Make your home stand out in a crowded real estate marketplace. Housing experts offer some tips for sprucing up a home to get it ready to sell.
1. Create curb appeal. Here are some easy, big impact ideas: Paint the front door, pick a new color for the exterior trim, fix any old shutters, and make sure the path from the driveway is clear to the front door. Also, remove any overgrown plants and replace them with low-growing shrubs and perennials.
2. Fix the flaws. Fix everything, they say, including broken joints, cracks in walls or the foundation, and recaulk the bathroom tub, if needed. "If the little things are not done, people will think, what else is not done?" says Steve White, the owner of Handyman Connection in Elmsford, N.Y.
Home Selling Guide
4 Ways to Get a Home in Show-Selling Shape
- Section: Home Buyers / Sellers -
- Home Sellers
Why Use a REALTOR® When Selling a Home?
- Section: Home Buyers / Sellers -
- Home Sellers
A real estate agent can help you understand everything you need to know about the home selling process.
Not all real estate licensees are the same; only those who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR) are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR "®" trademark on their business cards and other marketing and sales literature.
REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict Code of Ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate. An independent survey reported that 84% of home buyers would use the same REALTOR® again.
How to Set a List Price for Your Home
- Section: Home Buyers / Sellers -
- Home Sellers
Setting the list price for your home involves evaluating various market conditions and financial factors. During this phase of the home selling process, your REALTOR® will help you set your list price based on:
- pricing considerations
- comparable sales
- market conditions
- offering incentives
- estimated net proceeds
Pricing Considerations – Find a Balance Between Too High and Too Low
When setting a list price for your home, you should be aware of a buyer’s frame of mind. Consider the following pricing factors:
If you set the price too high, your house won’t be picked for viewing, even though it may be much nicer than other homes on the street. You may have told your REALTOR® to "Bring me any offer. Frankly, I’d take less." But compared to other houses for sale, your home simply looks too expensive to be considered.