What Things Should I Do When Selling My Home?

Both selling and buying a home are always very big decisions and there is a lot to consider when doing either one. In this market, if you choose to sell your home, there are some very important things that you should do to market it well.
One very important thing that needs to be done is house cleaning and maybe even some rearranging of furniture. We all have our house kept the way that works well with our lives, but don't assume that how you keep it is the way everyone else would. If you have pet toys or kid toys, they need to be put away out of sight. Try a decorative bin and slide it under some shelves or simply put them in a box in the closet. Keep your house more clean than you are normally used to keeping it. This is a home you are selling and one of the easiest ways to turn a prospective buyer away is to have a mess in the kitchen, over flowing litter boxes, or an untidy master bedroom. After all, would you buy a car that smelled like cat or had a mess all over the floor? Probably not, and this is a home you are trying to sell so make a good impression. People can easily see a messy house and assume that other up keeps on a home may have fallen through the cracks as well (no pun intended). Also, if you have over sized furniture or maybe just not enough walking space in some areas, ask a friend if you can store that large chair in their home for a bit. Or maybe move a few things to a storage room or the garage and keep the car outside for a while. It is hard to picture where to put the furniture in a new home when the home has no room for new ideas.

Curb appeal! Curb appeal! Curb appeal! Put some extra money into planting some nice flowers and bushes. Keep the walk way swept and the lawn trimmed. Buy some paint and have the front door redone if the paint is chipping. Restaurants spend a ton of money to make the entrance of their venue look appealing to attract people to come eat there...you should put in at least a couple hundred (if not more) to make your home a place people want to see as well.

Last but not least, this may be the hard part, but also the most important. This is your home and you have made memories here. And you have invested time, money, and effort into redoing the patio or upgrading the kitchen. This home is a very big deal to you and it has a lot of personal value it to. As a home owner, I am well aware of all of these feeling and thoughts that we have when getting ready to sell a home. But as a realtor, I must say, the most important thing you can do when selling your home is to find a good realtor that will price it right the first time on the market. You need to see what has sold in your area in the past 90 days. If possible, try not too look more than a mile or so away. The closer the better. You also need to consider the square footage of these homes and make sure they are somewhat close to yours. (The number of bedrooms may not matter as much depending on your location) When you look through the homes that have sold, find ones that may have similar upgrades, or lot sizes and amenities like a pool. Now, ask yourself when looking at the price those homes sold for "Am I risk adverse? Or am I a big risk taker?" If you have nothing to loose and time is not of the essence, then you can price it where you are comfortable. Most people are not in that position, so for everyone else, I would highly recommend finding the average price of those similar homes, and listing yours just under. Do not look at what other homes are currently listed at! If they haven't sold, that number means nothing. There are a lot of factors to think about if you list your home too high. If the home sits on the market too long, you may attract people that are only willing to come in at a very low offer thinking you may be weary and desperate. If you price it too high and continue to lower it after it's been on the market, the buyers' agents will tell the clients all this information and again, the client may see that as a good place to jump in with a very low offer. I know that is not the easiest pill to swallow, but at the same time, this is priceless advice and in the end, it is your decision and you will either sell your home in a reasonable time or the home will sit and wait it out. Good luck with selling your house and when finding a realtor, always deserve better!