Selling Your Home for Top Dollars: 6 Things You MUST Take into Consideration

Are you Selling YOUR Home or A House? 

Your mindset when selling your home is crucial for your success to obtain the most money possible and have the best experience.

Preparing a House to be Sold: A Practical and an Emotional Process

Preparing a house to be sold is a process. The objective is both practical and emotional. The idea is not only to make it ready to be shown but also to prepare yourself and your family for the upcoming change. One of the biggest challenges is selecting what you will take with you and what you will discard. The earlier you do it, the better.

Generally, you don’t need to invest much, just a little bit of work and commitment to the project. Let’s get started!

1. Transforming Your Home into a Product

Once you put your property up for sale, it becomes a product. It must be appealing to a broad audience. The potential buyer needs to feel that they can live and fit their belongings there. You should remove all your personal photos, religious objects, or anything that makes your property too personalized. It should also have as many repairs as possible made prior to putting the property on the market. 

General Inspection and Repairs:

• Conduct a complete inspection of the house to identify necessary repairs.
• Check the condition of roofs, walls, windows, doors, AC appliances, plumbing, and electrical systems.
• Fix as many issues as possible.

Aesthetic Improvements:

• Paint walls in neutral colors to appeal to a larger number of buyers.
• Consider minor improvements like new fixtures in the kitchen or bathroom.

Modern Updates:

• If budget allows, update old appliances to newer, more efficient models.
• Improve lighting by replacing old bulbs with LED lights.

Cleaning and Depersonalization:

• Perform a deep cleaning of the entire house, including carpets, windows, and furniture.
• Remove family photos and personal items to help buyers envision themselves living in the house.
• Declutter rooms of unnecessary furniture and objects to make them appear larger.

Staging and Curb Appeal:

Staged properties will show better in pictures and in turn, it will drive more potential buyers through your door. Studies by ASP Home Staging show that 95% of staged properties sell on average in 11 days or less (compared to 90 days for non-staged homes) and sell for 17% more. In my opinion, staging goes beyond what can be seen… the more senses you touch, the better. Good smell and light music may add to the equation. Often, the property can be staged without spending any additional money.

Strategic Furnishing:

• Arrange furniture to highlight the best features of each room.
• Add decorative elements like cushions, plants, and artwork to create a cozy atmosphere.

Enhance Curb Appeal:

• Maintain the exterior appearance of the house, keep the garden well-maintained, and add flowering plants if possible.
• Ensure the main entrance is clean and attractive, with a freshly painted door and a new doormat.

2. Emotional Detachment

While preparing your property you start the emotional detachment you need to be objective when you are selling your home, and see yourself in a new place. It is a farewell… and you can do a lot to make it as little stressful as possible.

3. Pricing Your Home Right

You MUST price it as a product instead of adding “emotional equity” to the market value. The fact that it was the home in which you shared fantastic experiences with your family does not add dollars to the selling price of the property. Being realistic and aligned with the cycles of the market will help you decide what is the best price to list. A professional and experienced agent can help you determine that.

4. Documentation and Legalities

Gather Necessary Documentation:

• Ensure you have all the legal documents for the property, such as deeds, mortgage information, and tax certificates.
• If you have made renovations, have the invoices and permits available.

5. Marketing Strategy

Professional Photography: Any agent listing your home should hire a professional photographer to take high-quality photos of your property. To have great pictures, the home has to look its part! A messy home won’t benefit from great photography.

• Look at the details… cluttered counter spaces, open WC lids, wrinkled bedspreads, etc. are a NO-NO.
• Ensure the photos capture natural light and the best features of the house.

6. Open Houses and Showings

• Keep the house immaculate before each showing or open house.
• Ensure the house smells good and is at a comfortable temperature.
• Keep valuables safe and out of sight during showings.

Sometimes it is hard to keep the property looking “picture ready” for every showing but it will make a huge impact on your opportunity to get an offer from that potential buyer. I remember a long time ago I showed a property in the morning; it was picture perfect, and my customer wanted to present an offer. We went back in the afternoon to see the house; it was a completely different and not so pleasant experience since in the afternoon the owner and their kids were there... there were backpacks, shoes, noise, food smell; the buyer decided on another property. She couldn’t see past that.

Preparing your property to be put on the market is the most important thing you can do to get top dollars. Leave the rest … pricing, promotion, and negotiations to your agent.

This tips will help you transform your home into a house ready for sale, maximizing its appeal and speeding up the sales process.

If you want to learn more please contact me for a free evaluation! Contact me at 954-588-7260