Tips to maximize your home sale – Homeowners ready to make a move are definitely in a great position to sell today. Housing inventory is incredibly low, driving up buyer competition. This gives homeowners leverage to sell for the best possible terms, and it’s fueling a steady rise in home prices.
In such a hot market, houses are selling quickly. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), homes are typically on the market for just 18 short days. Despite the speed and opportunity for sellers, there are still steps you can take to prep your house to shine so you get the greatest possible return. Below are 5 great tips to maximize your home sale this year!
1. Make Buyers Feel at Home
One of the ways to make buyers feel at home is to take time to declutter. Pack away any personal items like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. The more neutral and tidy the space, the easier it is for a buyer to picture themselves living there. According to the 2021 Profile of Home Staging by NAR:
“82% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.”
Not only will your house potentially attract the attention of more buyers and likely sell quickly, but the same report also notes:
“Eighteen percent of sellers’ agents said home staging increased the dollar value of a residence between 6% and 10%.”
As Jessica Lautz, Vice President of Demographics and Behavior Insights for NAR, says:
“Staging a home helps consumers see the full potential of a given space or property…It features the home in its best light and helps would-be buyers envision its various possibilities.”
2. Keep It Clean
On top of making an effort to declutter, it’s important to keep your house neat and clean. Before a buyer stops by, be sure to pick up toys, make the beds, and wash the dishes. This is one more way to reduce the number of things that can distract a buyer from the appeal of the home.
Ensure your home smells fresh and clean as well. Buyers will remember the smell of your house, and according to the same report from NAR, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the house to focus on if you want to attract more buyers.
3. Give Buyers Access
Buyers are less likely to make an offer on your house if they aren’t able to easily schedule a time to check it out. If your home is available any time, that opens up more opportunities for multiple buyers to go from curious to eager. It also allows buyers on tight schedules to get in to see your house.
While health continues to be a great concern throughout the country, it’s important to work with your agent to find the best safety measures and digital practices for your listing. This will drive visibility and create access options that also keep everyone in the process safe.
4. Price It Right
Even in a sellers’ market, it’s crucial to set your house at the right price to maximize selling potential. Pricing your house too high is a detriment to the sale. The goal is to drive high attention from competing buyers and let bidding wars push the final sales price up.
Work with your trusted real estate professional to determine the best list price for your house. Having an expert on your side in this process is truly essential. This leads us to our next tip…
5. Have a good agent
Many people think that since homes are selling so quickly, they can skip an agent and do everything themselves. First of all, looking past all the time and the hassle that comes with doing it yourself, there are security issues involved when allowing strangers into your home. You are also going to get a much higher price for your home by using a skilled negotiator in your market area. A good agent will bring top value to your home by pricing it optimally and being able to attract many interested buyers to your home.
Right now, homes listed by top real estate agents are selling with multiple offers which drive the price up. You get what you pay for! Do not accept a discount broker, which is a broker that gives you a drastically lower commission percentage. This kind of broker will not give you the full package that leads to the best price on your home. They will probably take the pictures themselves instead of a photographer, and first impressions matter. They most likely will not spend any money on advertising such as billboards, social media, and website marketing. Negotiating multiple offers is a lot of work, so they might tell you it is in your best interest to take the first or second offer. They will also not have many tips to maximize your home sale!
Bottom Line
These 5 tips to maximize your home sale will get you started. If you want to sell on your terms in the least amount of time and for the best price, today’s market sets the stage to make that happen. Let’s connect today to determine the best ways to maximize the sale of your house this year!
Be sure to check out last week’s Weekly Insight if you missed it!