Selling a home is a big step, but you don’t have to go it alone. When you try our best home-selling tips, you might just be able to move your home off the market faster (and with less stress). From cleaning to negotiating repairs, we’ve got you covered.
1. Keep it clean
A clean home will always be more enticing to buyers than a messy one. So, when you’re selling your home, it’s important to declutter and remove any excess furniture, family photos, and other personal items so that prospective buyers can envision their own family in your house. You want your home to look as big and as new as possible. It may also be a good idea to hire a cleaning service.
2. Stay available
You never know when a buyer may want to view your home. Ideally, you’ll have enough advance notice to prepare, but being able to accommodate a last-minute viewing could go a long way toward building goodwill with the buyer. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep your bathrooms clean, and make sure everything is dusted and well swept.
3. Don’t delay repairs
Anything that could deter a potential buyer from making an offer should be fixed before you start showing your home. Some repairs may seem minor, but these seemingly insignificant issues can really add up in the mind of a buyer, and in some cases, they may not see your home as worth the trouble of fixing all those little things. Don’t give them a reason not to make an offer. You can also leverage these repairs in the purchase price of your home! Making repairs builds equity, so you may be able to sell for a higher price that takes into account the value of the repairs.
Pro Tip: If you really don’t want to play handyman, you may be able to negotiate with the buyer to sell your home for a lower price, provided they take responsibility for any needed repairs.
4. Maintain a comfortable temperature
Now isn’t the time to worry about your energy bills. Make sure potential buyers are comfortable when they’re touring your home. If it’s cold outside, leave the heat on. If it’s hot, some refreshing AC will put them in a good mood as soon they walk in.
5. Keep it light (literally)
Not only do poorly-lit homes feel less inviting, but from a practical standpoint, they also make it harder for buyers to see what they’ll be paying for. Make sure you’ve got all your lights on and your blinds open to show your home at its best.
6. Keep your pets out of the way
Even if your buyers have pets, they don’t have your pets. In the spirit of making the home feel like a fresh start for buyers, keep your pets out of the way during showings if possible. For outside pets, an enclosed outside area should be fine. If your pets are strictly indoors, consider closing off an area of the home for them or leaving them with someone you trust for the day. And of course, make sure pet hair and waste are cleaned up before showing your home.
7. Be realistic about your price
Hear us out: Consider underpricing your home. Why? If you underprice your home, you’ll likely receive more offers from multiple buyers with multiple bids, even in the toughest markets. When you start fielding multiple offers, it could result in bidding up the price to well over what it’s worth. Plus, with rates being what they are in the current market, if you price your home too high you may get very few offers as most potential buyers are on a tight budget.
Bonus home-selling tip
The best home-selling tip we can give you is to stay flexible. You are, after all, selling your home to people, and people’s lives can get unpredictable. They may need to reschedule showings, negotiate on the price, or finalize the purchase later (or sooner) than you feel is ideal. Remember that you may be selling your home, but the buyer is the one who’ll be living in it for years to come. It’s normal for them to obsess over the details. And when it’s your turn to buy, we’re here to help with all of those details, too.
The best home-selling tip we can give you? Stay flexible.