Sell

Staging your home involves enhancing its appearance with personal touches and taking extra steps to make it look appealing and presentable. Begin by clearing away excess clutter from counter and tabletops and keeping any flat surfaces free from dust. Set out real or silk flowers, put out your best knick knacks, and use candles or bake cookies to create a welcoming aroma.

If you’ve already moved some furniture out, consider renting or borrowing a few key pieces to fill in the space such as a couch and coffee table. This will help perspective buyers picture what it will be like to put their own furniture in the space.

Boost your home’s curb appeal with simple maintenance and personal touches for your home’s exterior. Keep up with season appropriate yard work—cut the grass, rake the leaves, shovel the sidewalk, etc. Consider adding a few flowers or plants or tidy up the plants you have including bushes and scrubs. Put out a welcome mat, power wash the driveway, and wash the windows.

Anything you can do to send the message that your home is clean, attractive, and well maintained will attract the best buyers. If you have any minor repairs to attend to on the exterior or interior, complete as many of them as you can.

You can only do so much to control timing. If you must move at a time when the market is slow, you have to make the best out of it. If you’re not in a hurry to move, consider waiting to place your home for sale during peak real estate market times of the year, which is late spring to early fall. Conversely, if you’re on the fence about placing your home for sale and you’re in the midst of the peak buying season, the time to act is now. Most home buyers shop for a new home between May and September—the warm weather and time off for kids from school makes it the easiest time for people to move.

Newman Realty understands that there are some terms of your sale agreement that will be non-negotiable. However, if a buyer is interested in your home and willing to make an offer if you change one thing, consider negotiating with them to get the sale. For example, the buyer is a first time home buyer and wants the refrigerator to come with the house. Your plan was to take it with you. If you offer them the refrigerator, you will have to buy a new one which costs a few hundred dollars, but you could gain a few thousand dollars or a faster sale by negotiating on this small item, which will benefit you in the long run.

There are many other examples—we can offer you advice on whether or not we would recommend negotiating on a specific term of your agreement.

Your realty company will take care of the formal advertising, but doing more of your own through word of mouth is a great way to get more buyers interested in your home. Tell your friends and family you are selling your home and ask them to mention your property to anyone they know looking for a home in the area.

Host open houses during the sales process, and work with your realtor to customize your listing, ensuring it highlights unique features of your property.