4 ways to make home selling easier on you

A few years ago, it used to be easier to sell your home. You cleaned it up a bit, hid the dirty dishes, vacuumed and stuck a “For Sale” sign on the front lawn. However, with the influx of designer shows on channels such as HGTV, home buyers expect to see pristine houses that are move-in ready. Many buyers don’t want to deal with fixer uppers and are distracted by the clutter and too much furniture. However, there are ways to make home selling easier on you.

Pick the right price to sell your home

As the homeowner, you may be tempted to increase the price a realtor may suggest as a list price. Your best bet is to let the professional do what they do best. This is a hard pill to swallow because as the homeowner, you know how much you spent on upgrades. Not all of them will give you a great return on investment (ROI). If the house is priced too high, it will sit on the market until you decide to reduce the price to where it should have been. But now buyers will see how long it sat on the market and will wonder what is wrong with the house or worse, that you are getting desperate. While it may be true that you are getting desperate, don’t let them see you sweat. Listen to the reasons a real estate agent gives you on why you should go with the suggested list price.

Photograph the home in the best light

90% of home buyers start their search for a new home online. They look at the pictures and will take 7-10 seconds to decide whether they want to visit it in person. Make sure the pictures don’t have any shadows, the lights are on and the windows are open. Pets should also not be in the pictures even though you may think it is cute. Some buyers may be allergic, scared of animals or just automatically assume your home smells bad. Presentation is key so don’t take pictures of the clutter on your kitchen counters, bedroom or office space. While some smart phone cameras may take some great pictures, you should use a photographer who knows how to photograph interior spaces to sell your home.

Pick the right real estate agent to sell your home

Take a look around your neighborhood and note which realtors are selling in your area. While you may be enticed to use a top producing agent who sells million dollar homes, that is probably not the right one for you if your home is around $500,000. They have a different client list who would not be interested in buying your home. Interview several agents so you can get a feel for what they offer. Get a list of questions together and ask the same ones to each agent so you can compare. A real estate agent needs to have experience in your neighborhood, home style (condo vs single family home) and market.

Use a home stager to present the home in the best possible light

Home stagers know what it takes to sell your home faster. Use them to get ideas or have a home stager do the staging for you. Selling your home is an emotional experience and a home stager can be the independent third party you need to get you over that hurdle. They can work with you and explain what needs to be done in each room that appeals to a buyer.

So how hard can it be to sell your home? Not too hard as long as you make sure you have the right price, the right agent, a home stager and great photographs.