Six Tips To Consider When Selling Your Home

Are you selling your home, or thinking about selling your home?  We know it can be a stressful time, but with a few good tips and some solid real estate advice, we can help make a trying time go a bit more smoothly.  Here's 6 tips to consider when selling your home.

Six Tips To Consider When Selling Your Home

​Call Your Agent Regularly

Staying in touch with your realtor is important, and getting their advice and feedback on your home is crucial to a successful home sale. Make sure you are comfortable with your choice of realtor, and that they are familiar with your neighborhood so that can price your home according to comps in the area.  You also want to be clear about what their marketing strategy is when it comes to promoting your home.  An experienced realtor that uses a professional photographer and can help stage your home is ideal.
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Let Your Realtor Do Their Job

The benefits of hiring a realtor and paying their commission (which is generally paid out at the time of closing), compared to FSBO ("For Sale By Owner"), are immense.  And a good realtor, like the agents at McGraw Realtors, will go above and beyond to ensure that your home gets in front of the right kind of buyer.  Realtors are trained to negotiate a sale and to handle complicated paperwork, too.   Something you or I may otherwise be overwhelmed by.

Use A Home Stager

Staging your home might seem like an indulgence or even far fetched to you, but there is a reason such an option exists.  Many home buyers start their search online, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, imagine how many dollars it's worth.  A professional home stager will create interest in your home by utilizing your space to its maximum potential.  According to realtor.com, a staged home sells 88% faster and for 20% more than homes that did not use a home stager.
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Hire A Professional Photographer

The difference between photographs that have been taken by a professional and those that aren't can be dramatic.  A professional photographer will have experience with photographing all kinds of homes using various angles, lighting and composition.  Their professional equipment will include DSLR cameras with different lenses for different applications.  They may even use a drone!  As mentioned previously, a home buyer starts their search with the internet, and professional photographs will prove that you mean business. 
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Make Necessary Repairs

If you plan on listing your home for sale, it's imperative that you make any necessary repairs in and around your home prior to listing.  Major repairs, like a new roof or a new furnace, should definitely be addressed.  If you're strapped for cash, you may want to consider a personal loan to help tide you over until your home sells. Small repairs such as making sure the air conditioning is working properly should always be tackled, so arrange for an HVAC company to pay you a visit. Speak to your realtor about what he or she suggests you do when it comes to making repairs before you sell.  It may make a huge difference on your listing price, and your offers.

Create A Home Organizer

If you can, put together a file for the future buyer of your home, complete with warranties, guarantees, proof of purchases and any other important information regarding your home.  Include phone numbers like your current utility companies, landscaper or gardener, exterminator, plumber, electrician, etc.  Record any maintenance or repairs you've completed and keep track of home improvement and / or remodeling you've had done on your home as well. 

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Selling your home is a process!  There's so much to think about, but with the right information you can be on your way to receiving worthwhile offers from serious buyers in no time.  Check out this infographic from houselogic.com for a step by step guide to selling your home: