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Tips on getting ready to sell your house

How To Get Ready To Sell Your House

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10 Things to Do Before Selling Your Home

Are you eager to get your house on the market? To create an MLS entry, hold an open house, and potentially get some buyers on the line?

Not so fast.

When it comes to selling your house, there’s some groundwork that needs to be laid. It’s only by attending to the fundamentals that you can ensure your home is truly listing-ready… and maximize the odds of selling quickly, for full asking price (or at least close enough).

So what are these preliminary steps? What’s the best way to sell a house? Here are some of our tips.

Steps to Take Before Selling Your House

  1. Decide how you’re going to sell your home. There’s more than one way to put a house on the market. Are you going to work with an agent? Or maybe you want to sell your house yourself, going the FSBO route? All of these approaches have their pros and cons.
  2. Appraise your curb appeal. In real estate sales, first impressions are everything… and the best way to sell a house is to make sure it looks perfect. That means attending to your landscaping, pressure washing your front walkway, repainting the exterior, installing a new front door… whatever is necessary to make sure your home looks appealing at first blush.
  3. Get rid of your clutter. You’re not selling stuff; you’re selling As such, when it comes to how to sell your house quickly, your best bet is to get rid of as much clutter as you can. You may want to consider renting an external storage unit while your home is on the market.
  4. Take down some of your personal decor. No, you don’t want your home to look totally empty, but you do want to get rid of some of your personal photos and knick-knacks. Remember, you need buyers to be able to see themselves living in the space. That can be hard when, everywhere they look, they see reminders of your
  5. Go neutral. You may love the purple wall in your living room, or the lime green windowsill in the master bedroom. Chances are, your buyers aren’t going to like such bold color schemes. Whenever you can, repaint your interiors to be as neutral as can be.
  6. Make small repairs. You may not be a licensed handyman, but you can definitely walk through your house, take note of small issues, and fix as many of them as possible. Loose faucets? Doors that aren’t quite aligned right? A few stray nails sticking out of the back deck? Buyers (and home inspectors) will notice these things, so make repairs when you can.
  7. Add plant life. You don’t need your home to seem like a greenhouse, but a little greenery can add color, freshen the air, and make the whole place feel more welcoming. Some pretty, seasonally-appropriately plant life on the front stoop can be especially beneficial.
  8. Do a deep cleaning. If you’re wondering how to sell your house quickly, well, you can’t go wrong by making it squeaky clean! You may even want to bring in a professional cleaning crew to make sure the home is spotless.
  9. Think about your staging. Staging is the act of decorating your home, and arranging furniture, in a way that emphasizes your space and makes the whole place look as accommodating as possible. If you work with an experienced real estate agent, they may help you with the staging. If not, you can consider hiring a professional staging service.
  10. Pick the right price. The most important step in any home listing is the pricing. Go too high and you’ll turn buyers away. Go too low and you’ll leave money on the table. Make sure you work with your agent and/or check comps, as well as weigh other market factors, and come up with a price that is competitive and fair.

Learn what to do if you need to sell your house quickly

Do You Need to Sell Your Home Right Now?

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When it comes to selling your home, timing really can be everything. Whether you have a deadline related to a family matter, job change or other milestones, sometimes, the sooner the better is driving when selling your house. Here are a few things to bear in mind as you to speed up the time of selling your home right now.

Price Competitively

Of course, as a seller, you want top dollar for your property. But from the buyer’s perspective, who are aggressively looking to buy they know a good value when they see one. If a quick sale is what you’re after, get the data on home that sold in your neighborhood area in 30 days or less. There are price points and sales that are supported by home where you live. The right real estate agent will help you determine the sweet spot that gets buyers through the door – and depending upon the market, might inspire an offer. You should not have to offer a “super low price” to sell quickly unless you have a compelling strategy for a “bidding war.” My advice is set a price that will get at least two offers.

Make Your Home Shine

Buyers want a pretty home that looks well kept and maintained. Improving curb appeal and decluttering your home buyer interest that will ultimately lead to a sale. If you have time to sell consider hiring landscapers, professional painters, and cleaners, so you can get the place to tip-top shape and let your listing shine from the first showing. (You might want to read Clean Up Your Act: Get Your Home Ready to Sell or The Home Seller’s Guide to Decluttering Your House.)

