The National Association of Realtors’ Research Department recently released their Confidence Index based on home selling data from February. Among the latest information about the state of the real estate market, it was found that the national average for the number of days a home sits on the market is 74 days. The selling season is heating up! Get your home ready to list for sale by owner, and prepare for home-selling success with these five steps.
1. Determine your game plan. Set up a realistic timeline, and allocate sufficient funds for necessary renovations, your future sale and potential move. Use our start-to-finish timeline to help with the planning.
2. Decide what to DIY. Get a professional home inspection done early so you can identify problem areas and decide what you’ll repair yourself and what you’ll hire professionals to remedy. If you can’t fix everything, you can incorporate the knowledge of those problems into your asking price. Tackle these five most-overlooked home inspection problems.
3. Set the stage. Did you know that staged properties generate an 8-10% higher return on the sale price? Staged homes tend to sell in a shorter period of time, which increases your odds of selling at a higher price. Find out which staging strategies will make the most impact.
4. Polish your listing. Review your marketing materials, and consider asking a friend to lend his or her opinion, too. Are you emphasizing the best and most appealing features of your house? Include well-lit photos of every room that make the rooms appear spacious and uncluttered. Use these practical photo-taking tips to create professional-looking listing photos.
5. Assemble your team. You’re not alone when you sell by owner. You’ll still need to rely on the expertise of these three key experts: appraiser, mortgage lender and attorney or title company.
What tips do you have for getting a home ready to list?
