Buying and selling a home are two very different processes. First time home sellers may not know all that goes into successfully selling their house. It takes some work to find a buyer while getting the price you want.
5 best tips for first time home SELLERS!
Photography & Advertising
Most buyers will first come into contact with your home online. Therefore, solid internet marketing, and maybe more importantly, good photography is critical.
Ads with poor photos and cluttered rooms are frequently looked over. In this digital age, buyers have become accustomed to immediate gratification. Your house needs to pop! It has to stand out and make people click on your listing to find out more. I highly recommend that you hire a professional photographer. This should be included with your listing agreement if you have an agent. Also, consider a 3d virtual tour if you would like to cut down on showings. This will give buyers the ability to experience a walkthrough without having to do so in person unless they are interested in making an offer.
Curb Appeal
Hire a landscaper to clean up the front lawn and lay some fresh mulch. Some nice shrubs in front of the home will give great appeal. The exterior of the home is the first thing a buyer will see. I have seen many homes, with beautifully renovated kitchen and baths, sit on the market because the exterior was ugly.
Price Properly!
Many homeowners want to squeeze every last dollar out of the sale of their home. This is understandable. Just remember that the more you want to charge per square foot, the more selective your buyer pool will become. Remember to do a thorough analysis, or have your agent do this for you, of comparable sales in the area. Pay attention to the updates and condition of the comps with the highest dollar amount per square foot. This will give you an idea of what buyers are responding to.
De-Clutter For Better Results
You will be moving anyway so you might as well start packing before you list your home. The fewer items that are in the home the larger the space will appear. You can store personal items such as photos, knick-knacks, and excess furniture in storage.
In addition, your listing photos should be completely free of clutter. Ads with personal items front and center often get scrolled past. Packing up your non-essential items will save you a ton of work down the road. Getting this out of the way early will make the moving process much easier for you.
Showings
It can be a huge hassle to have to pick up and leave your home, especially at the last minute, but showings are a part of the process. In North Carolina, a centralized showing service is used to schedule all home showings of listed properties. Many homeowners will stipulate a 24-hour minimum notice to schedule showings. This can be a hassle as many buyers will arrive late, which can alter the schedule for the rest of the day. Especially when you have multiple showings requests for the same day. Generally speaking, the more showings the better. If you utilize the virtual tour you may be able to cut down on some unnecessary showings, but serious buyers need to visualize themselves living in the home. And the best way to do this is to see it in person.
Selling your house doesn’t have to be a nightmare. If you have the right team of people at your side, it can be a very rewarding, and profitable experience!