Top 10 Home Selling Tips
Here’s a list of some of my favorite home selling tips. As a previously Accredited Staging Professional I learned a lot about getting a home ready for sale. This is just a partial list of my tips. I would be happy to look at your home and let you know what i think you should do to get it ready for sale and make sure you get what it’s worth.
- Price, Price, PRICE!
Setting the right selling price is the best place to start with our top 10 list of home selling tips. New Jersey is a highly competitive market but the principles are the same no matter where you live. Some sellers feel it’s best to start high and reduce later in a negotiation. There’s a number of reasons to avoid this common mistake. When you come to market, the new listing traffic is at its highest. The MLS, Zillow, Realtor and most listing sites show the most recent listings at the top. If your home is priced or perceived as too high, people will just skip over it. The more time your house sits on the market, the more people may think something is wrong with it. It can be hard for sellers to remove the emotion involved in setting the selling price but the initial listing price should be set using market research and logic. A licensed Real Estate agent can review the Comps (recently sold homes) in your area, square footage, acreage and other important factors when setting your selling price. Some sellers will choose to work with the agent who tells them the highest listing price. Think about that for a minute…..
- Work with a Licensed Realtor
Selling your own home may save you some money but it may cost you big. Trying to save a commission may sound like a good idea but if your house is not marketed properly it may sit on the market and worse, it may not sell. A good Realtor will help you set the right price, take professional pictures, market in the right places, hold open houses, have a brokers open and may already have a buyer they’re working with. Depending on where you live, the right Real-Estate agent may be your best weapon.
- Take Awesome Pictures
A quick Google search revealed that 95% of home buyers researched homes for sale online. Great pictures are a must! Before the internet, curb appeal was important because it was the buyers first impression. Today your pictures are your first impression. Make sure you take your pictures on a sunny day and turn on all your lights. Declutter before taking any pictures, you want it to look like your home is a spacious as it actually is. I have professional camera equipment, lighting and plenty of experience photographing real estate.
- De-personalize
Reducing your personal touch on the home can help your potential buyer see themselves in the space. Limit your family photos, remove your collections or anything that people may not associate with (i.e. your Dallas Cowboys Jersey.)
- No more Clutter!
Start here by clearing out your closets. Your potential buyer wants to see as much closet space as possible. If it’s winter, move your summer stuff into storage or vice-a-versa. The kitchen is another spot to de-clutter. Clear up your junk drawer and clear off your countertops.
- Staging
As a previous Accredited Staging Professional and Interior Designer, I understand what it takes to make your house look it’s best for sale. If you decide to list your home with me, I will provide you with a personalized list of recommendations to show your home at its absolute best. Making your house look lived in but easy for your potential buyer to see themselves living in it is an art. Simple things can have a huge impact on your home and sometimes it just takes a third person view to see its maximum potential.
- Kitchen – Renovation or refresh?
When you put your house up for sale you need to focus on your kitchen. Some experts say that your selling your kitchen when you put your house on the market, it’s that important. It may be worth some simple upgrades or painting to insure you get top dollar. Tasteful upgrades in your kitchen will typically payoff in selling price and time-on-market. Simple renovations like painting your cabinets and replacing the hardware can have a huge impact. I’ve made suggestions in the past to staging clients and after completing them they ask “why didn’t I do this sooner?” Quite often they would hire me to design their new home to start out with the best flow and design from the start.
Call Agent Amy Roth at (908) 735-0535 for a consultation or visit https://www.bhhsnj.com/amy.roth for contact information and listings.
