You can really tell that spring has arrived by all the for sale signs in people’s yard. Spring is a wonderful time to sell your home. It’s like Mother Nature has put on her best dress and pearls so your house looks it’s very best.
There are still some things you can do to help Mother Nature and your realtor. Studies are showing that more people start their home search online. Gone are the days of busy open houses, instead we can log in and see hundreds of homes in the time it takes to drive across town.
It’s important that your home is photogenic. Everything from the weeds sprouting in the driveway to the pile of mail on your desk needs to be taken care of before the realtor comes over to photograph. It may be better if you take the photos yourself. You can catch your home at it’s best, and you know better than anyone how good lighting plays up each room.
You can have someone come and professionally stage your home, it costs around $1800 but in this tough real estate market when you may not get as much for your house as you would like, it might be better to skip that. A simple internet search will give you a list of things to do to make your home look better without spending a lot of money.
If you need more incentive to clean and declutter when you are getting ready to sell, realtors say those two things can add $2000 to the price of your home.
To really see what you need to do to your home to present it in it’s best light, attend some open houses, or have your realtor take you to look at some homes. When I was looking for my house there were so many little things that ruined a house for me as soon as I walked in. Like bad smells, no one can imagine themselves in your house if they can smell the litter box and they are not a cat person. Even cat people don’t like dirty litter boxes.
So take a walk around your home as if you were considering buying it. Make a list of all the things you wouldn’t like. Look at the small things too, a light fixture outside with a burned out light gives the impression that you don’t maintain your home. Spending a little extra time to get your home ready will really pay off in this tight market.