Selling your home: Where to begin?
First Impressions
Remember what first attracted you to your house when you bought it? What excited you about its most appealing features? Now that you're selling your home, you'll need to look at it as if you were buying it all over again.
A spruced up house makes a great first impression on potential buyers. An attractive property grabs their attention and makes them excited about finding a house that looks and feels well-cared for. Because buyers know they’ll encounter fewer problems if they buy it, your house becomes more appealing and stands out from the competition. So if you prepare your home correctly, you’ll save time selling it when it’s on the market.
A good first impression makes an impact on a number of levels. It’s not just the way your house looks to potential buyers, but how it feels and smells to them, how their friends and family will react, how they imagine it would be to live there.
With simple improvements throughout your house, you can grab the attention of potential buyers and help them see why your house is right for them.
Selling Your Home >A Disappointed Seller
Many home
sellers are disappointed by the first offer they receive. For example, when
your agent calls to say that she has an offer on your home, your adrenaline
might start flowing profusely. You get really excited, but your happy bubble
bursts when you are presented with the contract. It's just not enough! The
buyers asked for your new washing machine, and they also want to postpone the
closing for three months. You don't see how it can work!
Before rejecting any offer on your property, you should consider making a
counter offer. Rarely does an offer look the way it would if you had written it
yourself. Consider the good and bad points of the offer, and work with the
agents to find a middle ground that you and buyers can live with. You may have
to go back and forth several times, and there will probably be compromises on
both sides. Unless you are lucky enough to be selling in a strong sellers'
market, the buyers will expect to do some bargaining. With a little patience,
you and your agent can create a "win-win" situation for you and the
buyers.
The Right Selling Price affects your Bottom Line
When you’re selling your home, the price you set is a critical factor in the return you’ll receive. That’s why you need a professional evaluation from an experienced realtor. This person can provide you with an honest assessment of your home, based on several factors including:
- Market conditions
- Condition of your home
- Repairs or improvements
- Time frame
- Limits buyers. Potential buyers may not view your home, because it would be out of their buying range.
- Limits showings. Other salespeople may be less reluctant to view your home.
- Used as leverage. Other realtors may use this home to sell against homes that are better priced.
- Extended stay on the market. When a home is on the market too long, it may be perceived as defective.
- Buyers may wonder, “what’s wrong,” or “why hasn’t this sold?”
- Lower price. An overpriced home, still on the market beyond the average selling time, could lead a lower selling price.
Is your property ready for a successful sale?
Plan of Action
- Analyze why you are selling - If you understand your motives, you will be able to better negotiate and to get what it is that you want, whether it be a quick sale, high price, or somewhere in the middle.
- Prepare your home for the buyer - Maximize the strengths of your property and fix up its weaknesses. You want the buyer to walk away from your home with a lasting good impression.
- Find a good real estate agent that understands your needs - Make sure that your agent is loyal to you, and can negotiate to help you achieve your goals. In addition, they should be assertive and honest with both you and the buyer.
- Be prepared for negotiation - Learn and understand your buyer’s situation; what are their motives? Can you demand a big deposit from them? Try to lock in the buyer so that the deal goes through.
- Negotiate for the best price and the best terms - Learn how to counter offer to get maximum value from every offer.
- Make sure the contract is accurate and complete - Be honest with your disclosures; you do not want to lose the deal because you were lying or diminishing your home’s defects. Insist the buyers get a professional inspection. This will protect both you and the buyer.
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