Despite what our blog said in late 2014 (click here to view that blog post) about Winter being a great time to sell a home, the peak season for real estate, in terms of actual homes being bought and sold, is Spring and Summer. Since Christmas and New Years are in the rearview and the sun is, now, overhead an increasing amount daily until the Summer Solstice, right now is the time to actually start considering those home repair/beautification projects in order to give your home it’s greatest possible value and, hopefully, a shorter time on market when you are ready to list. Let’s face it, if you are going to list your home in 2015 you have already been mulling it over for the past several months to year and, most likely, you would prefer your home to sell for higher and not lower. So, today on the blog, we are going to tackle some basics to help make your home stand out in the market.
First, let me promote myself, my team (about us) and all real estate agents out there by saying, if you want your home to sell for more money, for less time on the market and with less hassle to you, the best advice I can give is to go with a licensed real estate agent to sell your home. Do not get me wrong, there are always extreme cases that break the mold but in general, a good real estate agent has your best interest in mind at ALL times. If you are like me, you probably imagine money flying out the window when the thought of using an agent crosses your mind but let me quickly give a few reasons for using an agent.
A real estate agent does not have an emotional tie to your home and will be unbiased when it comes to pricing it. As emotional beings, we tend to add value to homes due to the memories we have within them. An agent will look at the market and experience to price it rather than focusing on the fact that your kids were raised there or some other emotional tie.
An agent has more resources at their disposal to allow your home to be seen by more people. Agents pay dues in order to have access to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and unless you are willing to also pay to have your home listed on the MLS your home will not be.
Agents in Ohio are required, by law, to keep all records involving real estate transactions for at least 3 years.
Agents know how to make your home look good. My team even has a professional photographer to ensure your home is seen in the best light. Anyone with a point-and-shoot camera or smartphone can photograph a home but a professional will get the best results. For fun, check out some bad real estate photos HERE.
Closings. I am not sure I need to say more, here.
Now, let’s get into the good stuff…
When it comes to home repairs, it’s best to just do them. (Yes, that statement is extremely easy for me to say but is not something I always do.) Be it dripping faucet or leaky roof, no home buyer wants to be burdened with fixing something left over from the previous owners. New buyers want to close the deal, get the keys and enjoy their new home (after unloading, unpacking and arranging furniture of course). But, not all repairs are the same when the goal is to make your home’s value as high as you can before selling so we found a good article that delves into which home repairs are better than the other. You can read that HERE .
If your repairs are in order and you are simply trying to beautify your home prior to selling then start in the kitchen or bathrooms. If I have the choice between two similar homes and one of the homes has new cabinets and appliances in the kitchen while the other looks like it came straight out of 1990 then I am most likely going to be selecting the updated one to make an offer. No, updating appliances in the kitchen or fixing up the bathroom does not ALWAYS equal more money in your pocket at closing but it does increase the likelihood of your home getting multiple offers. Multiple offers, however, do, often, equal more money in your pocket at closing. So, why is it so important to update kitchen or bathroom and not a living room or bedroom? Ultimately, you can paint a living room or bedroom wall or replace/remove carpet but there is not a whole lot else to do save remodelling. On the flip side, kitchens and bathrooms have more to keep updated. And, like I mentioned before, no new homeowner wants to deal with leftover projects from the previous owners. This includes updates. HERE are some more tips from another source.
My final tip is a very simple one. If you are thinking of selling your home, attempt to get it looking clean and as neat as possible right now. We have seen homes not yet listed be sold because it sat in a prime location or other factor. Waiting until the home is listed and you have a potential buyer asking to come through can put you in a pinch trying to tidy up. It will never hurt to start early on the process of deep cleaning.
Again, talk to an agent. Better yet, call Cheryl Ferry at 513-289-2320 to discuss the possibility of listing your home. She will be able to help determine which updates to the kitchen or bath will be most beneficial based on the other homes in the neighborhood. There are many things that we can say in a blog to help sell your home but when it comes to actually listing your unique home in a unique neighborhood in a unique city, Cheryl’s expertise will help you navigate that experience. Our goal, as a team, is to come alongside folks and guide them through one of the most stressful times of their life by educating them and working hard to ensure your interests are put first.