If you are planning to move this year, now is the time to put your home on the market. Spring is the biggest buying season. Buyers are searching for homes, and they are ready to purchase. However, the properties have to be priced right, look good, and be nearly move-in ready with little repair or refreshing.
First, make a plan. As a seller, the first thing to do is to decide what and where you want to go after your home is sold. You don’t want to wind up with cash in your pocket and no plan. Take a look at what is selling in the area you want to live in. Are the homes priced higher or lower? Will you be happy there? Do you really want to sell?
You can begin by searching online, but the best way to find a home is to contact a local REALTOR© and let them know what you are looking for. They can search for you and weed out the type of homes you don’t want. Many agents have ‘pocket’ listings. Those are homes that may soon come on the market or homes that sellers have said they will sell but are waiting for the right time. Who knows? Their right time might be your right time.
Then, prepare your home for visitors. This is making your home desirable and inviting, from the outside to inside. Expect your home to be seen at all reasonable times. Keep the yard mowed and tidy. Indoors, keep personal items in a small area, for example, put toiletries in a basket that can be put away with short notice. Buyers want to envision their items in your house, not look at photos of your family members and look at your personal trinkets.
You are planning to move anyway, so pack up items you never use and put them in storage or the garage. This is part of ‘staging,’ and it makes a difference when your home is shown.
Make your home welcome. We all have pets, indoors and outdoors. But all buyers don’t have pets. Leaving pets inside during a showing can significantly hinder your chances of selling your home. Barking dogs in kennels and the cat’s litterbox are not inviting. Try to take your dog for a walk or put with a sitter when you know the home is going to be shown. Cover litter boxes with a top and make sure all the pet food is up off the floor. Put your toilet seat down too. The bathroom will look much better.
Repair or refresh any damaged or unattended items in your home. Please start with the kitchen drawers, clean them of hardly used items, and update with new drawer liners. Clean ceiling fans and put light bulbs in all the lights. Turn the lights all on when you know the house will be shown. Simple things mean a lot.
Lastly, choose a REALTOR© to represent and sell your home. Selecting a local agent who knows the market and who knows or lives in the community is essential. They will know what is for sale and which homes are in competition with your home. Most importantly, a knowledgeable agent will help you price your home properly. Pricing it too high, in the beginning, can delay your sale by months or years.
At Azalea Real Estate Agency, our real estate professionals meet all these requirements. Most of the agents live locally and know the area from Mobile to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. We can also market your property to thousands of potential purchasers with a combination of internet, social media, multiple listing service (MLS) providers, and local advertising.
Why not take advantage of our years of sales and marketing experience? Call us at
251-865-4266 or visit our website at www.alhomesandland.com. We will be happy to advise you on all your real estate needs.
©Aleta Boudreaux, 2020
