With Christmas right around the corner, wouldn’t it be nice to spend the New Year in a new home? While it may seem like a gigantic undertaking, sellers can easily get their house ready to sell in 12 days by following these tips:
Day 1. Find an Agent
Getting the right agent is essential. Meet with several agents and prepare some questions for the meeting. Good agents are the ones who listen to clients, understand their concerns, and make time for their clients’ needs.
Day 2. See What Your Home is Worth
A good agent will recommend a selling price based on a comparative market analysis (CMA) report (among other factors). This crucial document analyzes the price of homes currently for sale, homes recently sold to buyers, and homes removed from the market because there was no buyer. Your agent should also discuss the current state of the real estate market and offer a few suggestions of where to price your home.
Day 3. Decide on a Listing Price
Sellers and agents should agree on a listing price based on the CMA report as well as the condition of the home. A house in good condition with plenty of high end upgrades in the kitchen and bathroom will go for a higher listing price than a house with a dated interior and poorly maintained exterior. With a look at buyer activity, price your home competitively and leave wriggle room for negotiations.
Day 4. Make any Necessary Repairs
If buyers don’t like the look of a house or see something wrong, they won’t buy the house. Repair any apparent issues inside such as dripping faucets, stained carpets, or falling gutters. Buyers are looking for houses in good condition, not fixer uppers. Don’t give them an excuse to look at another house.
Day 5. Clear the Clutter in each Room
Highlight the house, not the objects in the house. Get organized and clear any clutter by throwing it away or placing it in storage. By reducing clutter, you’ll open up space giving buyers the impression that your home offers plenty of room.
Clutter you should try to remove include toys lying on the bedroom floor, any paperwork being stacked in the home office, or the variety of kitchen appliances taking up counter space.
Day 6. Arrange Furniture
Pick the best furniture and arrange it so that it meets the purpose of the room. Family rooms should have sitting areas while bedrooms should have well-kept bedroom furniture. Make sure the placement of furniture does not interfere with the traffic of potential buyers walking through the house.
Day 7. Stage the bathroom
A well-staged bathroom can sell a home. Clean everything until it sparkles, add in a few updated fixtures, and touch up any issues with cabinetry. The bathroom should make the potential buyer feel like he or she is in a spa.
Day 8. Stage the Kitchen
Kitchens will also sell homes, so sellers need to highlight the best aspects of this room. Clean all surfaces until they shine under the lights. If cabinets are old, do a quick and affordable fix by updating their knobs and painting their exteriors.
Day 9. Enhance the Curb Appeal
Make the house look good from the outside. While Floridians don’t need to contend with snow, sellers should mow the lawn and rake up the leaves. If the outside looks welcoming, potential buyers will want to come inside. First impressions are paramount to selling a home successfully.
Day 10. Add Seasonal Touches
Keep Christmas in mind, even in the warm Florida winter. Place a welcoming wreath on the door or add a few candles to the mantel place. That holiday spirit shows just how warm and festive the house is to potential buyers.
Day 11. Prepare and Host an Open House
Allow the house to shine by preparing and hosting an open house. Advertise the event and have refreshments like milk and cookies waiting for each guest. Offer to give guests a personal tour of the house and highlight its best features. A log-in book placed by the front door allows potential buyers to write down their information for sellers and agents to review.
Day 12. Review Feedback from the Open House
Hopefully, at this point, the house impressed guests so much that the open house inspired several offers. If nobody makes an offer, then sellers and agents should review feedback from the open house together and come up with a new strategy, such as lowering the home price or pursuing a remodeling project in dated rooms.
Selling Your Home around the Villages & Ocala, FL
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