Thinking of selling your home? Here are 5 things to do prior to listing your home.
1) Make sure you really want to sell.
Yes, the market is improving. In many areas of the country it has become easier to sell a home. However, most cities still have too many homes on the market. If you are not really motivated to sell it might be best not to waste your time. Aside from a few exceptions it seems like only the motivated sellers are successful.
2) Research your market
You need to become an expert on the real estate market. Take an objective look at your home and your competing homes. Put your buyer hat on. Would you buy your home or the better home at a lower price? When you get an offer your market knowledge will help you respond wisely.
3) Clean and de-clutter your house
Many buyers have a hard time with vision. Don’t make them envision a clean and de-cluttered home. It is much easier to sell a home that is in model shape. Take down some of your personal belongings. You might need to remove some furniture if you have too much. Go visit some model homes and get an idea of staging. It does help sell real estate.
4) Hire a good Realtor
This one is important too. Some Realtors can mess up a transaction. Get a referral from someone or go online and research Realtors. Have they done any business lately? Have they sold any homes in your area? What is their marketing plan? Don’t let them buy your listing. Ask them to justify any asking price they give you with recently sold homes.
5) Think about where you will move to
Don’t get caught off guard by not know where you will move to. Let’s say a buyer comes along with an offer to close in 30 days. Do you know where you will go? Don’t mess up a transaction by needing 60-90 days because you don’t know where to go.
Marc Rasmussen
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Great tips. Another one I tell clients is that you have to emotionally detach yourself from your home. If a realtor or potential buyer has negative feedback regarding your home, don’t take it personally. It is not a personal attack. Most feedback is valid and aimed at improving the marketability of your home.
Great post and great tips! I have to agree the most important is detaching yourself from the house and not taking feedback negatively!
Great Tips Mark. I am in agent in the Phoenix Metro Area and our market has been hit hard just like Las Vages. It is especially important that our clients put themselves in a potential buyers shoes when listing their own house. I like to show some of my clients active comps so they can see how there home compares.