Have Disclosures and Reports Ready

Any good listing features the home’s strong points up front, without creating unrealistic expectations that may lead to false starts. Once you have an interested buyer or two, their main concern will be any underlying problems the property may have, such as HVAC issues or spent roofing. Having potential buyers go through the process of hiring their own home inspector, only to discover deal breakers, is a waste of everyone’s time. Consider hiring your own home inspector to do a check on your house so you can either resolve outstanding issues or bring them forth to your buyer. The sooner you as the seller can get on the same page as your buyer, the better your chances of making a smooth, efficient sale.

Sale-derailing deal breakers are a surefire way to slow down any offers or completing the sale. Being upfront with Buyers about any underlying problems the property may have creates trust that in my opinion will allow minor issues to not become deal breakers.

Let Your Friends Know You Are Selling

Posting on social media is one of a few great marketing strategies for selling your home. It can be a good way to spread the word to your personal network and beyond. Sometimes, a buyer could be closer than you think in the form of a friend, neighbor or relative, or someone in their social spheres. The more eyes on your listing, the better. (See also Accelerating Your Home Sale with Social Media.)

The Right Time To Sell

With the current market where inventory of homes is at a premium, today is a good time to sell. When the market changes (inventory  of homes for sale is at least 3 months) putting your home on the market in spring or before June is almost always preferable to starting any other time of the year. If you can wait until the first six months of year, you’re more likely to get more showings and move through the sale more quickly than when there are fewer buyers. If you can’t wait, there may be other options you should discuss or consider.

The time is right, price it right and do it up right, and you should be on your way to the speedy sale you’re after. Remember to set your expectations with careful research and decisions, approach the process with the goal to get you to where you want to live next.

What do do if your home isn;t selling

Why Your Home Isn’t Selling or Getting Any Offers

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You’ve put your house on the market, and it’s just not happening: not a single showing or not one purchase offer. It’s not just the price but the price is the big reason there are no offers or showings. Finding the answers is often disappointing because the Buyers in your local market don’t want your home for the asking price because the online marketing to justified the value presenting and detailing the quality and condition of your home has just plain missed the Buyers for your home. You have basically failed to have you home marketed properly and now it will take hard decisive action to change the interest for your home.

You Didn’t Price Your Home to Sell

Sellers say, “But I don’t want to give away my house” or “I can’t sell it for less than…” Of course not. But to make a sale, the price must be right. It’s true now you are overpriced. The simple test is 3-5 qualified showings of your home with no offer, your price isn’t justified. Dated listings because of the internet are less than 30 days—homes that have been on the market for over 30 days—don’t generally sell for list price. You need to show motivation which means a price reduction.

You need to look at the market activity since you have been on market and see what other houses went into contract. Carefully review the sales and compare prices, make that price reduction, and see what else can be improved to sell your home.

How Does My House Look Online?

Check out the major websites (realtor.com, zillow.com, and trulia.com) for how your home looks digitally online. Are the photos representative and show your house in the best way? Is the first photo a great photo of the curb appeal of the house? Are the next 10 photos representative of the best features of the home. A great backyard shouldn’t the 30th photo, you really think users are going to look at every picture? They don’t and the views fall off sharply after the 10th picture.

Get quality, professional-grade photos; neither you nor your agents qualify as professional home photographers.

Make sure the photos capture the beauty, quality, and condition of your home.

  • Take the right pictures. Play to your home’s strengths. If a hallway is narrow, don’t take a picture of it. Kitchens, and master bedrooms/baths often sell the home. Get a close-up of your fireplace or other interesting feature instead.
  • Declutter the home, stage the home to look better. Make the home look as spacious and as appealing as possible
  • Make the Outside of the Home pop. Not only should your home look good online, but when they walk up to the house, it should look great.
  • Image Order Matters. The first shot of your home online should be the best shot of the curb appeal of your home.
  • Remember to include the backyard/gardens and garage. If they are upgraded or better than the homes in the area include those photos.

