Before you list your family home for sale, there are several factors to consider. In order to make this change as smooth as possible, it is best practice to prepare your house and alter any conditions. Here are some tips.
1. Hire a local real estate agency
Hiring a local real estate agency for the sale of your home will dramatically increase the odds that you get a good price for your house. Recruiting an experienced, professional agency gives you the best chance at maximizing this large capital transaction. It is better to hire a local real estate agency because they will most likely have direct and indirect knowledge of the area and be familiar with how to get your house in front of the right buyer. This is important because you want someone who can sniff out any unanticipated problems or concerns that could impact the selling price before it is too late.
2. Make all necessary repairs and alterations to increase the value
Before you list your house with an agency, make sure to make any necessary repairs in order to get the best value for your home. For example, if you are moving out of state or relocating overseas, it is recommended that you replace all carpeting with hardwood flooring, remove wallpaper and paint the interior walls a neutral color. These are significant things to consider when looking at increasing the value of your home before selling. It may seem like a lot of work, but updating and making changes to your home can dramatically increase its price and final sale price. If time permits before listing your house for sale, take the time to update old or outdated fixtures, appliances, and flooring.
3. Price the house appropriately
Overpricing is one of the most common mistakes sellers make when listing their homes on the market, and this mistake will cost you time and money in the long run. Before listing your house for sale, consider what other homes in your neighborhood have sold for recently and price accordingly. Make sure to crunch some numbers before determining an asking price so that you get the highest return possible on your house-selling investment. This is especially true if you are moving quickly and need to sell your house fast. A good realtor can help you determine the optimal selling price for your property.
4. Create an inviting curb appeal
Making your house look clean and tidy is one of the most important things to consider before selling. This helps to promote an overall positive image of your house in the mind of potential buyers. This is especially true when you are dealing with a hot market and there are multiple offers on the property. A good realtor can also help you turn your property into something that looks appealing to possible buyers, which includes tidying up fences, cleaning the exterior windows, and repainting when necessary. It is significant to continually keep up appearances so that everyone gets to know what your home looks like when it’s well-maintained. Sellers who create an appealing look for their homes will see greater interest in their listings among prospective buyers.
5. Hire an accountant to keep track of all documents
Before you list your family home for sale, it is critical to hire a qualified accountant to help you keep track of all paperwork, including receipts and documentation for any additional fees or expenses that will go into the sale. Most real estate agents expect their clients to be on top of these details, and if they know you are organized and prepared, it can increase their overall confidence in working with you and your home-selling business. This is especially true since sellers may find themselves dealing with many fees and expenses at the closing table when they sell a house. This will make sure you don’t have to worry about all the confusing paperwork and make this process easier and faster.
6. Create a detailed and realistic marketing plan
A detailed and realistic plan will help you to effectively market your home and create the best first impression possible. This will also help you to stay on top of all marketing efforts. Before you put your house on the market, it is important to create a plan that focuses on details such as what kind of information can be posted online and how best to advertise your property. Overflowing the internet with too much information about your home will likely turn off possible buyers. Just remember that not everyone who views your advertisement or website is ready to buy right away. Developing an effective marketing plan for selling a house can take some time and practice, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work out well in the beginning.
All of these suggestions will dramatically increase the odds that you get a fair price for your old family home. This is important because selling a family home, especially after decades of living there, can be emotionally draining. That is why you need to go as slow as possible and try to check all boxes before listing them for sale.