February 18th, 2010

Selling Your Home~Tips On How To Get Top Dollar

For any number of reasons, you have determined now is the time to sell your home. You want to get the highest amount possible for the place you have called home.

Selling your homeis more than putting a sign in the yard. It is about finding a ready, willing and able buyer to make an offer that meets your vision of what your home’s value is. The first tip is to find a REALTOR® that you are comfortable working with. By having and experienced REALTOR® on your side is the first step in getting top dollarfor your home. Your REALTOR® can provide you with valuable tools and marketing in getting your home sold for the highest price. Granted, there are some outside factors that set the value of your home such as comparable sales, which your REALTOR® will be able to provide you with.

In addition to hiring a great REALTOR®, YOU, the SELLER can do some things to bring about the highest price for your home.

• Curb Appeal~ Many buyers drive neighborhoods looking at potential homes on their days off. If your home does not have curb appeal, they may just drive on by. Even if you do not have the funds to landscape your yard, trim the bushes and trees, pull weeds, and keep the lawn manicured. Plant some flowers.
• Interior~So you got the buyers to come in. The same goes for the inside as it does the outside. Appeal. Perceived size of the property adds value. If a potential buyer comes in and feels claustrophobic, they may perceive the house is too small for their needs. Even with a square footage number in front of them, if they can’t see it, they can’t conceive it! A fresh coat of paint throughout, clean carpets, minimal clutter will all bring a higher offer than a run down, overstuffed house of furniture.
• Home Inspection~Consider getting a pre-listing home inspection. The buyers will always get one, so why not be one step ahead by knowing what needs work and fixing it BEFORE an offer is made. Take a look at my article on Home Inspections~Not Only For The Buyer for more information.
• Staging~Consider having a professional Home Stager provide you with a consultation. A Home Stager will help you present your home to potential buyers with a fantastic plan. They will provide an outside view on ways to show off your house’s finest attributes.  Anywhere from furniture placement to art on the walls,  Professional Staging may add thousands of dollars to an offer!
• Clean!~During the time your home is on the market, try to keep the home clean. It can be a bit of a challenge to continue to live your life and have your home on the market. Get every member of the family on board! You never know when someone will want to see your home. Put dishes in the dishwasher, keep the kids toys picked up, make the beds, and clean the cat box. All of these things distract the buyer from seeing what they have come to see; the house!

These tips are just a few things YOU, the SELLER can do to get the highest price possible for your home. Together with your REALTOR®, you can work as a team and will have the perfect prescription for a quick, profitable sale! Happy Selling!