Selling your home in less than a year and selling it for the desired price is the dream of every homeowner looking to sell his or her property. How to make it happen? Here is an overview.
- The asking price must be reasonable from the beginning. Setting it too high in the hopes of making a huge profit is the worst thing you can do. All professionals will tell you: properties that have been on the market for too long frighten the buyers away. They’ll back off.
- A classic way to set the asking price is to look at the selling price of the similar homes nearby. But, this method is not foolproof. The houses on the street may look the same, but you don’t know their history, their overall condition inside and out or the upgrades that have been carried out over the years.
- The municipal assessment gives an idea of how much a house should sell, but this method has its limits too.
- Avoid setting the price according to your own judgment. What if the house is worth more than you had guessed? Otherwise, be realistic. Your house is not a mansion.
- The real estate broker is highly qualified to determine the selling price for obvious reasons. However, by doing business with an accredited appraiser, you’ll end up with an appraisal report. It will come in handy when negotiating with the future buyer.
- Once you have set the asking price, establish the lowest price you would be willing to accept. Your real estate broker will help you with this step.
- If your budget allows it, have your house inspected by a professional. This has two advantages: it will give you a good idea of the urgent work that needs to be done, and the inspection report will become an asset when negotiating with the future buyer.
- Don’t waste time trying to renovate everything. A home is like housework: it’s never-ending. Impeccable houses don’t exist. Concentrate on small upgrades, the selling price and marketing the product on sale.
- You will be tempted to dazzle the future buyer with spectacular layouts in every room. Don’t! You’ll only undermine yourself. First off, your house will seem smaller than it really is, and the future buyer will get the impression that you’re trying to hide imperfections. The future buyer needs to measure the size of each room with his or her own eyes. The more spacious each room is, the more chances you have to sell the house. Some homeowners even store their furniture in a warehouse when trying to sell their home.
- Don’t hide anything from the future buyer: defects, traces of radon, faults. This tends to show in your attitude. You are much more convincing when your mind is clear.
- Air the inside of your home before the visitors arrive, even on colder days. A musty smell will turn off mostly everyone.
- Have all the necessary papers on hand. Ransacking your home to find them while muttering will give a bad impression.
- You’ve kept all your bills for all the renovations done throughout the years? Perfect! Your integrity will reassure the future buyer.
- Don’t forget to clean out and organize your garage.
- And don’t try to impress the future buyer with your pool. Most bystanders will agree that owning a pool is not a convincing argument when selling your home.
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