The process of selling your home can be overwhelming and if you’re not organized, it can take away from the excitement of moving to a new place. With the right planning and adequate preparation, you can sell your home swiftly and get on to nesting in your new place.
We’ve put together a list of 7 tips for selling your home in 2021 to help you out.
1. Hire a Trusted Realtor
Nothing makes a process easier like good support. Trusted realtors are an invaluable resource in your endeavor to sell your home. By hiring a professional, you’ll have someone with experience and know-how to handle logistics, negotiations, and offer insight and support along the way.
Make sure you hire the right one, though. Your realtor could make or break your home-selling deal. Do some research and hire someone with experience and a list of happy clients to back them up. Choose a realtor with local connections and marketing strategy and experience.
2. Make Time for Repairs
Before you list your home, it’s crucial to get it prepared for a new owner. While it may be tempting to leave those small repairs out and just let prospective buyers know they could easily address them, you’ll do yourself a favor by investing in them yourself.
Secure that light fixture, replace that squeaky hinge that you’ve come to accept, and paint over those unsightly paint chips. Start with a list of things you’d like to address and then find a trusted, efficient, reliable handyman. Add to the list patching holes and regrouting tile, and your home will be good as new for the next person.
3. Get Professional Photos
In this day and age, people shopping for homes often begin their search online. Your photos will likely be the first thing they see, so it’s important to make sure they’re fully representative of your home.
Find a photographer with experience in photographing homes and real estate so you can make your home shine. This step will make all the difference, so don’t skip it. Depending on the market, you may even end up with multiple offers before people even see your home in person! Take photos during the day, with as much natural light as you can.
4. List at the Right Price
It’s not only important to list your home at a fair and right price but to list it at the right price from the beginning. By not doing your research, you may list your home only to find that you need to adjust the pricing, Homes that are listed but have one or more price adjustments send a message to prospective buyers. Whether it’s fair or not, they may begin to wonder just what’s wrong with the place.
Your realtor will help with this stage, but spend a little time doing your own research as well. Look at comparable homes nearby and get a sense of what your home is worth. Thankfully sites like Zillow and Redfin can give you some insight.
5. Do Some Staging
Homes sell more quickly and for a higher price when they’ve been staged. Empty homes cause buyers to need to use their imagination – and not everyone’s mind works that way. By staging a home you’re giving an example of how a well-put-together space can welcome them and their family.
Declutter and depersonalize your home as you want it to look homey but not too specifically yours. Tuck away personal photos and knickknacks, and any other bits and pieces that make your home look smaller than it truly is. Less is more – go for comfortable, clean, and like a home-sweet-home.
6. Stay Flexible
If you’re still living in your home while you’re selling it, you’re going to need to be a bit flexible. Showing your home means inconvenience at times, so you’ll need patience and flexibility to accommodate. Have a plan in place for showings that come up last minute – it happens!
Keep your home tidy as best you can, and have a plan for kids and pets should the need arise.
7. Know What to Expect
Don’t wait until the closing day to understand just what’s in the fine print. Ask questions to your realtor and do your research. Ask your real estate agent for a summary of your closing documents beforehand so you can read through them. Understand the steps and the process of closing. Make sure you also understand when – and how – you’ll pass the keys to the new buyers.
Once you’ve sold your home, let Unpakt help you take care of the rest! Your realtor is your ally in selling your home and Unpakt can help you find your ally in moving to a new space. Our easy online tool will connect you with trusted, reliable movers.