Whether you’re building a custom home, have outgrown your current home or are just moving locations, you’re ready to sell your home. You may have heard horror stories from friends and family who have had some challenging experiences selling their homes. Here are a few tips to make sure that doesn’t happen to you and to make sure your house doesn’t sit on the market for eons.
Realtors matter
First and foremost, find a good realtor. Do your research for this. Talk to friends and family members for recommendations. Do not think that the bigger the realty firm, the better they are. You might get better, more personalized service from a smaller, more boutique firm. And while you could sell your home on your own, the experience and perspective they bring will be invaluable. All the rest of our tips stem from this main recommendation.
Declutter
You’ll find that many of our tips don’t center on the home’s actual structure but more on the perception of your home. First impressions matter to buyers, and they often cannot see past clutter or mess. Whether you go full on Marie Kondo is up to you, but you have to spend some time decluttering your home.
Pay attention to common junk magnets like:
Kitchen and bathroom counters
Fireplace mantels
Laundry room shelves
Tabletops
Magazine racks
Consider the flow
Next, you need to think about how easy it will be for potential buyers to move through your home. Sure, you might know to step around that end table, but to them it will just look crowded. If your furniture doesn’t fit, they think, theirs definitely won’t either. Part of decluttering may need to include selling some bulky furniture pieces — or moving them into storage.
An experienced realtor may recommend rearranging some of your spaces. Listen to their advice. They may, for example, have you rearrange sofas so that they face each other to foster conversation rather than facing the TV. Along with selling your home, you’re also selling the idea of what life would be like to live in this house.
Set the stage
You want to make it as easy as possible for potential buyers to imagine themselves living in your home, and that means you have to stage it like they could move right in. Even if you no longer live in the house, it should look staged.
For example, set the dining room table. Have fresh towels hanging in the bathroom. Fluff the pillows on the bed and add an extra cozy blanket. Take half of your clothes out of your closets and neatly organize what’s there.
Your realtor may bring in some prop pieces to help sell your home. No, none of the furniture goes with the buyer, but staging is better than an empty room to help potential buyers imagine what could be possible in your space.
You’ll also want to depersonalize your staged home. The décor may not be exactly what you would have in the home. The more personal your home, the less buyers can imagine themselves living there.
These tips, combined with your realtor’s expertise, will help you sell your home quickly. If you’re selling a custom-built home, make sure you check out these four tips.