Not Marketing Enough

No single aspect of marketing sells a home. It’s a combination of efforts. Start with double checking the listing online to make sure important information like neighborhood/subdivision, schools are correct. Review the flyer and any marketing and make sure you approve of it. You are the current owner and I’ve learn the next buyer often resembles the current owner. If you don’t like the marketing why would any buyer like it?

  • Consider a direct mail campaign. Postcards to local residents especially when you’ve updated the listing makes sense.
  • Update your flyer and add riders promoting a new price, bedrooms, pool, and/or an upcoming open house.
  • If you don’t have a virtual tour, make your agent add one to the listing. Some buyers always look at virtual tours. Your missing potential buyers without one.
  • Massively advertise every weekend.
  • Hold open houses on Sundays that coincide with other neighborhood showings. Sometimes Thursday evenings attract buyers for twilight tours.
  • Get feedback from buyers who didn’t make an offer and have your agent notify any agent who showed the house about the new price improvement. 

Home Isn’t Up to Snuff

Take a sounding of the local real estate scene. If 90 percent of the homes in your market are not selling, then your home needs to outshine the top 10 percent. More specifically, look at the pending sales data, the homes that are under contract; that’s your best indicator. Information on already closed properties (the sort of comps your agent used to set the asking price) could be two to three months behind the current market movement. If you want to know what is happening right now, the pending sales data are best.

After arming yourself with this data, consider the condition of your property, from curb appeal to interior decor. Of course, your agent help you prepared your home for sale prior to listing, but maybe you should re-evaluate it in light of the competition and activity the listing. Ask your agent which efforts will give the most bang for the buck. Consider getting some pre sale inspections to address and counter any perceptions about your home not being move-in ready or being able to sell the home with the minor issues it has,

Last Resort – Hire a New Listing Agent

Your agent seems competent, experienced, and honest. Still, not all agents are right for all properties or all clients. Real Estate has changed if you haven’t sold a house in the last 5 years. The online marketing matters since its the first contact for active Buyers. If your agent doesn’t have great looking online listings you should find one who does. If the value for your home extends to lifestyle and community, you may want the top local agent who sells your market. However, the local agent should have online marketing you value.

You should make sure you are getting the service you think will sell your home. Dedicated agents who know your market are important but so is how your listing looks online and also is it syndicated to all the online real estate websites that matter and available to every buyer? For example is your home being displayed on the big three. realtor.com, zillow.com, and trulia.com. What is the social media reputation of your agent? Trust is key for online buyers.

What’s the communication level between you and your agent? Is the agent keeping you duly informed of all developments? Does the agent communicate the way you want andd how you want? we live in a connected world, however if you communicate best by phone or in person, is the agent communicating on the channel you want? If you need hand-holding, the agent they should provide it. If you don’t need it, the agent should leave you alone. But the relationship should always be within your comfort zone and what you want.

Finally, did you give your agent a chance? Did you minimize his suggestions, discount his advice. I believe there is always accountability but real estate is still about working closely, and trusting the experience of the agent to get it sold at a fair price that works for you and the buyer. Agents work hard and you no doubt you hire the agent to get the job done. You might be surprised by the results if you let your agent do what’s best and not second guess their decisions or cause them to alway be more concerned about your responses than doing the job they can do and believe will get your home sold.

One last suggestion. In a buyer’s market, price your home a minimum of a percentage less than the last comparable sale. If you can’t live with that price, then don’t put your home on the market and set yourself up for disappointment. Overpricing is the worst mistake a home seller can make. If there is a way to

Why-is-my-House-Not-Selling

Your Home Is On Market – No Showings or Offers

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Tic Tock Tic Tock

Your home is listed, and you did your list price homework with your agent. It’s on the market, but is it the right price? There was all the pricing tactics and strategy ad nauseum of setting the right listing price. Now it’s showtime, and decisiveness based upon showing activity of your home, goes a long way to ensuring a successful sale of your home. Here is the infamous fair market pricing pyramid for selling a home.

