Selling a Home
Downsizing, upsizing, looking for something new, or any reason in between, you’re considering selling your property and we’re ready to help you with the team of 25+ agents, 3 full-time Sales Executives for 24/7 support, in-house CPA Consultant and the CEO of Capri Jet Realty – Robert Napolitano, industry veteran with 30 years of experience…
Choosing to sell your house is a big decision that brings with it a variety of challenges. From attracting buyers to negotiating contracts, it’s helpful to have a professional real estate agent on your side to help reduce stress and lead to the best possible outcome. Finding the right real estate agent can present a challenge in itself. To get started with selling your house, you’ll want to compare agents carefully to find an individual who will be most effective in helping you with your particular needs. Besides choosing a right real estate professional for your needs, here are some selling tips you can definitely use.
Take care of your landscape.
Some of the first things buyers are going to notice as they pull up to your house are the landscape – lawn, plants, flowerbeds, etc. Now you don’t have to be extravagant, install a fountain or even hire a professional, you just need to tidy up and make sure things look neat and preferably alive if possible. Mow the lawn, trim your bushes… In real estate sales, first impressions count.
Remove clutter.
One of the most cost effective home selling tips is to make your home clutter free! You want to maximize the perceived space in the home. The more clutter, the more uncomfortable things will feel. Go through everything and clear out all the non-essentials. Even if you don’t feel like going through all of your stuff and sorting them, you should at least put things away in places where buyers won’t be looking. Rent a storage space if you need to.
Paint your interior if it needs it.
Dark, dreary colors can shrink the perception of space. Old, stained paint makes rooms look decrepit. By painting with contemporary colors, you can change the whole feel of your home. There is not another home improvement that will give you more bang for your buck than a fresh coat of paint. From a selling standpoint, it is important to stick with neutral colors. Remember selling your home is not about personal preferences but appealing to the masses. Stick with off white and light creamy colors for maximum benefit.
Put up a sign in the yard.
With all the emphasis on online marketing – which is critical, of course – it can be easy to forget about the basics. Putting a “For Sale” sign in the yard will let everyone know what’s going on, and makes it easier for people to find the house. Some folks want to “keep their home a secret” for a multitude of reasons. This frankly is a mistake. Home sellers should never underestimate the power of real estate signage. Many homes have been sold over the years due to a sign. More often than not this can happen with a person who was not thinking of buying but have always said to themselves if that certain home comes on the market they would be interested.
Make sure your photos are exceptional.
The pictures you post on your listing can make or break your sale. They are the first thing anyone sees. At Capri Jet Realty, we always hire a professional for all our pictures and floorplans. And we do pay for it. It is worth the expense. Your homes photography is a gateway to a buyers perception of the property.
Make sure you are marketing using all channels.
You should always hire an agent who has a demonstrated ability to utilize the web. Again it all starts with your photography. Without good photos you can be all over the internet and it won’t matter because your presentation will be lousy. We advertise on more than a dozen of major websites and we pay for featuring your property to give it extra exposure. Plus we still put the listing in newspapers (old school ? and promoting it on social channels.
Consider a professional cleaning.
A clean home is inviting to buyers, whereas a dirty home can turn them away faster than just about anything. The easiest way to know your home is spotless and looking its best is to hire a professional cleaning company. Make sure your kitchen and baths are spotless. Buyers will pay closer attention to these areas. In addition make sure your carpets are as clean as possible. If need be consider having your carpets professionally cleaned. And guess what? We provide this service too! We will hire a professional team of cleaning people (or a handyman if you need repairs) at our own expense to make sure your house is all clean and shinny and is ready to be sold!
Address all odors.
Smell is powerful, and can easily drive someone away from buying your home. However, you may not even realize the smells are there. Ask an outsider that you trust, like your Realtor, to let you know if there are any unpleasant odors – like pet or cooking odors – and address them before you show. This happens because some buyers fear they won’t be able to get rid of the odor once they purchase the house. Don’t take any kind of chance with home odors – remove them!
Make your kitchen appealing.
Many buyers are very focused on kitchens, which is why you want to make sure yours is reasonably appealing. You might want to install a new appliance or two if the existing ones are in really bad shape. It makes sense as it is typically the place where we spend most of our time. Do what you can to make you kitchen is appealing as possible.
Get organized.
The people that are looking at your home are going to open every door, including closets and the garage. You may help your sale by making sure these areas are relatively organized. The better they look, the easier it is for buyers to imagine that they can fit all their things in the home. This again goes back to one of my previous home selling tips of DE-cluttering. Organizing your closets and garage should be done as part of the process.
Take your pets somewhere for showings.
It is hard for pet owners to imagine sometimes, but some people really don’t like pets. Take the pets somewhere safe and comfortable, like a friends. Having evidence of your pet, including their odors can be a real turn off to some people.
There you have it – these are some of the best home selling tips to get you on your way to a successful home sale! And, ofcourse, we are always here to help with all your real estate needs!