Top Home Selling Tips

After more than 20 years of Real Estate experience, I’ve been apart of all types of markets in Southwest Florida. I’ve experienced both the recent housing boom and the housing bubbles of years past.

As a result, I have learned what makes a home sell for the most money, in the shortest amount of time, with the least amount of stress.

When I meet with a potential Seller, I will share what works and what doesn’t based on more than two decades of experience. I have grounded my career in my passion for helping others. My goal is to help home Sellers achieve THEIR real estate needs.

To that end, I will be honest with a homeowner even if it is not what the homeowner wants to hear.  Do you want someone to tell you what you want to hear or do you want your agent to be straightforward with you? Keeping this in mind, here are the top home selling tips for Real Estate.

Overpricing A Home

The best home selling advice I share with any client is to price the home correctly from day one. This is one of the best tips every homeowner should follow if they want to achieve the highest price for their property.

Overpricing a home is easy to do. A common perception is, “I need to start high so there is room to negotiate downward.” However, what many people do not realize is that pricing a home too high initially may end up getting you less for the house than if you would have priced it correctly out of the gate.

Pricing a home too high will scare off buyers which reduces the number of potential buyers who could purchase the home. Also, Buyers are reluctant to bid on an overpriced property because they don’t want to feel like they are paying too much for a home.

Additionally, properties which start over priced, will take longer to sell. One of the first questions we receive from buyers is, “how long is the property been on the market”? The second most common question is “why has the property been on the market so long?” The longer a property sits on the market, the more Buyers express concerns about something being “wrong” with the home.

On the other hand, if you price a home at current market levels, you are far more likely to get your asking price or multiple offers.

Setting the initial list price is more complicated than you may think. There are numerous factors which may impact your home’s value compared to another home in your neighborhood. What is the lot position, view, floor plan, does it have a pool, is it concrete block or wood frame, what improvements have been made to the home, is it furnished or unfurnished and more!

As an experienced real estate agent, I will provide the information you need to understand how your home compares to others in the neighborhood and together we’ll set your home’s price to reflect current market conditions.

First Impressions

You get one chance to make a great first impression when showing your home. Curb appeal is critical to making a home buyer feel warm and welcome from the moment they drive up to your home until they walk through the front door.

With a little bit of work, you can have a significant impact on the value of your home.

• Front door – Apply a fresh coat of paint and replace the hardware.
• Coordinate Hardware – Address numbers, mailboxes, door locks  and your outdoor light are small elements which add a lot of polish to your home’s look when they match.
• Colorful Plants – Turn your entry way into an inviting focal point by adding a few well-chosen and nicely arranged potted plants.
• Freshen Up Your Landscaping – Add some colorful plants and mulch in your front yard and consider walkway lighting along with landscape lighting.
• Clean Dirty Spaces – Power wash your walkway and entryway.

Take a look at 23 ways to add curb appeal to create the best front yard on your block…

And an excellent way to make a home stand out amongst the rest of the homes for sale in your neighborhood is creating an excellent first impression.

Remove Clutter

One of the most cost-effective top home selling tips is to de-clutter your home. Making sure your home shows well to as many buyers as possible is a critical and necessary step to maximize the appearance of your home. You want your home to appear organized and tidy.

A cluttered home will make it feel small and cramped. The more you are able to remove clutter, the more spacious your home will feel to potential buyers. It will be easier for buyers to picture what their belongings would look like in the home.

As you go from room to room, think of the process as “staging your home”. Here are some tips to remove clutter in your home:

• Put away excess personal photos and nick knacks which may be cluttering counters.
• Thin out ALL of your closets and organize the remaining items so they look neat and orderly. This includes clothes and shoes. If you make them look half empty it appears there is plenty of storage space.
• Make the beds and make sure all dirty laundry is put away.
• Minimize the amount of furniture in each room.
• Dispose of old magazines, newspapers and books

Drop off any excess unwanted items at one of the many charitable organizations in your community such as Good Will, St. Mathews House or Avow Hospice. Or in some cases, the charity will pick up larger items such as furniture that is in good condition.

If you do not have room to store the extra items, consider temporarily renting a storage unit. For those of you who are having a hard time parting ways with If you have personal items you are having a hard time getting rid of (your letterman’s jacket from 30 years ago), take a photo!

19 Tips to Declutter Your Home from Professional Organizers

Finally, one of the added benefits of decluttering your home is it will save you time when it is time to move!

Always be Ready to Show Your Home

Make your home as easy to show as possible, even on short notice. If you have a plan and are prepared, the less time you will need to make your home available for a showing.

• Consider hiring a  professional cleaning company to do a one-time cleaning and then keep your home clean and tidy at all times.
• Make sure the kitchen counter tops are clean and clear as it is one of the most important rooms in your home.
• Address all bad odors from pets, cigarette smoke or pungent foods. Don’t go overboard with strong scented candles as Buyers will think you are trying to hide something more significant.
• Turn on lights, open window shades and to make the home feel light and bright.
• Leave the home during showings.
• Take your four pets with you.

Preparing your home for sale correctly can make a major difference on whether a home sells or not and also the time it takes to sell. It can also effect the price a seller receives for the home.

Chose the Right Real Estate Professional

One of the most important decisions you will make when selling your home is who will represent you throughout the process. You want a full-time agent with experience in selling properties who genuinely has your best interests at heart.

For many, selling a home may only happen a couple of times in their lifetime. Selling a home can also be emotional and stressful event. One of the major benefits to hiring a real estate agent to sell your home is that a good agent will guide you through the process and make sure you’re comfortable each step of the way.

A good agent is in it with you from the day you meet until well past the closing date. A top Realtor will not only be honest with you, they will explain what to expect and regularly communicate with you to ensure a stress-free and smooth transaction.

If you can believe it, due to an increase in rules and regulations over the years, there are more than 180 actions required to successfully complete a real estate transaction. From scheduling showings, contract negotiations, organizing inspectors, attorneys, title companies and a mountain of paperwork.

For those who have not bought or sold a property in a while, we regularly hear the comment, “we didn’t realize how much work is involved in selling or buying a home today.” At the same time, my goal is to make the process seem easy. If it seems easy, I’m doing my job!

A word of caution, one of the top mistakes sellers make when selecting their Realtor is picking the agent who suggests the highest list price for your home. 

Unfortunately, one of the oldest strategies agents use to obtain your listing is to tell you that your home is worth significantly more than others in the community. Why would an agent do such a thing? There are some agents who use it as a marketing tool to pick up buyers or additional listings.

Then 3 to 6 months down the road, when your overpriced home doesn’t sell, they will tell you to reduce your price based on buyer feedback when they knew all along the price they told you was too high. Don’t fall for one of the oldest tricks in the book. Hire an agent who puts your interests first.

If you want to hire an experienced agent that will put your best interests first, call me today – 239.370.0892.

More Top Home Selling Tips

Getting your home ready to sell and coordinating showings is just the tip of the iceberg in the selling process. Here are some additional home selling tips we hope you find useful.

Make Your Home Listing Stand Out

Should I Stay for the Home Showing?

Why Hire a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home

10 Best- Kept Secrets for Selling Your Home – HGTV

Call, email or text us today for all of your real estate needs – 239.370.0892.