How to Sell Your Home Before the End of Summer

As the weather heats up, so does our affinity for tasks such as laying by the pool or sipping iced tea in the shade. However, while the higher temperatures and long summer days are often conducive to relaxation and even a little—gasp!—laziness, if you have a house to sell, your down time may need to be cut a bit short.

Plain and simple, your property isn’t going to sell itself—even with a fantastic real estate agent in your corner—so it’s wise to operate under the assumption that you’ll need to get your hands a bit dirty to move things along.

Therefore, if you’re looking to get top dollar for your home before school resumes in the fall, consider the following steps:

HIRE YOUR OWN HOME INSPECTOR. I know what you may be thinking. “Why would I drop a few hundred dollars to hire my own inspector if the buyer will be bringing one in anyway?” In truth, it gives you the fantastic opportunity to deal with your home’s imperfections before they have a chance to destroy a fledgling home deal.

Depending upon the age and condition of your home, the inspector may leave you with a long list of findings that will require some work, but it’s important to remember that you don’t have to remedy every single item. Start by working with your real estate agent to tackle the most pressing issues and establish which ones can wait.

BRING IN THE SUN! If you’re attempting to sell your home during the warm, sunny months, why not capitalize on the spirit of summer by showing buyers just how enjoyable your home can be at this time of the year? To set the stage, consider these ideas:

×  Bid Farewell to the Clutter – Too much clutter will cause your home to feel closed-off and stuffy. The goal is to make your home feel like a breath of fresh air, so give buyers room to breathe by getting rid of those extra piles of papers, trinkets, and toys.

×  Foliage is For Inside, Too! – There’s nothing wrong with bringing in the outside. In other words, places things like vases of garden blooms, lush plants, or bowls of fresh fruit in every room.

×  Cheer Things Up – Yes, the standard advice is to keep your surroundings a bit more on the neutral side; however, add a bit of cheer by incorporating bright accents or pops of color in the form of interesting throw pillows, beachy or nautical décor, or colorful candles.

×  Beautify Your Outdoor Spaces – What’s better than a summer barbeque? Nothing! Therefore, make a point to dust off your porch and patio furniture, add a few colorful table settings, and make sure your yard is lush and trim.

×  Entice Your Buyers – We all love the feel of cool air conditioning after spending time in the sticky Georgia heat, so make sure your buyers breathe a sigh of relief when they enter your home. While you’re at it, feel free to make a fresh pitcher of lemonade so you’ll be sure to stay at the forefront of their memory.

PRICE IS STILL KING.  Sure, you may have spent a large amount of money making your home look like something straight out of HGTV, but if it’s overpriced, most buyers won’t even cross the threshold. Plain and simple, while buyers may appreciate the amount of work you put into your home, their main goal still involves getting a great deal. Therefore, while you still don’t want to simply give your house away to the first interested buyer, it’s important to have an understanding of a proper asking price that will give you the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

To find this balance, make a point to work with a real estate agent with experience in establishing comparative market analysis’ (CMA). A CMA pits your home against others that have sold near you in recent months so that you can gain a better understanding of what buyers are actually willing to pay.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH EXPERTS.  There’s no denying that, even in the best circumstances, selling a home is stressful, so make a point to build a winning team to help you get the job done.

A good real estate agent will not only help you with the heavy lifting, but will offer consistent, supportive advice throughout the entirety of the process. Make a point to look for someone with a proven track record of sales and reputation for being the kind of person who truly treats their customers with respect.

 

Original post may be seen at: http://patch.com/georgia/suwanee/how-sell-your-home-end-summer-0