The real estate community (agents, offices, and companies) works like a well-oiled machine to share information and listings swiftly and efficiently in order to present housing options to buyers nationwide. Our team, along with real estate agents from coast to coast are in constant communication to share listings so that every agent in the United States will know that your home is for sale and can show your home to buyers looking to live in your community.
Our primary goal is to get your home sold for the highest price with the best conditions in the least amount of time. That takes a lot of coordination, promotion, and finally managing the sale and they are there to represent your interests as the homeowner.
What is Your Home Really Worth?
Most people tend to have varying ideas on the value of their home, often stemming from sentiment, or the recollection of how much you paid for it to begin with. Unfortunately (or sometimes fortunately) the bank doesn’t view a home’s value in the same way, but that begs the question, how is your home’s worth calculated?
- Fair market value is usually dictated by a comparable market value assessment performed by a real estate professional and is generally what the house would sell for without any other forces being involved.
- Licensed appraisers will use market data, replacement costs, and potential income approaches to determine the market value of your home.
- Real estate agents will use a tool called Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) which looks at all the recent sales of similar properties in the area.
Identify Your Timeframe
It is a good idea to have an idea of how quickly you need to move, and this could be dependent on many factors. Are you starting a new job soon? Are you wanting to retire in a year or so and are looking to move to a warmer climate by winter? Having a clear idea of what your timeframe is will make a difference when it comes to the marketing campaigns your real estate agent will create.
Another thing to note: the buyer may have a timeframe of their own, so this is something that may require some flexibility, if possible. The sale of your home could potentially hinge on being adaptable in this area.
Preparation
Physically preparing your home to sell is vital to making it more appealing to potential buyers and increasing your home’s value. If you are considering any renovations, I would suggest talking to your real estate agent, who might have suggestions on which improvements to make to best increase your home’s appeal and value.
Some things that will always help to give your home a fresh and updated look, but don’t require a lot of work:
- A fresh coat of paint throughout the house (in neutral colors)
- Repairing anything that needs fixing
- Clearing out the clutter (i.e.: all the things stuck to your fridge door or packing up knick-knacks)
- Packing up things you don’t use often and putting your boxes and belongings into a storage unit to make your place look more spacious
- Getting carpets cleaned
- New and updated appliances in the kitchen
Some homeowners decide not to do renovations, believing that the new owners would rather choose what they want. However, keep in mind that most buyers are putting their resources into purchasing the home, and may not be able to renovate for a while. Ensuring that your home is serviceable and attractive will go a long way in helping it sell faster.
As potential buyers look at homes, one of the things they consider is how much work they will have to put into the home, and thus, may submit a lower offer with that work and cost in mind.
Reference staging is another low-cost option to improve the look and feel of a home.
If you’ve thought about selling your home, values in our market are on the rise, inventory is incredibly low – making ours a Seller’s Market. That means top dollar for today’s sellers. Give me a call to find out how much your home is currently worth!
