Every home seller has a different story. For some, the idea of putting their house on the market is an exciting one that they may have been dreaming about for years. However, others dread the thought of it, and would instead do anything else but sell their property. Regardless of your attitude, there’re certain steps you should follow to make sure your sale goes as smoothly as possible, and isn’t fraught with unforeseen issues or complications.
Here’s a list of the steps you should follow when selling your home:
- Prepare Your Home For The Market
As realtors often say, first impressions are everything. When it comes to selling your home quickly, you need the first impression of potential buyers to be good so that they’d be willing to step inside and consider making an offer on your property. The more time a buyer spends in the house, the better the chances of them falling in love with it.
So, before any showing can take place, you need to prepare your home for the market by making it as presentable as possible. You can start with things, such as mowing and trimming any overgrown grass, pulling weeds from flowerbeds, or planting flowers if nothing else has been done for some time. Also, don’t forget the dirty walls or sidings before heading to the interior.
- Hire A Realtor Who Knows The Market
Going solo with selling your home might seem like a good idea, but it may not be the best course of action. The real estate market is constantly changing and requires those involved to keep up with such changes. This can be very difficult for an individual who doesn’t have experience in selling homes as they can only learn so much from reading books and doing research on their own.
When you hire a Coquitlam realtor or one from where you live, this person will know what kinds of prices should be set and how quickly the property will likely move. A good realtor should also be able to tell which days or times during the week prospective buyers tend to look at homes that fit into your parameters, as well as other helpful information. They can also help you determine a closing date.
Another good thing about hiring a realtor is that they’ll know the neighborhoods and surrounding areas very well. With their knowledge, it becomes easy to describe the property accurately.
- Hire A Professional Photographer
With your home ready for market and a realtor at your disposal, you may be tempted to head out the door and start snapping pictures. While this is undoubtedly an option, realtors will advise against it for a couple of reasons.Â
First, your iPhone probably doesn’t have all the bells and whistles needed to capture fantastic images visible in small sizes on websites or in large print ads. Second, not everyone knows how better their home looks compared to others when photographed by professionals who know what they’re doing.
Many sellers choose to hire a professional photographer who specializes in taking photos of homes for sale for these reasons alone. These photographers usually work with local real estate agents, so there should be no problem finding one within driving distance from your house if you’d rather not travel far.
- Set A Realistic Price
Although your realtor may assist with this, you should research the price of homes in your area and set a realistic sales price. If your home is overpriced, it’ll take longer to sell. It can also cause buyers to get discouraged when they see that similar houses are selling for less than what yours is listed at!
When setting a price, make sure you know how long it’s been on the market, or if there’s been any update done recently or major repair completed before deciding on an asking price. You want to be able to negotiate with potential buyers when getting closer, but not put yourself too far out of their range from the beginning by pricing much lower than other properties in your neighborhood are going for currently.
However, be prepared because there may come a point wherein you may need to lower your asking price to sell for a faster transaction.
Parting Shot
Getting your home off the market isn’t as difficult as you might think. There are many steps to take—some of which should be done before listing your home, and others need to happen once the sale is already underway. No matter what stage of selling your house you’re in, following the steps above will keep buyers interested in seeing more of it.