The Right Price Maybe…

A good real estate agent has a process for setting the market price. Unfortunately, most of the time real estate agents ultimately defer to the seller’s wants and specifically the price the seller wants to sell the home for. If the agent doesn’t see the price the same as the seller, the Seller will find an agent who will list the home at the seller’s price. This seller price is often influenced upon a nearby sale, or home pending, or just a feeling that the seller’s home is worth more. In the end the right price is validated by an offer. In order to sell any home, a listed home needs showing, the more showings, the more validation that the pricing is often right. Sellers are often faced with the big challenge in a hot market of the extremes of no showings or plenty of showings but no offer or. These all are major indicators of the interest and willingness to make an offer on your home. However, please be aware that the only showing that matters are the one that makes an offer.

Indicators of the Incorrect List Price

A “hot” seller’s market is often thought of as multiple offers over listing price. This is not necessarily true. It’s often too many buyers and too little inventory driving the activity. In real estate agents talk about the “pricing” pyramid. Another pricing concept is the higher the price the fewer the buyers. Right now, a home priced under $620,000 (This is driven by conventional loan limits) will have an accepted offer/pending sale in less than 15 days. The 30-day in contract is the key metric Seller’s should be aware of. For the next pricing tier, $620,000 to $1,000,00 the Seller should have an accepted offer in 30 Days. For homes over $1,000,000 the home should be in contract in 45 days. If you’ve missed these metrics, not only have the buyers passed on your house. You are now chasing the market.

Days on Market for an Accepted Offer Based Upon List Price

List Price Pending Sale Within
Under $620,00015 Days
$620,000 to $1,000,00030 Days
$1,000,000 and Over45 Days

No Showings after 5 Days or Open House

This is a red flag you have missed the price in a hot market. As a seller you need to talk ASAP to your real estate agent and discuss a price reduction or incentives to sell your home (pay for closing costs, repairs, Seller credit). If your home is being sold “as-is” you may want to temporarily take it off market and address issues that you think are hurting buyers from viewing your home.

Too Many Showings With no Offers

If you receive over 3 viewings without an offer by qualified buyers in the current market in South placer, you have missed on the price. If you had an open house with great turnout (5-10 groups of buyers per day the house was open) your listing price is too high. What is a qualified buyer? Your agent should be asking buyers agents or perspective buyers their qualification to buy a home in your price range (are they approved, how will they purchase), why the interest in your home (number of bedrooms/features are a match), and timeframe to buy (ready buyer).

Too Many Offers on Your Home

If you have more than two multiple offers over the listing price in the first week of being on market you have “underpriced” the home. Granted that homes under $300,000 in South Placer will more often than not receive multiple offers are they over asking the asking price? The challenge with multiple offers is who is the best buyer? If often not who offered the most in price. Your real estate professional should be able to help you determine who the best buyer is looking at the terms and conditions for the purchase. Verification of funds, and other qualifications of the buyer matter. Contingencies also have to be carefully considered. Choose carefully and be aware too many offers especially above listing price is not necessarily the “right” price for your home.

Contingent Offers

Contingent offers are often made on homes that are not priced correctly of have been on the market for thirty days without an accepted offer (pending sale). These offers in general are not necessarily bad offers but the contingency if accepted may keep your home off the market too long (60 or more days) and if the Buyer doesn’t perform you may have fewer buyer available if the home goes back on market. In general, if the contingency is over 30 days, it’s an offer that may not perform (the contingency to sell a home is often this big issue for performing). Again, a good real estate agent should be able to help you make the right decision.

Incorrect Listing Price Impact – Chasing the Market

Chasing the market is when a home’s days on market is greater than the pending sale status, i.e. overpriced. Now the seller is competing with every new listing and being compared to every sale for a house that was on the market too long. This will often result in offers that are 10s of thousands of dollars less than the list price. In the age of the internet, the homebuyer is updated within minutes of a new listing being available. These buyers are willing and able to purchase your home. Don’t disregard this important metric, at this point, the best buyers have passed on your home. Price is the now the only factor that will drive the activity and an offer. You should be seriously considering a pricing reduction strategy to incrementally lower the price until you receive an offer. Accepting this strategy is extremely painful to do, but the “watchers” of your home online will eventually see the price as an opportunity to view and make an offer.

