In this market, it is advantageous - if not required - for buyers to be pre-approved before they begin looking for a house. In much of the same way, it is beneficial for sellers to "pre-approve" their houses before they hit the market. Doing this can help sellers better understand the state of their house, price it more accurately, increase their position in negotiations, and ultimately receive higher offers. Many sellers don't realize that the vast majority of the work involved in selling your home takes place before that certain sign goes up out front. Here are four important considerations that can give a home a competitive edge in the open market.
1: It's Nothing Personal
Before you begin preparing your home for the market, you need to understand that the home should appeal to as broad of a base of buyers as possible. This can be difficult to swallow for some sellers, but in order to do this, you need to depersonalize your home. It's not because you're a terrible designer or have poor taste in paint colors; it's simply the reality that everyone has different preferences. Think of your home more as a neutral commodity than as "your" home.
You will especially want to focus on the primary bedroom/bathroom, living room, kitchen, and dining room. If you're planning on painting any of these rooms, tend toward more neutral colors, and as a general rule, anything involving hunting, religion, or sports should be packed away or otherwise removed from view. A professional stager can be a phenomenal resource in this situation because they specialize in "neutralizing" a home without sacrificing style or visual appeal.
By doing all of this, you are allowing anyone who comes to see the home to form their own experiences with it. Your personal photos and belongings naturally have a lot of meaning and influence the value of the house for you, but they can keep potential buyers from being able to envision themselves there. Experience is arguably one of the most powerful influences on a person, and buyer is more likely to put in an offer on a home if they can already see themselves there.
2: Start Packing Early
Let's face it - Moving is a hassle, and while next month's closing date may seem like a lifetime away, it will sneak up on you and leave you unprepared if you let it. The easiest way to prevent any time crunches in the moving process is simple: Get a head start.
As soon as you make the decision to sell your home, start packing up rooms that aren't as frequently used (think guest bedrooms, bathrooms, closets, etc.) and work your way out from there. Doing this will save you tons of stress down the road and allow you to be more flexible with important dates, like when to list your home or when to close on your next one.
3: Get Your General Maintenance Up to Par
Once your home is open for showings, it's important that any home buyers leave with the impression that you have done a great job caring for your home! Clean your furnace filters, mow the lawn, pressure wash the siding! Buyers want to feel good about knowing the home they are buying has been cared for!
Closing Thoughts (Pun Intended)
The amount of time and effort that goes into preparing a home for the market can prove daunting for even the most intrepid sellers. The last thing most people want to do is make the process any more difficult than it needs to be. However, the more you put into the process, the more you get out of it - literally! Homes that are staged and marketed well can be priced higher and tend to receive more offers, so people who take these steps typically end up getting more for their home in the end.
That's where The Hancock Group comes in. Our Agents have years of experience in buying and selling homes in the southwest Twin Cities Metro and are backed by an administrative team that specializes in the home selling and marketing process all across Carver county, from Minnetonka to Waconia and even further!
