Tips For Selling Your Home In Today’s Market If you are thinking about selling your home, this may be time to get back in the market. One thing to think about is that banks have tightened their qualification criteria, so it is harder for buyers to qualify for a loan. Banks also want buyers to put down more money than in the recent past.
It is also a good idea as a seller to screen buyers to weed out those who are just looking from those who are serious buyers. Ask your real estate agent to check with potential buyers’ lenders. Buyers who are really serious should already be preapproved for their loan and won’t have a problem with you checking with their loan officers.
If you post your home for sale online, make sure your pictures are sharp and clear. Most buyers begin their search online and if your pictures are not clear and sharp, they may not even stop to take a first look. Take some time and frame the shots to show your home at its best. Spring pictures could show off your home with the flower gardens in full bloom and winter shots could show sun shining off of beautiful snow sprinkled trees. Fall pictures could show the vibrant colors of fall. The pictures should show your interior as uncluttered with bright rooms. Remove personal pictures and brighten up dark spaces.
Unless your home is falling down, there is really no need to spend a great deal of money renovating. Concentrate instead on the small things like painting and minor repairs, especially cosmetic items that are easily noticed. Put some money into landscaping in the front for curb appeal. Painting the interior is a good investment that will pay-off.
Get your home inspected so you know if there is something that absolutely must be fixed before you sell. It would not be good if you got a great offer and then the seller had your home inspected and discovered your roof had dry rot on the decking. That great offer might disappear as you tried to negotiate the repair costs as credit with the buyer. If you identify these types of repairs ahead of time, you can fix them for much less or you can factor them into the sales price of your home. Additionally, if the inspection finds your home to be in good repair, then you can advertise it as “move-in” condition which will be a plus for selling it.
Do your research and price your home correctly from the first day. Find a seasoned real estate agent and follow their recommendations on pricing your home. They will provide you with comparable sales to review, neighborhood trends, an up-to-date appraisal and a realistic evaluation of your home’s pros and cons. If you do not get any serious offers within thirty to forty-five days, reduce your price.
Allow your agent to creatively market your home. This helps get your home out in front of as many potential buyers as possible. Buyers are using all forms of social media today and agents and homeowners are building websites and blogs themselves to generate interest and sales.
This may the time to sell your home. In many parts of the country prices are beginning to rise and homes are selling again. So get back into the market.
