Getting Ready to Sell Your Home

Maybe you’re getting ready to move for a job or to be closer to family. Maybe you need more space, so you’re moving up to a bigger house. Maybe you just want to take advantage of the rising value of your home. Whatever your reason is for selling your home, these tips will help you start the process with confidence.

There are steps you can take to help bring in more offers and get your house sold faster. We will cover the best tips for selling and advice for how to decide what should you spend money on so that you can get a higher offer on your home.

Research Your Local Housing Market

The first step to selling your home is to be sure it’s the right time to sell your home in your market. Every area is unique and has its own nuances when it comes to real estate. Just because you hear the housing market is hot and homes are selling fast on the national news, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best time to sell in your neighborhood.

Researching recent home sales in your area will also help you set proper expectations. As you’re reviewing properties that recently closed, take note of how long the home was on the market, if it sold for more or less than the seller’s asking price, and the condition of homes comparable to yours. That way you won’t be surprised by what may be in store for your selling process.

Find the Right Listing Agent

You can search online listing sites, like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia to get an idea of the current selling conditions in your local market. That’s a great place for some initial research. But the best resource for an in-depth perspective is a top listing agent.

Finding the right listing agent can provide you with more than accurate information about your market. You’ll count on them to advise on any repairs and upgrades you may be considering, staging, listings photos, and even setting your asking price. A great listing agent will also help you market your home, schedule showings, negotiate with potential buyers on your behalf, and even help you work through important paperwork during the home selling process.

Make Smart Repairs and Upgrades

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You have to spend money to make money.” That can be true when it comes to selling your home, in that upgrades and repairs can help raise the value of your home and net more money in your pocket at closing.

But you’ll want to make smart, calculated decisions about what money you’re putting into your home as you’re getting ready to sell. You don’t want to spend $10,000 on upgrades if they’re only likely to bring in $5,000 more on your sale price.

Your listing agent is your best resource when it comes to narrowing down what repairs and upgrades to invest in, because they also know what buyers are looking for and are willing to pay more for.

Stage Your Home to Help Buyers Visualize Themselves in It

While some buyers are experts about picturing how they will utilize your former space, others aren’t. Staging your home to accentuate its natural light, maximize its space, and highlight any unique features is sure to make a difference for buyers touring it, even to hobby interior designers.

Get Professional Listing Photos

All the work you’ve put into upgrading, repairing, and staging your home will be for naught if you can’t show it off in the property listing. And believe it or not, there’s a science behind successful home listing photos.

Hiring a professional real estate photographer is a great idea for any listing. They will highlight all of the best features in your home, getting the best angles and lighting. This puts forward the best first impression to potential buyers searching online or with their real estate agent through the MLS.

Always Be Ready to Show

Buyers are very unlikely to put in an offer if they can’t see your home in person first, and just about everyone has busy schedules. An easy way to set yourself apart from other listings is by being flexible with showing your home.

If you’re still living in your home while it’s selling, this means you’ll want to keep it show-ready as often as you can. So keep dishes clean and put away, bathrooms shining and dust-free, and your floors mopped or vacuumed. You never know when being accommodating for a showing could mean the difference between a buyer putting in an offer on your home versus someone else’s.

If you’re ready to get started selling your home and want to find a top listing agent in your area, reach out to one of our local loan officers. They can get you in touch with a trusted real estate agent and help with any financing needs you have for your next home purchase.