Philadelphia Nesties
Krystal6826
member
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Selling a Home
Any tips to ask the realtor?
Any decor tips?
We are painting everything this week and have decluttered and removed a bunch of furniture/stuff.
Any other advice?
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Re: Selling a Home
When we were selling, we tried to depersonalize as much as possible. So, very few family photos, nothing on the fridge door, etc. We kept most surfaces bare aside from a candle here and there.
Make sure your closets look as spacious as possible, too. We removed a lot of clothes and put them in storage.
Take a look at your furniture set-ups in each room and see if there is a way to rearrange to make the rooms look bigger.
We mostly had private showings, but when we did have an open house, I made coffee and baked cookies right beforehand for visitors. It made the house smell awesome, too.
Id ask the realtor about their plans to market the home and make your availability for showings very clear. Natural light and good smells for showings is key--buy some homey smelling febreeze and spray it around before you leave the house for a showing if you dont have the time to bake.
Id suggest offering a home warranty as it provides invaluable peace of mind for buyers and is usually only a couple hundred dollars.
List out your exclusions ad naseum--I lost some curtains and shelves etc in our house sell because I didnt even think about listing them as exclusions (i knew the blinds stayed with the house but didnt think about the curtains, curtain rods etc).
Decluttering and depersonalizing are the big things. If you've done that you've got a good start. Curb appeal is big too. I know in the winter thats tough, but keeping your shrubs/lawn clipped and clear of flying debris or muddy boot marks etc helps. Adding a wreath to the door or a little welcome flag or something like that goes a long way in the winter when flowers are not as much of an option.
Be realistic. You have emotional ties to your house. No one else does. Its business, think like a salesman and how to best market your product and how to beat your competition.
Good luck!!!
We went through this last year. Organize, organize, organize. We went so far as to fold all towels in the same direction, place labels forward in our kitchen cabinets, and remove most of our items from the kitchen counter (cookbooks, extra stove utensils, etc.) Listen to your realtor's advice, and don't take it personally if they make suggestions for you to modify your decor before the listing. When they take pictures, turn on all lights and have the photos taken during the day. Make sure the ceiling fans are off, too. ETA: If your house is on the market as the seasons change, make sure that the realtor takes updated pictures, especially of the outside of the house. There's nothing that shows "been on the market for a long time" like house pictures with leaf-less trees when spring is in full bloom.
Did you already select a realtor or are you still looking? I suggest you talk to a few of them, before committing to get their assessment of a marketing/sale plan. How many listings are they currently managing? How many buyers are they currently working with? What have been the percentage of their listings that have gone to closing in the last 12 months?
I would not hold an open house for the public--it usually ends up being nosy neighbors and people who are just "browsing" the housing market and aren't that serious about buying. A brokers open is a better fit and allows the real estate professionals working in your area to see your place. We had a brokers open planned for 12 days after listing, but we received an offer before then.
Don't be afraid to negotiate with the first offer you receive. Be prepared for buyers to offer below asking price and/or request a seller's assist.
Good luck.
I would ask realtor how long houses are usually on the market in your area.
Ours was under contract in under two months, we closed at 4 months since we put it up.
For us our house looked like the perfect home very decluttered, we removed our cats for every showing. It was mainly a natural gray downstairs but all the bedrooms were painted on a similar color palette. i was not painting them again.
Ditto the brokers open! Our realtor did one and we got quite a few leads from it.
We went crazy with staging...it was hard w/ a baby though. We always kept a basket by the door where we'd throw stuff right before a showing, and put in the car at the last minute.
Also I think professional photos are key. Everyone looks for houses online & the professional pics will make your house stand out!
One other suggestion: your realtor should give you a market analysis of comps in the area. What that includes is: