Tips Selling Your Home
Not my normal post, but something I felt worth sharing. Most people, will at some point sell, or even look to buy a house and in most cases all you really get is the realtor's point of view. So, I wanted to share some of the things that we've learned in this process.
In June we put our house on the market, our goal was to have it sold by November, and with all the homes on the market here in San Antonio, we were a little nervous. After 30 days on the market we received an offer and closed on the 19th of August. Nine years ago, we sold our house in Maryland (well, my husband did while I was off seeing the world) in less than 2 weeks. The market is always changing, but I think if you do it right, you will sell your home no matter what the market is, some areas may take a little longer, some a little less. So, here are some tips that might be helpful if you're selling, or thinking of selling.
1 - Find a Realtor, and remember they are working for you! Ask that they be honest and up front. With that being said, be prepared, you may need to become a little more thick skinned. While you might love trophy mounts all over your house, potential buyers might be completely turned off by that. Do NOT take things personally, the goal is to sell the house.
2 - Meet with the realtor, and determine when you need to place on the market based on when it needs to be sold by, and determine listing price.
3 - When pictures of the house are taken, make sure it's bright, and every light in your house is on. (every light should also be on whenever your house is being shown....no matter what time of day it is.)
4 - Make beds
Mow your Lawn
No Dishes left in sink
Neutral paint (If you like red, change it to a neutral color, changing paint is easy, but not everyone wants to mess with it when they are trying to move into a house)
No Pictures, or personal items out on walls or counters
You might need to get a storage unit to remove boxes and things from your house, the less in the house, the more space it appears to have. With that said, you should also remove leafs in your tables, if you have them.
keep in mind while your home is on the market, selling your house will be a full time job, the harder you work, the quicker it should sell.. Remember, to be realistic when pricing your home....what you'd like to get, isn't always what it's worth.
Finally, I do not believe that when you are preparing to sell your home that you should do all of the things that you've been meaning to do. If the new buyers want to change the carpet, let them. It might be cheaper for you to give the buyers money for carpet at closing than it would be for you to change it to something the buyers may or may not like.
If you're looking to sell, good luck!
-Steph
In June we put our house on the market, our goal was to have it sold by November, and with all the homes on the market here in San Antonio, we were a little nervous. After 30 days on the market we received an offer and closed on the 19th of August. Nine years ago, we sold our house in Maryland (well, my husband did while I was off seeing the world) in less than 2 weeks. The market is always changing, but I think if you do it right, you will sell your home no matter what the market is, some areas may take a little longer, some a little less. So, here are some tips that might be helpful if you're selling, or thinking of selling.
1 - Find a Realtor, and remember they are working for you! Ask that they be honest and up front. With that being said, be prepared, you may need to become a little more thick skinned. While you might love trophy mounts all over your house, potential buyers might be completely turned off by that. Do NOT take things personally, the goal is to sell the house.
2 - Meet with the realtor, and determine when you need to place on the market based on when it needs to be sold by, and determine listing price.
3 - When pictures of the house are taken, make sure it's bright, and every light in your house is on. (every light should also be on whenever your house is being shown....no matter what time of day it is.)
4 - Make beds
Mow your Lawn
No Dishes left in sink
Neutral paint (If you like red, change it to a neutral color, changing paint is easy, but not everyone wants to mess with it when they are trying to move into a house)
No Pictures, or personal items out on walls or counters
You might need to get a storage unit to remove boxes and things from your house, the less in the house, the more space it appears to have. With that said, you should also remove leafs in your tables, if you have them.
keep in mind while your home is on the market, selling your house will be a full time job, the harder you work, the quicker it should sell.. Remember, to be realistic when pricing your home....what you'd like to get, isn't always what it's worth.
Finally, I do not believe that when you are preparing to sell your home that you should do all of the things that you've been meaning to do. If the new buyers want to change the carpet, let them. It might be cheaper for you to give the buyers money for carpet at closing than it would be for you to change it to something the buyers may or may not like.
If you're looking to sell, good luck!
-Steph
Thanks for sharing your guideline in selling houses. Those questions are very important and need to know for someone that wants to sell their house. Thanks for the tips!
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