April is here which means home buying season has arrived! Alison Bentley from REDFIN has 10 Awesome Real Estate Tips for Home Sellers and #6-9 is where I come in (wink).
1. Find the perfect listing agent
Probably the best real estate tip there is: find a dedicated, responsive, and knowledgeable real estate agent – someone you can trust to guide you through every step of selling your home. A good seller’s agent will make informed recommendations about a listing price, advise you on which repairs will help you sell your home, and make recommendations about decluttering, staging, and maximizing your curb appeal...... read more here.
2. Determine the best time to list your home
Reliable real estate wisdom suggests that spring into summer is when most people start hunting for a new house. Buyers will typically research properties online months before touring their first home in person. This way they can understand how much house they can afford in neighborhoods that appeal to them most.
Usually, the end of March or the beginning of April is considered the start of home buying season...... read more here.
3. Professional photography and 3D walkthroughs are key
Many real estate agents now offer 3D tours of their listings. Virtual walkthroughs are a massive advantage for both buyers and sellers. Buyers can “shop” any time of the day or night, and sellers can “show” their house 24/7. It also cuts down on showings to only the serious buyers. If a buyer is genuinely interested, they will view the virtual walkthrough (probably several times) and then request a showing.
Professional photography is another great option...... read more here.
4. Handle the repairs from a pre-listing home inspection
It might be tempting to put off small repairs and let the next owner handle them. Unfortunately, if you list a house with evident and necessary repairs, prospective buyers will also scrutinize your property more closely for larger deferred maintenance issues. If you want to be proactive, one of the best real estate tips for selling your home is setting up a pre-listing home inspection...... read more here.
5. Boost your curb appeal
It may feel counterintuitive to work on the outside of your home as you get ready to sell. But when you keep up with lawn maintenance, pull weeds, fix the fence, power-wash the siding, and clean up the cobwebs, your property will stand out and really “wow” prospective buyers...... read more here.
DRUMROLL PLEASE....... this is where I come in!
6. Declutter… and then declutter some more
It’s no secret, we all accumulate stuff. However, you want potential buyers to look at your home, not your belongings. So another great real estate tip is to have your home appear move-in ready so homebuyers can see themselves – and their things – in your space...... read more here.
7. Stage your home
One of the most important real estate tips is staging your home. Key staging tactics involve placing furniture and throw pillows invitingly. You can also...... read more here.
8. Always be ready for a showing
When you list your home, you could get calls from agents within hours regarding potential buyers who want to see your home. It’s easier to handle those calls if you do your best to keep your home “show ready”...... read more here.
9. Accommodate requests for last-minute showings
Unfortunately, buyers are not always available to see the home when it’s most convenient for you. Here’s a list...... read the list of 20 things you can easily clean up and be out of the house in 20 minutes here.
And real estate tip #10
Respond to offers in a timely manner
Be respectful of all reasonable offers. You know what price you’ll accept and on what terms, including what you’d be willing to negotiate on if asked. Most contracts expect a response within 48 hours, but why wait? Respond with a counteroffer or acceptance as soon as a good offer comes in.
Selling your first house is not easy. But with these 10 real estate tips, moving on to the next chapter in your life can be just as exciting.
How I Can Help You Sell Your Home
Decluttering your home. This also includes disposing, or moving decluttered items into storage. Items going into storage will be categorized and organized to make it easier when you do move into your new home.
Organizing the rest of your home. After decluttering, organizing the rest of your home will allow potential home buyers visualize how their items will fit. This is especially important for any narrow, or small spaces.
Staging and maximizing your home's space. Staging doesn't mean that you are renting furniture and accessories to place into your home. As a matter of fact, most home staging is done with your own furniture and accessories. You would be surprised the gems found during decluttering, and how a repurposed furniture piece gives another room a new look and feel.
Packing & unpacking. Yup, we do that too! Since we already packed up some of your items during the decluttering process for storage, why not just have us finish the job of packing up the rest when you move to your new home, or storage if you sold and haven't found a new home yet. We can make a plan for your new or temporary home, unpack and organize your belongings.
Organization plan for the new home. Most likely your new home will not have the same dimensions of the old home. I can make a plan to organize all the spaces, which includes managing installations (closets, bookshelves, etc). You can also live in the new home for a little while to see how you and your family are living and functioning in the new home before I organize the spaces to your needs.
NOTE: After Step 1: Find the Perfect Listing Agent, is when you would hire a Professional Home Organizer. I would work with you and your Listing Agent to know the details of what they see, what they think needs to change or be removed, what you love about your home, favorite places/nooks, some history of the home, etc. The entire process takes planning (what, when, where, who, and how much) so it can be ready for the professional photos that will be taken for the listing and showings. I can take care of all of this for you... one less thing you have to stress over. Understand that decluttering a home to place on the market is totally different than regular decluttering as it is a longer process that takes more time to complete this part of the project. It is also the first, and non-negotiable, step to take if you really want to sell the home at top dollar. Only after decluttering can I then maximize the space in the different rooms and stage the home. So when you make the decision to sell your home, go find your perfect listing agent, then contact me!
Organized by Catherine O organizes all areas of your home, maximizes your space, and problem-solves time management and productivity challenges. I am based in New York City and serve the NYC-Metro area.
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