The market’s hot, and you may be wondering if it’s time to just go for it. You’ve been wanting more space, you’re looking to shorten your commute and you’ve always wanted a first-floor master bedroom. Why not give selling your home a shot?
If selling your home has been on your mind, it’s definitely a good time to put it on the market. Demand is outpacing supply, and you may be celebrating a successful sale in a matter of mere weeks. Before you throw a for-sale sign in the yard, consider how these factors impact selling your home in a seller’s market:
You may save some money. Before you prep your home for a sale, consult your agent about updates and repairs. In some situations, outdated features may not keep a home from selling at asking price, and you may waste a lot of resources attempting to renovate before listing the house. It’s a good idea to learn from a realtor what should be updated in order to get the best possible price.
It may even be possible to sell your home “as is,” with your agent guiding your pricing to reflect that qualifier.
Don’t skip staging. There’s always a possibility that a buyer may overlook a lot in a seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t present your home in the best light. Clean out clutter, do an in-depth cleaning and then stage your home to get the possible offer. You may want to remove some furniture items, and you’ll want the décor to be relatively neutral so that buyers can picture themselves living there.
Get your paperwork ready. Your home may sell fast, and you may even receive a cash offer. If that’s the case, you’ll want your seller’s disclosure ready and you may want to work with a title company to get everything in line before you place your home on the market. If there are municipal inspections required, get those scheduled so that there are fewer barriers between you and your closing date.
Be prepared for a variety of offer situations. You’ve heard stories of people receiving offers over asking price, with bidding wars nudging the price higher and higher. That may happen to you, but there are a variety of situations that can come up when selling your home. You may receive more than one offer, and you may have set a parameter around when you’re accepting offers. Be sure to respond to offers or counter-offer within a reasonable time period. When you’ve determined that an offer doesn’t meet your requirements, notify the potential buyers so that they can move on.
While there’s the possibility that you may receive an offer over asking price, or that your home will sell quickly, don’t be lured into the mistake of assuming your home will sell itself without any effort on your part. Clean, staged and well-maintained homes still receive a better price, no matter what the market is doing. Contact us at Dani Beyer Real Estate to get started planning your home sale!