Spring is one of the absolute busiest times for real estate in the United States. If you are planning to sell your home, consider these tips so you can stay ahead of the competition.
Here are five things you can do to prepare for the rush of potential buyers this spring.
Improve the Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is essential to selling your home, and the spring is the perfect time to improve how your home looks from the street. Think of it as an excuse to get outside and enjoy the sun and fine weather.
Take the time to clean and replant your flowerbeds, trim back trees and hedges and power wash the drive and sidewalk. Also, make sure that your windows stay clean and the grass stays mowed the entire time your house is on the market.
Combine Spring Cleaning and Packing
Spring is the traditional time of year when you clean a home from top to bottom and get rid of all that stuff that’s been cluttering up your home all winter. You can combine spring cleaning and packing. As you go through your closets and garage, decide what you don’t want to take when you move.
If you don’t feel like packing and moving an item to a new house, donate it, sell it or haul it to the curb. By doing this, you will remove some of the clutter from your home, make it appear larger to prospective buyers and get a head start on the moving process.
Inspect and Repair Your Home
Foliage can cover a variety of problems with a home. Take advantage of the sparse foliage in the early spring to give the exterior of your home a thorough inspection. If you find something that requires a repair, fix it. You should also address any problem areas inside the home such as holes in the wall, missing socket covers, chipped or broken tile, etc.
It’s better to do this ahead of time rather than wait until after you list your home. If you have neglected areas of your home for some time, it might be a good idea to hire a home inspector to give your home a once over and alert you to potential problems before listing.
Gauge the Market
How you price your home is very important. You do not want to price your home too low for the market or too high. Buyers sometimes believe homes that are priced below market value have hidden problems. If you price your home too high for the market, you may have to reduce the price later, and that can also be viewed as a negative by potential buyers.
In order to find the right price for your home, consult with your agent and research comparable homes in your area that have sold recently. Pay special attention to those that stayed on the market for 60 days or less as those homes were probably correctly priced.
Determine How You Will Market Your Home
Your real estate agent will help you come up with a marketing plan that takes advantage of both new technology and older techniques, but it is important that you commit to doing what it takes to sell your home. Studies have shown that homes that are professionally photographed, videoed and staged can sell for as much as 20 percent higher than those that are not, so hiring professionals is normally worth the investment.
Follow these five steps, and you will be ready to sell this spring. Contact me for a consultation, and I will be happy to help you with the home selling process.
Jackie Bulgin & Associates
House of Brokers Realty
1515 Chapel Hill Road
Columbia, MO 65203
Office: 573-446-6528
Email: Jackie@JackieBulgin.com
Website: JackieBulgin.com
Photo courtesy of Daniel and Anita Saunders at Flickr.com.
Jackie Bulgin & Associates 