Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
No homeowner wants to have his or her house languish on the market for months. When it comes time to sell it, you want to make a deal as quickly as possibly to get on with your life. You can sell your home quickly without losing your shirt. Read on and we will look at several steps you can take to replace the "for sale" sign with a "sold" sign.
Selling on Mars even - courtesy © andrewgenn - Fotolia.com
Declining home values across the nation have stabilized, at least in most markets. In some areas of the country prices are on the rebound, but it may take many years before we see prices rise to pre-recession levels.
Homeowners must know what their homes are worth and price it accordingly. In some markets that may mean being flexible, especially if home prices are trending downward. You can determine your home's price by reviewing sales comparables, deducing your price from that data. Consider coming up with a price and discounting it by two or three percent to make it more marketable from the outset.
Never underestimate the importance of first impressions. That is exactly what people will do when they drive up in front of your home. That curb appeal will be recognized within mere seconds.
You can give your home a positive first impression by ensuring that it looks spotless and clean from the street. The grass should be cut, bushes trimmed, walkways swept, leaves removed and flowers on display. The paint and roof should be in good condition, your windows cleaned and the front door and step must be in welcoming condition.
Next, concentrate on the inside of your home. Here, you will want to remove clutter including cleaning off kitchen counters, removing excess furniture from some rooms and pulling extra pictures off of the wall. You will want to give your entire home a good scrub down too. Paint ceilings and walls if needed and match room colors with the drapes to make small rooms appear larger. Essentially, you are staging your home for sale, attempting to make a good second impression that follows on the heels of a favorable curb appeal.
Unless you are planning to do a "for sale by owner" you will need to find a real estate agent to sell your home. This professional should come highly recommended with the sales and experience to back it up.
If you are unsure of whom to use, ask friends, family members and neighbors about their experiences. You can also check online and enter the terms "top real estate agents" followed by your city's name. Know that the web results can be gamed, but visit several websites to see what these agents have to say about themselves. Make a list of three or four agents and call each one to learn what they can do for you.
Another professional that will play an important role in the home selling process is your attorney. Likely, you will not call upon her until you have a bid. It is at this point where you want your attorney to review the home sell agreement to protect your interests. Do not worry here: the buyer will also retain the services of an attorney to protect his own interests.
An attorney experienced with handling real estate sales will carefully review your contract and make changes. She can also identify potential problems and expedite the closing process. When it comes to selling your home fast, an excellent attorney will play a critical role here.
If you want to solicit multiple bids for your home, you can do so by lopping even a greater percentage from your homes price. Some experts suggest that you take off at least 10 to 15 percent to attract more buyers and therefore more bids. A bidding war could break out, enabling you to get more for your home. Serious buyers will also be ready to make a deal, enabling you to close on your home fast just as you set out to do.
