There are two crucial steps to follow when it comes to listing your home for sale:
- Find a great real estate agent
- Present the home so that you’re going to get top dollar
Finding a great real estate agent can be tricky. Don’t go with a friend or a friend of a friend unless you know they’re got a great track record. Don’t go with the agent who promises you the world – unless you know people who they’ve actually delivered for. Don’t go with the guy who offers the lowest commission.
Go with the agent who gets the results. Do your research. Ask for references. Find listings that they’ve sold and ask the vendor about their sales experience. Go to open houses and see who is working the crowd. If they’re presenting you with options, make sure the marketing plan makes sense. Make sure they’re comparing recent sales when telling you what to expect for your home.
Go with your gut, but make sure your brain is engaged as well.
While you’re researching the agent, take a good look at your property. What will it look like to people seeing it for the first time? Does it look tired from the kerb? Would a bit of gardening or a coat of paint make it look a whole lot better? Sometimes just planting some blooming flowers or a succulent garden will make the world of difference.
Once you walk in the door, take a look at the walls, the floor, the bathroom, the kitchen. Would a good clean suffice or do you need to get the paintbrush out? Are the carpets stained? Floorboards scratched? Bathroom and kitchen tired?
The important thing is to not overspend on prepping your home for sale. It’s likely that the new owner will want to make the property their own, so don’t go overboard.
Speak to the agent about what buyers are looking for and, if it’s in your budget, you may be able to spring for a new Caesarstone countertop in the kitchen or new carpet in the bedrooms. Find whatever is going to give you the best bang for your buck and then do it.
But most of all – declutter. And when you think you’ve decluttered, do it again.
The potential owner wants to imagine the property as theirs. All those things in your house that you love will probably be meaningless to them.
Make it easy for them to fall in love.
Good luck, and please, let me know if we can help you with finance for your next home!
