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"Thinking of Selling? Here's What You Need to Know!"

Deciding to sell a home is a big decision. The kind of decision where the more you know, the better off you are. Last week, Trulia, an online Real Estate Blog featured an article by Jovan Hackley about 6 Selling Truths for Homeowners. Below are some of the tips that were included in Hackley's article, along with a little advice from us too. :) Enjoy!
 

Rule Number 1. Your staging will make or break you.

  “Homes that don’t show well don’t close well."

 Okay, so this is pretty self explanatory, but the better you home looks, the faster it will close and the better offers you will receive. Seems pretty basic, right? But here's the trick, you might have to make some adjustments and improvements to insure that your home does show well. At the time it might not seem to matter very much, but trust us, you'll be glad you did.

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 Rule Number 2. Comparables are the key to the right price, not your opinion.
“When it comes to price, the market’s opinion is what really matters.”

When it comes price, the winning opinion is always the market’s opinion. It's impossible to effectibely price a home without taking into account the competition. Unfortunately, this is something many sellers don't know or choose to disregard.When you sit down with your real estate agent (preferably The Roxburgh Group :)) tell them up front what your price expectations are for your home. Your real estate agent will them take the time to educate you on the competition and give you pricing tips so that you and your real estate agent can map out an effective pricing strategy for your home.

Rule Number 3. You’ll get out what you put in, so consider renovations.
“Most buyers don’t want to deal with your old problems.”

Now, this rule goes hand-in-hand with Rule Number 1. Like we said earlier, in order to get the most for your home, some renovations might be necessary. Selling for top dollar is simple math, not brain science. The problems buyers see when touring a home negatively impact the amount they’ll offer.Keep reading for 10 ways to easily increase the value of your home. 

Top 10 Ways to Increase Home Value

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• Siding and Exterior Paint - The fastest way to make a great first impression with buyers is to paint the exterior of your home or replace the siding. A fresh exterior will look cleaner and more modern. Be sure to use colors that will appeal to the largest number of buyers. 
• Windows and Doors - If your home is a little more "mature" than others on the market, consider replacing old windows and doors with stylish and efficient alternatives. This may attract buyers who might otherwise pass on your house without even seeing it. 
•  Landscaping and Lighting - Turn a tired looking front yard into an inviting space literally overnight by installing new landscaping. It's a wonder what sod, mulch, plants, and trees can do. In addition, turn your attention to the way your home looks after dark, when many buyers are still cruising the streets. Installing new lighting fixtures can both enhance the home's ambiance at night and modernize the exterior during daylight hours.

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• Flooring - Your home's flooring needs to be clean, modern, and stylish. They should tie the home together and flow seamlessly from one room to the next. Be sure to steam-clean carpets, wash or wax laminate, hardwood, or linoleum floors, and clean the grout on tile floors. If you have a hole or permanent stain in the carpet, consider removing it and re-carpeting that room - ask your local flooring vendor about large remnants that you could use. 
• The Kitchen - If your kitchen needs a facelift, consider updating the cabinets and counter-tops as well as the plumbing fixtures. However, keep in mind that your home only needs to be comparable to your neighbors homes - it doesn't necessarily have to surpass them. For instance, new granite counter-tops may not impress value shoppers - and may actually turn them off if they believe the higher priced materials will cause them to have to pay more for the home.  
•  Bathrooms - Let's face it, we all spend a lot of time in the bathroom. So it's no wonder that buyers want the bathrooms in their new homes to be user-friendly. It might not be necessary to invest in new toilets, tubs, and cabinetry - you can make old bathrooms sparkle by taking on smaller projects like cleaning or replacing tile grout, re-caulking, cleaning exhaust fans, and repainting. Pay special attention to details like chipped sinks and tubs, or dated light-fixtures - these might be worth repairing or replacing. 



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• Lighting - If swag lamps are sill hanging in your living room, it may be time to update your home's lighting scheme. A well-lit home can accent the best features of each room and provide buyers with a classic case of the warm fuzzies. For instance, under cabinet lighting in the kitchen can show off the counters while recessed lighting in the living room can highlight decor and design elements that might be missed otherwise. 
• Interior Paint - Look inside almost any model home and you will quickly find that white is out and color is in. Of course that doesn't mean you should grab the nearest color wheel and paintbrush and go to town. Colors still need to match each other and blend in with the decor of the home. Consider creating accent walls to punch up the impact of your colors and visit local design centers for more ideas.

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•  Roof and Foundation Systems - To ensure that you receive top dollar for your home and avoid a deal-breaking inspection report, now may be the best time to get these areas of your home in order. Lenders often want to know that a roof will last at least another 3 to 5 years and that the foundation is keeping the entire home off the ground without any apparent failures. 
• Deep Cleaning - The least expensive thing any seller can do before marketing their home is perform a deep cleaning of every surface in the home. A bucket, some soap and water, and a few rags can transform nearly any home into a show-ready model home. But don't skimp. You need to dig in and get dirty - and yes that means you have to clean under the stove and refrigerator. Sorry!

Rule Number 4. Incentives can help speed up the process.
“Incentives are a great way for you separate from the rest of the pack.”

Offering practical incentives might not sound sexy, but those that fill legitimate buyer needs have the power to differentiate a listing from the competition and attract just the right attention needed to get the home sold.

Talk to your realtor early about how you might be prepared to sweeten the deal if the right offers don’t come rolling in. Talking incentives early and building them into the marketing plan can arm both agent and seller with the ammunition to jump potential marketing hurdles and beat out the competition for a fast sale.

Rule Number 5. Serious buyers never stop the hunt.

Too many sellers see the winter months as the slow season. The reality is, there are plenty of upsides to listing and marketing a home when everyone else is taking a break. Conventional real estate wisdom pegs the summer months as the hottest months of the year, because families with children prefer to move into their new homes before September and the bad weather and holiday festivities keep house hunting to a minimum, during the winter.So, if you do kick your house hunt into high gear right now, you’ll face fewer competitors. And that means fewer multiple offers and a lower likelihood of being outbid.

Rule Number 6. Asking prices are up nationally, but…
“Real estate is a local business”

The last few years have turned real estate headlines into high-profile news. That means many people may have heard that home asking prices recently jumped more than 5 percent nationally. While this is great news for the country as a whole, be sure to keep in mind that real estate is a local industry and that asking price isn’t everything.

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 Well there you have it! Now that you're a savvy home seller, you're ready to take on the housing market and get the most out of your home. Good luck!