Is next year the big year that you are going to sell your home and move on? If you’re thinking of listing your home after the holidays so you can focus on preparing your current home, let’s plan for it now!
I always tell potential sellers to use their time wisely and to get ahead of the curve, so it’s important take advantage of any pockets of time over the weeks ahead to prepare your home and your family. Remember that you have control over what you can do in the meantime to have a distinct advantage to attract buyers who want your home. Don’t forget, you can use this time to plan and prepare for moving into your next home too!
Getting Started!
Let’s go over some important steps that you can be taking now or well before you plan to list. That way you can ensure more smooth process once you’re ready to sell.
Get in touch with me to come up with a plan. It’s never too early to contact me since I’m here to provide any guidance and strategies for getting your home sold in the timeframe that works for you, whether that’s months from now or even next year. Schedule certain times each week or month to work on preparing your home with specific tasks or DIY projects (i.e. paint bedroom, clean up yard, etc.). Now is the time to get bids from contractors on any projects and to also get a sense of the timeframe for completion.
Keep your stress levels down with doable preparation. Once we have a workable plan, you should feel less stressed but the entire process can be overwhelming for families to sell and buy. Don’t overdo it as you map out the weeks or months ahead, and we’ll come up with a schedule that works for you and your family. You want to stay calm and be confident, especially if you will be looking for a new home too.
Stay on budget or know your potential return on investment. You may have to spend money to earn money but not all home improvements are worth it. So be careful and don’t overdo it. I can help you on this since I know what is worth it for your particular neighborhood or your potential buyers.
Clear away clutter. You don’t want your home to look cramped with many personal items. Buyers like to see a clean slate. Start today with putting away your belongings – sell on eBay, donate, or recycle or trash. For those items you want to keep, consider boxing them up and either store in your garage or renting a storage unit, including any furniture, until your home is sold.
Prepare your property and fix what’s broken. Make a list of all the “I’ll do it later” items that you’ve previously pushed off and fix them. Looking at your home with fresh and unbiased eyes right now can help. You’ll see where it needs a fresh coat of paint or discover that loose cabinet door you’ve lived with way too long. I can offer guidance on what you should spend money on if you’re uncertain.
Make your home shine – clean like you never did before! As you get closer to listing your home, tackle those necessary cleaning jobs or find a professional service. Focus on areas of your home that could use a good scrubbing. You could focus on windows one week, then polishing wood floors or cleaning rugs another week. Turn to YouTube for any guidance in cleaning if you’re not sure. Here’s your chance to get ahead of the, so it will really shine when you want to list it.
Make it as move-in ready as possible. Today’s buyers are not crazy about doing repairs and replacements. They are scared of an immediate to-do list. We can discuss whether you should leave something “as is” or replace it. An older roof, stained carpet, or a warped fence can really limit the price or your home. Determine what is best for your sale financially, and then determine if professionals are available to work on any of these projects.
Appeal to a buyer’s emotions. Not only do you need to appeal to a buyer’s mind and wallet, but you also need to make their heart skip a beat. How do you do that? The answer depends on your home, your most likely buyer, and help from an experienced stager. If you decide to use a stager, be sure to ask me about my FREE Staging program!
Curb appeal and the “wow” factor can sway buyers. It’s like a beauty contest when buyers drive up. As you get closer to listing, schedule some landscaping work to make your yard look meticulous. This is important for online photos, too. Today’s buyers are better prepared than ever to deal with virtual anything when it comes to house hunting. And so should you!
Understand how promoting your home with technology works. Now more than ever, homes will be promoted more virtually as needed. The good news is that buyers are more accepting of this process – virtual showings. They’re already tapped into technology and do their own electronic searches, receive seller disclosure forms, order home inspections, etc.
Online photos and virtual tours can sell your home. Buyers spend lots of time viewing online listings and the photos to get an idea on what homes they want to visit. So now more than ever your photos and virtual tours need to have “curb appeal” in every single shot! Schedule pictures when your yard looks its best no matter the time of year and keep them on file. But, remember, this takes pre-planning! My photographers have all the right equipment to make sure your home looks large and bright, and your landscaping just right.
Go with the flow of the market. Knowing how the real estate market works throughout the year will keep your expectations realistic and help you understand why different marketing approaches will need to be used depending on the time of year. See this article for more detail, or check out the video below explaining the flow of the market in our area.
Focus on the “business” of selling. You love your home and feel a surge of protectiveness to it. However, it’s more important now to think of selling your home as a “business transaction”. Try to distance yourself and view it as a financial opportunity for the next phase of your life. You need to stay focused on getting your home sold, so you can buy your next one.
Study sold prices, not just the asking prices in your neighborhood. The market is based on what buyers are willing to pay when you list your home. Basically, buyers will only pay what they deem your house is worth in current market conditions. Remember that the market evolves and we’ll adapt and make sure to price your home accordingly.
Be willing to price your home competitively from the get-go. Once you decide to list your home, take advantage of the first two weeks of showings that bring the most traffic to your home. Even if you mistakenly price your home slightly low, you’ll get multiple offers. You can’t go wrong… unless you price your home too high and it sits, and sits, and sits.
Remember that all real estate is local. The area you live in can be a strong influence on how it appeals to buyers and how to price your home, especially in the year ahead. I’ll keep track of your immediate neighborhood, on what is selling and what isn’t, and even who is buying and why. That’s why you should reach out to me sooner than later, so we can make smart and strategic decisions together.
Let’s Come Up with a Plan
As you can see, selling your home is a project that takes work and planning. But it can be done and it will be so worth it once you’re in your new home. I am here to help you so you can start planning today for your future move… whatever your timeframe!
If you are preparing your home to be ready for sale in the spring, call me about a project you are contemplating skipping. Plus, I have some great contractors who can help you with any projects that require more professional work.
Even if you are months or even a year away from selling, preparing your home can start right now. Reach out anytime by emailing me at yue.lehman@exprealty.com and we can talk through your plan and schedule and what you can skip so your home looks as good as possible when it comes time to sell, but without going overboard.
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