Despite a challenging year, home sales in the USA are skyrocketing. In fact, USA home inventory demand was higher than any time since 2006. Just because sales are 22% higher than 2019, it doesn’t mean that 2021 will be a cinch to sell in.
Smart homeowners savvy in real estate marketing have been able to sell no matter the challenge — economic or otherwise. What are their secrets? We’ve collected seven of the best tips a smart home seller needs to employ in their arsenal.
Keep reading to find out what they are.
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The Only Impression That Matters Is the First One
The best-case real estate marketing scenario is to sell your house fast. Unfortunately, if you don’t have good curb appeal, you’ve lost your most potent weapon.
The curb appeal of your home is the first impression you can make. The “second first impression” is the moment they walk through the door to see their future lodgings. That’s why you can’t only spend your beautification budget on the inside.
If you didn’t spend time on the outward appearance of your home, they’ve already decided to pass before walking to the front door.
Make sure to develop a green thumb leading up to your home sale. Buyers love well-tended and designed gardens. It’s good, then, that plants don’t have to be expensive to buy or upkeep.
As for when they walk in the door. Make it welcoming with treats or a tasteful indoor plant. Try to have flowers that aren’t too pungent or known for causing allergic attacks, if you decide to go that route.
Kitchens Sell Houses
Kitchens are well known to be a focal point for homes. The expected range for a kitchen remodel is between 5% to 15%, but definitely no more or less. This makes sense because a kitchen usually makes up 10% of the value of a home.
Bathrooms, though, are a close second to decision points on the price and purchase of a home.
If your kitchen and bathrooms look dated, you could end up selling your home for $10,000 to $20,000 less than you had hoped. All of this assumes, though, that you have followed through on the next point.
Don’t Spend More on Upgrades Than Necessary
Sometimes, upgrades like kitchens, baths, or new crown molding aren’t what you need to spend money on. On top of that, you don’t need to find the most exotic materials.
What you’re looking for is a return on investment of at least 100%.
This means you may have imported exotic wood for a new hardwood floor for nothing. The new owners could have decided to either cover up the hardwood flooring or tear it completely. Instead, make sure everything is in working order and in good condition.
Don’t even think about working on kitchens and baths unless roof leaks and other structural issues are taken care of. Essential repairs come first.
If the buyer knows that all appliances and major care have already been done, they may forgive a dated kitchen and bathroom.
Depersonalize Your Home
Many homeowners feel the temptation to show how cozy their home is by adding personal touches. You should put away family pictures, eclectic or obscure taste in art, and family heirlooms.
A general rule is to take at least one-third of your own items and put them in storage. You want to put a priority on the items listed above.
Your goal is to appeal to mass appeal, rather than people with your specific tastes. That goes for upgrade choices as well.
Send Your Pet on a Holiday
Rover and Felix, beloved members of your family that they are, won’t be appreciated by potential homebuyers. You don’t have to have the best real estate agent for them to tell you to hide the food bowls and mask the litter smell.
When smart homebuyers go shopping, they don’t want their clothes to collect animal fur. It can also cause allergies for people to have pet hair and dander present. This means you need to keep your home extremely clean during the process.
If you are scheduling an open house you definitely want to schedule a pet hotel stay during the same days. Put the toys away, store the food and other items, and try to hide any signs of pets that you can.
Keep Storage Areas Half-Full
Speaking of storing items away, a smart homebuyer will definitely test a smart home seller by snooping. During the duration of your selling process, it’s smart to get a separate storage unit to hold personal items and things you can live without.
Trying to eliminate a third of personal items, especially the most precious ones, also reduces the chances of theft.
If you are able to, try to keep in-house storage half-full. This helps you to show off the space of storage. If it’s empty or full, it could make the space seem smaller than you’re hoping to.
An exception to this rule is the garage. You don’t want to keep the garage half-full, but you do want to show off storage possibilities. If you can keep your car inside and still walk around easily, you’re doing something right.
On that note, try not to park inside the garage when you are showing it off. This way you can show off the garage floors as clean and oil or crack-free.
Keep It Bright
A sometimes misunderstood rule, smart homeowners will research the best lighting for their home sale. Home sales tend to do best with lighting that replicates natural sunlight for your region.
It helps if you can keep it bright inside by:
- Cleaning the windows
- Changing the lampshades
- Opening or taking down heavy draping
- Cutting away vegetation blocking light from the outside
Stay away from anything over 5000k “temperature” for your lighting. Between 3000-4500k can give accurate enough color recognition, luminosity, and warmth. It’s hard to balance warmth with being in a cave, so it’s a good idea to consult with your agent or a home-stager for optimum results of lighting tweaks.
Seven Tips Smart Homeowners Use to Sell Fast
Selling fast is what all smart homeowners hope to accomplish. With these seven tips, it’s going to lead to surefire success!
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