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Good Afternoon! For those of you who have sold homes before I'm looking for any tip you have that will help me sell my house quicker. My husband and I have been watching all the HGTV shows but I wanted to reach out to you guys for advice as well. Thanks in advance!!
the number 1 and obvious rule is to price it right, especially in the winter market when there isnt as much activity. I just sold mine and took a few grand less than I would of liked to, but it was better than losing my new house! I wish you the best of luck as it sure isnt very fun selling.
We sold our home in less than one month back in August. Here's what we suggest:
-list with an agent
-de-clutter
-clean every inch of the house
-neutral paint wherever needed
-stage every room (set up dinning table, etc)
-plant flowers near entry door
-hide pets and any pets items
-add air fresheners
-go see model homes, you home should look like one
-keep it up until sold
I DVR every 'sell' show on HGTV...love them, love them.
In addition to Sacredgrooves recommendation of pricing, I would add: De-clutter, and stage it well. Put any 'excess' in storage that will be ready to go when your house sells.
The home I eventually bought was staged so well that I offered to buy all of the furniture! The house looked great, and had zero clutter. The great staging helped me overlook the dated kitchen...
Even though I'm not looking to move, I still like to visit open houses, and I find a have a stronger reaction to staged homes. (good flow around furniture, no personal items up, no clutter.)
Also, ask your realtor if your house has ANY 'scent' (ie Pet, smoke, mold, etc). I hate 'smelling' stuff in homes for sale (unless the aroma is chocolate cookies.)
Lastly...clean the windows and let the light shine in!
Well, I recently sold a home and recently bought one (well, closing in two weeks.) Remember there are a lot of homes on the market now and that buyers have a LOT of choices. So first, be sure everything in your house is absolutely perfect. No smells, no clutter, no blistered paint, no repairs needed, no nothing. Closets and cupboards clean and neat. I was shocked by the number of houses I went to see that were messy, in need of obvious repairs, etc. etc. etc. etc. In houses with pets, I would get an instant allergy attack and even though it might have been a nice house I couldn't stand to be in there. Second, pricing. Think about who is likely to want to buy your house. When you consider comparables, don't think only of similar houses in the same neighborhood but of other options your buyer might have. Then, if you really want to sell, set your price aggressively. Don't set a higher price "just in case" someone will pay it, set a price that jumps out and attracts people. To do this, don't lower your price by bits and drabs, be a pessimistic realist and drop your price all at once to the lowest possible level. Beat your competition with what you have to offer. You may think your house has special features that make it worth more, but in this market they probably don't. If you are the lowest priced among your competition and your house shows really well, you maximize your chance to get a buyer. Make sure you have an aggressive realtor who follow through on his/her promises. If you absolutely can't lower your price, consider staging by a professional (depending on your price range). Any house will sell, in any market, if the price is right. Whether you want to accept the price you can get is another matter, but if you are having trouble selling you are asking too much.
Best of Luck!
Good Afternoon! For those of you who have sold homes before I'm looking for any tip you have that will help me sell my house quicker. My husband and I have been watching all the HGTV shows but I wanted to reach out to you guys for advice as well. Thanks in advance!!
Where is this house located? If it isn't in the Triangle, I suggest you go to the specific forum for your current area & see what the people there have to say. They may be able to offer advice specific to your market. Here's a link to the US forums' list: City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions
Where is this house located? If it isn't in the Triangle, I suggest you go to the specific forum for your current area & see what the people there have to say. They may be able to offer advice specific to your market. Here's a link to the US forums' list: City-Data.com Forum: Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions
Ditto to everything Sundaze said! I just sold my house in one of the worst markets in recent history, and it was on the market for only 3 months! That is amazing given the common sight around here of a For Sale sign sitting on someone's lawn so long that the wooden post begins to rot! Seriously, I live in LI, NY and I was petrified I would be one of those forlorn people with the squeaky For Sale sign blowing on their lawn for all of eternity! I found that what Sundaze said is true. There were 208 other houses for sale in just my community alone, making the competition so tough. And if you don't price it right to get the attention of buyers, they have over 200 other houses they can look it. You have to make it stand out with good pricing first. The market is not what it was a few years ago, when if you held out a little bit, you could get someone to hand over their first born just to get your house! A few years ago, your house was worth a lot more than it is now in the current market. This is hard to accept, but it is the reality of it. Next thing is, clean windows - keep the shades and blinds open when people come to view it, turn lots of lights on if it's in the evening. A brighter lit area will be more appealing, sometimes even on a subconscious level. Make sure the house is neat and presentable. I don't happen to think that it needs to be a show place. I think most people realize you are still living there and expect to see the usual signs of life around them. If you have any odors in your house, deal with them before you begin showing. It may be old rugs that are holding the aroma of pet accidents, it may be the fish you cooked for dinner last night, etc. Your house should smell fresh and clean (or at least not smell at all) when people come. I found that burning some fresh smelling incense or a highly fragranced candle with a welcoming, homey aroma (apple cinnamon is a good one) gives a good first smell impression. I've even heard of people who put a batch of cookies in the oven before buyers arrived!
Clutter is a no-no. Try to clear out rooms and get rid of what you don't need - it makes them look larger and more open. Cluttered areas give off a stagnant, claustrophobic vibe. If your house feels like that, get a book on Feng Shui for some tips on how to get a good flow of energy through your house. Believe or not, people feel it and interpret it even if they can't particularly pinpoint the reason for it.
If your house is older where appliances or oil burner/boiler might be old, a home warranty is an excellent selling feature. Everyone likes newer appliances and heating and cooling systems, but we can't all afford to replace what we have in order to sell. A homeowners warranty helps ease the worry that a buyer may have on these issues. If they love the house, but are waffling because they are worried about things breaking soon after they move in, this helps to ease the worry a bit. Of course if they can afford to, they will just buy a house with all those things updated. But if their budget doesn't allow that, this is a good thing. It covers major appliances, heating and cooling systems for one year from closing. They don't usually pay out the full replacement cost, but a good enough percentage to soften the blow for most people.
Termites! This is another biggie. My house is on a slab and I would see termites every season. Can't really be helped. But I have a service contract with an exterminator which costs me $86 a year, so if I see termites - they come and treat for free. I didn't know how valuable this was until the buyers for my house hired an engineer to inspect it. I asked if it passed the termite inspection (I was concerned) and he said it didn't matter - I had a service contract that was verifiable. I guess what they are looking for is not so much the fact that you have never seen a termite, but more that you have been controlling it all these years to prevent damage. A BIG plus that I wouldn't have thought of in selling my home.
I think those are the most valuable things I learned in this process. Of course the basics - fix what is in obvious disrepair, a fresh coat of paint goes a long way, a new rug in a room that needs one... Do what you can afford to do to give it visual appeal. And when all that is done -- a really good cleaning! There is a better chance of a positive outcome if you "play the game" by the rules of today's market and not the one a few years back. I wish you luck selling your home. I hope it is a quick and painless journey for you!
I thought I would add that my house is about a year old so I consider it still pretty much knew. I know some people have mentioned staging the home. I currently have one room downstairs that does not have any furniture Do you think that I should rent some when I put it on the market??
Oh, I see. I was confused by your handle. Guess you aren't really "Raleigh Bound" anymore if you're already here!
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Do you think that I should rent some when I put it on the market??
