If you are planning on selling a home this year, here are three New Year’s Resolutions for you to keep in mind. If you can get ahead of the game, it will make for a happier, smoother transaction.
Step #1 for sellers is to find the right Real Estate Agent. At Angels RE Group, our top priority is our clients. We pride ourselves in giving excellent service to all of our clients. We have an exceptional team around us to ensure that each transaction goes as smoothly as possible. Our dedicated real estate team includes: mortgage professionals, title companies, inspectors, various repair technicians, home stagers, property managers, and more.
3 Resolutions for Home Sellers in 2014
1. Home Condition and Curb Appeal – Get ready to sell! In this market, it is imperative that your home stands out from all of the other properties that are for sale. The first impression is how the house looks from the curb. Buyers may not even stop and go inside if they do not like what they see on the outside. Some questions to consider: Does the trim need to be painted? Should the bushes be trimmed? Could your yard use a pop of color from flowers in pots?
The interior should smell great, the home should look clean and uncluttered, and any obvious flaws should be fixed. Any cracks, stains, broken tiles and minor repairs should be taken care of before putting your home on the market. What may cost you a few hundred dollars now, could be the difference between selling your home and watching it sit on the market. These small fixes could also bring you thousands more for your house when it sells.
Make it your resolution not to be that shortcut-taking seller. Decide up front that if you’re going to do this, you’re going to do it right and pass your home onto the next buyers with pride. You will almost always be rewarded with a fast sale at top dollar. Buyers can sense the pride you take in your home and your disclosures.
2. Stay focused on your Big Why?! – Why are you moving? Is your home too small, too large, too costly, too old, too new, too fancy, etc.? That’s only one side of the equation. On the other end, there’s an ‘after’ picture: You want to be somewhere else at this point in your life. Maybe it’s another neighborhood, or a new-and-improved set of amenities, or a totally different look of a home. It might be time to downsize as well. Whatever the case may be, always keep your “why” in mind, and keep that in focus.
Whatever it is, get very clear on the ‘before’ and ‘after’ of your vision for this change you’re trying to create by selling your home, and resolve to stay that way until escrow has closed. Focusing on your vision will force you to focus on your priorities. In turn, that will help you resist the urge to overprice your home, under-prepare your home, or go back and forth with the buyer over small issues.
3. Look at Things Through the Eyes of the Buyer – As the seller, chances are good that you have been in the buyer’s position before. Remind yourself of how you felt when it seemed like you would never wade through all the mortgage paperwork. When you were frustrated with what you saw on the market in your price range or when you couldn’t access the information or get into the property you wanted to, is likely what the buyer is going through as well. Don’t let your home be the listing that causes these frustrations for your target buyers. Instead, from the time you start looking at comparable homes to price your home, try to think things through from the buyer’s perspective.
Even if you don’t slash the price or give them everything they ask for, chances are good that you’ll end up creating more win-win situations if you take the other side’s wants and needs into account.
We invite you to read some additional tips we have for all of our home sellers. Contact the Angels RE Group to start your information gathering and home selling adventure. You can reach us by phone at 602-206-8270 or email at info@AngelsRE.com.
