?
Don’t wake up in a cold sweat thinking, “I’m selling my home. How in the world can I juggle that with my regular commitments?” The key is to put your home sale in the hands of a trusted real estate agent who’ll handle everything for you.
At Realty Investments Corp., we have years of experience successfully handling home sales for people in Kensington, Bethesda, Rockville, and Chevy Chase, MD. We can handle everything from marketing to showing and negotiating.
Talk to Brett McCurdy today by calling (240) 565-2282 or reach out online.