My Top 20 Selling Tips

First impressions really do matter! Therefore, simple things you can do that I describe below can really go a long way in getting you top dollar for your property.

The Preparation

1. Spruce up your lawn. Trim the overgrown bushes, remove weeds and add new mulch. If it makes sense, plant some new bushes or add flowerpots. Remove any limbs that would impair access to or around your home. Keep your lawn trimmed.

2. If needed, power wash the exterior of your home. If you cannot do the entire exterior, make sure the area to the front entrance is clean and inviting.

3. The inside of a home should be clean and inviting too. If needed, eliminate any odors.

4. Increase spaciousness. Remove any clutter and perhaps box up and store items, even furniture, you know you will not need right away. Make sure your closets and cabinets do not look jammed pack.

5. De-personalize your home. Remove personal photographs, memorabilia or personal keepsakes. You want prospective buyers to imagine themselves living in your home.

6. Good lighting is important for many Buyers so clean your windows if needed. You may be surprised how much that helps. You may also want to replace any heavy drapes that inhibit lighting with inexpensive lighter drapes.

7. Minor upgrades make a big difference. Install new cabinet and door hardware if needed, which are relatively inexpensive. Replace an old ceiling fan. A fresh coat of a neutral paint color can also do wonders. It may be prohibitive for your budget, but a new kitchen appliance or two may be wise if the existing ones have seen way better days.

8. Take care of maintenance issues. Fix leaking faucets. Replace your HVAC and water filters. Clean out the gutters, septic tank, etc. Make sure doors are operational and clean the sliding glass door track so it will open and close smoothly. It will be a red flag for the Buyer’s Home Inspector if basic maintenance has been ignored.

Listing Your Home

9. Choose a good Realtor® to effectively market your home. You need a professional that knows the local market and will be able to present you with a written Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) so you can appropriately price your home for sale. A good Realtor will also provide you with a customized marketing plan and estimation of net sale proceeds.

10. Avoid overpricing your home. You get the most visibility when your property first hits the market, so you don’t want people eliminating your property right off the bat simply because it’s priced too high.

11. Property photos are extremely important. Insist your Realtor get excellent or professional photographs of your property and lets you review them before they go on- 15 line. If you have amenities that are important such as a community pool, make sure your Realtor captures those photographs as well. Also inform them when you have the best lighting in your home so they can arrange for photographs to be taken at the time. It is so sad to see dark or blurry photographs on MLS, which happens more than you would think.

12. Make a list of all the upgrades you have made to your home so they can be incorporated in the marketing of your home. Make sure your Realtor is also aware of any items you want to exclude from the sale such as a special chandelier, drapes or washer and dryer. Again, photographs and property details are extremely important.

13. If you have an empty home or certain empty rooms, consider staging your home. It’s effective and the cost for virtual staging is very reasonable.

14. Especially for a large property, consider a video or 3-D virtual tour to market on-line. 15. Make it easy for potential buyers to visit your home. Also, either remove your pets or make sure they are secure. You want both your pets and your buyers to be safe.

16. Request your Realtor provide an electronic lockbox versus a combination lock. This type of lockbox will record who enters and exits your property and how long they were there.

17. If you’re living in a home you are selling, you should be notified of any site visit requests. Therefore, take the opportunity to make visitors feel welcomed by opening blinds, turning on lights and opening interior doors. It will also help to reduce the number of surfaces Buyers need to touch. Buyers will appreciate this too.

18. Collect any documents that would be important for the Buyer to have knowledge of, i.e., recent receipts, warranties, elevation certificate, property survey, insurance policy, utility bills and last year’s property tax bill. If you live in an Association, the Buyer will need to review the Declarations, Covenants and Deed Restrictions.

Accepting an Offer

19. The highest offer is not necessarily the best offer. Contingencies and other terms are important so a good Realtor will review these items in detail with you.

20. Prepare yourself to possibly negotiate again with a Buyer after their home inspection. There may be unexpected issues that surfaced that can be mutually resolved to your satisfaction.