How to Sell Your Home for More Money

Are you planning to sell your house? There are many different reasons to sell your home in 2019. Whatever yours may be, you probably also want to get the most money you can from the sale of your home. 

To sell your house fast and to maximize your profits, there are many things you can do to prepare your property for sale. Eighty-three percent of homebuyers’ agents revealed that proper staging helps buyers to imagine living in a house, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Check out some ways to sell your home for more money.

Sell Your Home for More Money by Determining the Property’s “As-Is” Value

It is often helpful to know what other comparable houses have sold for in your area. By looking at these sales, you can see if your house “measures up” to what other houses have sold for in your neighborhood. It is often times helpful to find out the “As-Is” value of your home.

You can hire a professional appraiser to estimate the value of your property or have a realtor give you an honest opinion of what they think your home is worth “As Is,” based on recent sales.

An appraiser will consider factors such as the size of your house and lot, lifespan of your roof, as well as upgrades and improvements made over the years to give you an idea of what your home is worth. The appraiser will also price your house based on what others have sold for in your area, adjusting for amenities and age.

If you sell your house to a non-cash buyer, your buyer will have to qualify and be approved for a loan. The lender will REQUIRE an appraisal on the home before extending an approval to a buyer. Be cautious about overpricing your house – most buyers will be protected by their lender’s requirements and not pricing your home correctly can lead to costly concessions and time.

Knowing what your house is worth “As-Is” can help you determine if you should invest in repairs and upgrades to get the maximum price.

Curb Appeal Matters

Before stepping foot in your house, many potential home buyers will decide if they’re interested in buying your house based on the curb appeal of the property.

Mow the lawn and trim the bushes to make your landscape look well-maintained. Trimming overgrown trees, planting fresh plants or flowers, and adding fresh mulch can also revive tired-looking landscapes.

You can also power wash the driveway, freshen up the front door paint and update the house numbers to make your house look like new again.

You might be surprised at just how much of a difference these small details will make.

Declutter and Keep Your Home Organized

When putting your house on the market, try to remove personal items such as family photos, heirlooms, and personal memorabilia that may make it hard for potential buyers to envision calling your house their “home”.

Put excess furniture, wall art/pictures, and gadgets away or in storage, while keeping only the minimal necessities you need while showing the house. A congested house makes the interior space look smaller than it actually is.

You can make your closets appear roomier by removing luggage, excess clothes and shoes and neatly arranging the ones left. A potential buyer often appreciates the ample space your closet offers when emptied.

Organize your pantry and cabinets by removing all expired items and excess dishes and plastic ware. Clear and clean the pantry floor to make it look more spacious because, like closets, pantries are more appealing the larger they look.

Clean the Whole House

One of the most important things you can do is have a clean house. Vacuum, sweep and mop floors. Dust all areas that easily collect dust and often go forgotten – areas like shelves, ceiling fans, blinds, and window sills. Remove cobwebs from ceilings and corners.

Clean all windows and replace the broken ones. Clean windows bring more light into a room which is a plus for any buyer. Buyers are looking for bright rooms – not dark, dingy rooms. You can also clean the light switches because they collect a lot dirt over time.

Don’t forget to wipe down door handles and baseboards, clean tubs, toilets, and ovens. 

Try to avoid having dirty dishes in the sink when showing your house. A clean, dish-free sink makes the kitchen look much more appealing.

Add a Fresh Coat of Paint

Fresh paint will always make your house look newer and brighter. Go for more neutral colors because these colors make your house look brighter and more spacious, as well as appeal to more home buyers. Don’t forget about your door frames and trim, as they have most likely gotten worn down over the years.

Another way on how to prepare your home for sale is to examine your home’s exterior and decide if it also needs a lift from a fresh paint job.

Light Up Your House

Replace all the burned out light bulbs and wipe clean the good ones. Dust can easily settle on light bulbs and hinder their ability to give out enough clean light.

Cleaning your light bulbs may not seem like much, but it often goes a long way in brightening your home. Be sure to store a few extra bulbs just in case the ones you’re using burn out during or just before a showing.

Make the Small but Necessary Repairs

Dripping faucets, broken locks, creaking doors, cracks in the walls and unhinged cabinet doors may seem like small inconveniences, but most buyers take note of such things.

Get a handyman to fix the small details around your home. You can ask him to go around the house to identify other issues that you may have overlooked. These tiny details help prepare your house for sale in the best ways possible to get top dollar.

Make Your House Look and Feel Nice

Adding a vase of flowers can help create a nice feel, but don’t overdo it. A clean looking and smelling house goes a long way in creating appeal. Try to avoid strong perfume scents, offensive cooking smells, pet odors and cigarette smoke if possible. Try to keep the air conditioning or heat on a comfortable setting.

Take High-Quality Photos

Once you are certain that your house is ready for the market, think about investing in professional photos. Most buyers go online to search for their ideal homes.

Having bright, high-resolution photos will create much more appeal than lower quality pictures from your phone, which often get overlooked.

Always Keep Your Home Show-Ready

Selling your house fast and at the highest price calls for proper preparation. Aside from the aforementioned recommendations, make sure your blinds are open, and at least one light source is turned on in every room.

The trash bins around the house should be emptied and the trash taken outside. The bathrooms should be clean, and the toilet seat kept closed.

If possible, don’t have pets around during show days. Many times it’s not possible to completely remove pets from the house during showings, but isolating them to a specific area often times can reduce your anxiety levels, as well those of potential buyers.

These few things will go a long way in boosting the appeal of your home as well as getting it off the market faster with a higher sales price.

Retail buyers are typically looking for a house they can move into immediately and not have to fix up. Even if your house needs several repairs, taking the time to tidy up often times makes a big difference.

Want to find out more about how to sell your home “As-Is” without having to make ANY repairs? Call 5125985418, and we’ll help!