Your Pre-Selling Checklist for a Quick Contract on your home in Colorado Spring CO!
A little planning and preparation can mean the difference between sold and an old listing. Here are a few loose ends to tidy up that can help you sell quickly so you can move on with your life.
Pick the right agent. Despite what their smiling faces tell you, not all real estate agents are qualified to sell your home. Redfin suggests asking questions about similar homes they’ve sold in your city and why, if any, price changes occurred. You can look online to view the agent’s current listings and see which credentials they hold that might lend value to their services. If you’re over 50, for instance, you might want to choose a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES).
Create a clean and inviting environment. Once you have your agent in place, discuss ways you can stage your home to showcase its best features. This may mean clearing the clutter or removing large pieces of furniture and personal items such as family photos and toys. You will also need to scrub your home from top to bottom – a standard weekend cleaning won’t do. Molly Maid explains that a deep cleaning. will cover everything from sanitizing the garbage can to washing the shower curtains and dusting the blinds. You will also need to shampoo the carpets and take steps to eliminate odors. Repair any visible damage to stairs, walls and floors. Molly Maid’s are available in Colorado Springs and Pueblo and come highly recommended. Tips Bulletin also has useful tips you can use to ensure a safe and clean atmosphere at home. Check out their awesome Bathroom Cleaning Checklist which you can also print out for free!
Invest in the best where marketing is concerned. Forbes stresses the importance of good real estate photography and reports that these photos are, “the first impression buyers most often get of a home…” You have mere moments to capture the attention of house hunters and even the most polished property description won’t get the job done as effectively as a well-staged image. We use Pix Vid for my photography in Pueblo and Colorado Springs. They will even fly a drone over your property for around $150.
Upgrade the details. When people are shopping for a home, they will scrutinize everything. They’ll be looking at the details and so should you. Swap outdated hardware, replace moldy caulk, and fill any missing mortar on the exterior of the home as well as the fireplace. Little touches like this will make a big impression.
Don’t make pricing mistakes. The worst mistake you can make is putting a higher value on your home than the market will bear. Before assigning a dollar amount to your listing, review the Comparative Market Analysis, which is a report of recent similar sales that your agent can provide. Comparable properties are ones that are of similar square footage, age and condition as your home and are located no more than a half-mile away, according to Zillow. You should also look at expired listings to see properties in your neighborhood that did not sell. Reader’s Digest cautions against giving into the temptation to assign a unique asking price (think $269,214 instead of $269,999). While this may draw attention to your listing, it will stand out like a sore thumb and may leave your buyers asking more questions than need to be answered.
Follow the market and sell when the time is right.Unless you’re being forced to move due to a job change or family emergency, early summer, and specifically May and June, is the best time of the year for home sellers. This is due, in part, because of nicer weather, and parents tend to wait until the end of the school year before disrupting their child’s routine. Depending on where you live, you can enjoy a premium of 10 percent or more above asking price simply by practicing patience.
Selling your home isn’t a matter of luck. It takes a little housekeeping preparation, strategic timing and a dedicated listing agent who knows the local market and can help you highlight your home’s best features.
Image by ZechBuysHouses LLC