Listing a home is a big deal. It really is. It doesn’t have to be a difficult process if you do a few small steps to help things go smooth. When you are ready to list a home you want the sale to be fast and efficient. The following steps will put on on the road to a successful closing!
Clean Up and Declutter
One of the biggest detractors a home buyer might face is walking into a home that is just a mess. A house that is cluttered with nick knacks, papers, kids toys, or other items is hard for a buyer to see. When listing a home try to make the house as much of a blank slate as possible so that buyers can imagine what they would put where.
Improve the Curb Appeal
If the house doesn’t look good from the street they buyers might not even stop by. Many buyers drive around neighborhoods they would like to live in to see what homes are available. When they see one they like they will call the agent for a showing. If the curb appeals just isn’t there that buyer may decide to to investigate the house any further. First impressions matter! Keep the yard cleaned up, mailbox ship shape, shutters painted, and any other touch ups that need done ahead of time.
Update the Home
When listing a home you may have been in for a while you may need to do some basic updating. If the carpets are worn or dirty they will need replaced. Ideally with hardwood flooring in the common areas of the home. If there are elements of the home that you know are in rough shape go ahead and have them fixed. Odds are issues that turn up in the inspection will have to be address before closing anyway. It’s better to get it all ready before listing than to have a lot to do later when time is of the essence and you are under contract.
Stage The Home
Staging a new listing is extremely important. We mentioned decluttering the home earlier but staging takes it to a whole new level. Depersonalize it as much as possible. A few pictures here and there are fine but try to keep counters and table tops clear of items as much as possible. Clear out collections and put them away until you are ready to moved them into your new home. Move furniture around to place it in a configuration that makes sense to a buyer. You should consider renting a storage unit and moving any unnecessary furniture into it. Do your absolute best to keep the house clean and ready to show on a daily basis. You NEVER want to turn down a showing because the house needs cleaned and picked up.
Price It Right
By far the most important part of listing a home is setting the right price. The right price isn’t always what you want to get out of the home. The right price is what the market will support and thus what sells. If you price a home correctly it will garner interest from all buyers in that price range. If you price it too high then you may be eliminating buyers who could buy your home but may not even have looked for it due to the price range it was in. To determine the right price the homes in the neighborhood that have sold recently should be evaluated as comparisons. The ideal comparison would have as many of the same features as your home. A good real estate agent can help you with this and give you some advice on where to price your home.
Are you listing a home?
Are you ready to list a home for sale? If so contact me right away at my email: DaveTownsend@KW.com, my phone numbers 931-674-1727 or 615-302-4242, or use the contact form below. I’m happy to help you anywhere in Middle TN!
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