Thinking About Selling After the Holidays? Let’s Get a Head Start!

If you’re planning to sell in the New Year, it’s the perfect time to get a jump on preparing your home. Here are some key tips to set you up for success:

    1.    Start Planning Early

Reach out to us anytime—it’s never too soon! We’ll help create a timeline and strategy that fits your goals, whether you plan to sell in a few months or later next year.

    2.    Prep Your Home

Use your time wisely by tackling minor repairs, decluttering, and sprucing up your space. Fix anything broken, clean thoroughly, and consider small updates to make your home shine for potential buyers.

• It’s important to stay on budget or know your potential return on investment. You may have to spend money to make money but not all investments are worth it. We can help with this and can advise what is worth it for your particular neighborhood/location or your potential buyers. 

• Clear away clutter. You don’t want your home to look cramped and clogged with too many personal items. Buyers like to see more of a clean slate. Start today with paring down your belongings – sell on eBay, donate, or recycle or trash. For those items you want to keep, consider boxing them up and finding a place or purchasing a storage unit to store them, including any furniture.
• Make it as move-in ready as possible. Today’s buyers are not crazy about doing repairs and replacements. They do not want an immediate to-do list. We can discuss whether you should leave something “as is” or replace it. An older roof, stained carpet, or a warped fence can bring down the price or your home. Determine what is best for your sale financially, and then determine if professionals are available to work on any of these projects. 

    3.    Set Goals and Stay Organized

Map out specific tasks with deadlines, such as painting, cleaning, or scheduling contractor work. We can help guide you on what improvements are worth it and what to skip.

    4.    Focus on Curb Appeal 

First impressions matter! Enhance your landscaping and keep your home looking great. This is especially important when listing your home for in-person and online photos. Virtual appeal is more important than ever.

• Curb appeal and the “wow” factor can sway buyers.  It’s like a beauty contest when buyers drive up. As you get closer to listing, schedule some landscaping work to make your yard look its best. This spruce-up is especially important for online photos.

    5.    Understand the Market

Pricing your home competitively from the start is crucial. We’ll analyze your neighborhood and current trends to ensure your home is positioned to sell quickly. Even though selling a home is emotional, remember that there are so many factors that go into making it to settlement day.

• Knowing how the real estate market works throughout the year will keep your expectations realistic and also help you understand why different marketing approaches will need to be used depending on the time of year.
• Focus on the “business” of selling.  You love your home and feel a surge of protectiveness to it at times. However, it’s more important than ever to think of selling your home as a “business transaction.” It can be hard to do, but try to distance yourself and view it as a financial opportunity for the next phase of your life. You need to stay focused on getting your home sold, so you can buy your next one.
• Study sold prices, not just the asking prices in your particular neighborhood.  The true market is based on what buyers are willing to pay when you list your home. Basically, buyers will only pay what they deem your house is worth in current market conditions. Remember that the market evolves and we’ll adapt and make sure to price your home accordingly.
• Be willing to price your home competitively from the get-go. Once you decide to list your home, take advantage of the first two weeks of showings that bring the most traffic to your home. Some think you should list high and adjust but that is simply not true. Pricing your home too high could cause you to miss out on potential buyers and could result in your home to just sit (and sit… and sit) on the market. 
• Remember that all real estate is local. The particular street or block you live on can be a strong influence on how it appeals to buyers and how to price your home, especially in the year ahead. We’ll study your particular neighborhood, what is selling and what isn’t, and even who is buying and why.  That’s why you should reach out to us sooner than later, so we can make smart and strategic decisions together.

Selling a home can feel overwhelming, but with a solid plan, it doesn’t have to be. Whether you’re ready now or months from listing, we’re here to help every step of the way.

Let’s talk! Email us at misty@bandbteamrealty.com or john@bandbteamrealty.com to start planning today!