Hope is the 4 Letter Word ….

That should never be used in conjunction for selling your home. Sellers and their agents shouldn’t hope that it sells. The goal is to get your home on market and to get the best ready willing and able buyer to make an offer and complete the purchase. In a hot seller’s market like South Placer, showing activity leads to offers. The buyers are there especially in the bottom third of the home pricing pyramid (Under $620,000 list price), and the right price is the one that receives an offer. Just be sure to realize that a hot market only means that a home will sell in a more reasonable amount of time. It doesn’t mean multiple offers, over list price, and a seller can place conditions to sell the home than creates a long escrow. If you have questions reach out to your real estate professionals and guide you selling in any real estate market.

Curbappeal

Selling Your Home? Curb Appeal Matters

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I often tell clients that people look at your home based upon curb appeal and then buy what’s pass the front door. Your realtor has probably taken some great photos of the outside of the house (It’s the most important first picture on the listing by the way). Nothing is more disappointing to a prospective buyer than doing a drive by and seeing the home has little to no curb appeal. I tell sellers if the buyers love the outside of the home your almost halfway to an offer. What can you do to help make your home pop? Here are some suggestions for maximizing the curb appeal of your home for sale.

1. The Front Door

The first thing a buyer sees, and touches is the front door of your house. If your door looks dingy and old replace it with a new door. If your newer door is weathered, get it painted. New hardware and especially a keyless lock make a statement too. Make sure the doorbell works too.

2. The Garage Door

Sometimes it’s the first thing potential buyers see when they drive up to your house. If the garage door is dirty, worn, and hanging from a hinge, replace it. A new garage door can help you sell.

3. Wash the Windows

If you don’t do windows, hire someone who does. Clean windows show potential buyers you take good care of your house. Repair or replace any damaged windows and window screens. This attention to detail makes them want to see the inside.

4. How is Your Roof?

This is a big one. Roofs are expensive; buyers know that. But a leaky roof can end up costing even more. Buyers always, always ask their agents how old the roof is. If you can replace it, it’s the right thing to do and always helps sell the home. If you can’t replace it, have a roofer patch spots that show wear and save the work order. It’s best to get any repairs for this big-ticket item done before you sell or list the home.

5. Clean the gutters

If your gutters resemble potted plants, it’s time to clean them. If they hang lower than the roofline, reattach them. A cluttered gutter signals to potential buyers that you’ve given up, and they likely will, too. Painting gutters and fixing any leaks, making sure any downspouts are functional and attached. Check the drains and make sure they are clean. Buyers are drawn to a house that is loved and maintained.

6. Paint the exterior

New paint always makes a house pop (unless its safety orange). Stay safe with the color. If you can’t afford to paint, consider power washing the exterior. Another approach is having the entry area repainted since it makes a good impression on the buyers when they come to the front door.

7. Do the Yardwork

Mow the lawn, do the edging, trim the hedges, plant flowers and trim trees. A well maintain yard matters and no one want to buy a landscaping project. If it’s a lot of work to get it right, ask your realtor or friends to recommend a landscaper or yard maintenance company to get it ready in a day or two. Its money well spent.

8. Power wash the walkways/porch/courtyard/deck

A well-maintained home will sell itself. Making your home appear well maintain helps buyers focus on living in your home not all the work they need to do after they buy it.

9. Leave the lights on

Leave the outdoor lights on into the evening (9PM local time). The lights on the front facing rooms help as well as outdoor walkway and landscaping lights. Make the house look as good at night as it does during the day, then watch (from a distance) as buyers line up to attend your first open house.

Pro Tip: Don’t be overwhelmed by the work to make the home’s curb appeal shine. Look at your home like a buyer and do what you can to show your home in the best way possible. If you think it needs addressing, it surely will matter to the next owner. Buyers aren’t afraid of updating and making your home their home after they buy. However, they want to know you were a good owner and took care of the home.