To-Do Prior to Sale

There are a number of things you can do to increase the likelihood that your home will sell quickly and for maximum value. If you have questions about some specific things you can do to enhance the perceived value or attractiveness of your property, don’t hesitate to call the real estate professionals at 72SOLD. We’re the company homeowners in the U.S. call when they want to sell their home fast and for the best possible price.

Do Your Own Inspection or Hire an Independent Inspector

It can be helpful to identify what’s wrong with your home yourself rather than waiting for the buyer’s inspector or the mortgage company’s assessor to point out faults and potentially sink the offer. In some cases, the problems may be easy or affordable to fix yourself before you put your home on the market.

Whether you should pay for repairs depends on the cost and the impact not fixing the problem will have on the offers you receive or the speed of the sale.

Buyers may be wary of your home if their inspector uncovers problems you had not previously disclosed, as they may wonder what else could be hiding behind the walls. Knowing what these problems are will ensure you can inform buyers ahead of time and increase trust. Identifying problems in advance can also enhance your negotiating position, as you will be prepared to counter their requests to reduce the asking price based on the findings of their inspection.

Make Strategic Repairs and Home Improvements

There are really two categories of repairs or home improvements in the context of selling your home. Those that are necessary to increase the likelihood of selling your home fast and for a good price and those that may not make your house more attractive to buyers or have a positive return on investment.

Most big projects are the latter type. In addition to chipping away at your equity, they might even make your home less attractive to buyers.

Pools are a good example. Some home shoppers may not want a home with a pool. If they have children, a pool could be a safety risk. It’s also a chore to clean, and pool upkeep or repairs can be expensive.

Most importantly, the typical ROI is only about 56 percent. In other words, a $90,000 pool increases home value by about $50,000 on average, resulting in a $40,000 loss.

Very few presale improvements have a positive ROI. The exceptions are improvements that enhance curb appeal, like a new front door, garage door or exterior paint. ROI is not uniform, and the actual return you can expect will vary greatly depending on the current condition of those features.

Replacing a run-down garage door with a new, attractive door that functions properly may increase the value of your home more than the cost of installing it – and will help your home sell more quickly.

Increasing the speed of home sale by bringing your home’s condition up to par with other homes for sale in your area is a good reason to consider some improvements, even if those projects don’t have a 100 percent ROI.

Deep Cleaning and Touch-Ups

This is something you can do on your own if you have the time, patience and attention to detail to scrub every nook and cranny of your home. Steam cleaning carpets, cleaning windows, dusting lighting fixtures and cleaning hard-to-reach places can ensure you’re putting your house’s best foot forward.

You should also go through and patch any little holes from nails or pins, paint over or scrub out scuffs on walls or baseboards, fix little drywall imperfections, replace burned-out lightbulbs and fix any other little imperfections that might reflect poorly on your home.

Declutter and Stage

Even if your home is clean, your choice of art or décor may distract home shoppers who tour or visit during an open house. There are ways to purposefully stage your home and make it easier for prospective buyers to picture their possessions and life in your house. A real estate agent or professional stager can provide guidance on ways to declutter or stage your home without having to spend a lot of extra money on redecorating.

Do Research on Price and the Local Market

This is another thing a real estate agent can help with, but you can start doing research before calling in a professional. Look for other homes for sale in your neighborhood to gauge what other properties like yours are selling for as well as the average time on market. Websites like Redfin can be particularly helpful for learning about the housing market where you live.

Consult With an Experienced Real Estate Agent

Not every real estate professional is equal in their skill and ability, and it’s worth your time to do a bit of research and find a real estate company with a reputation for selling homes quickly and for a great price. At 72SOLD, we have data to back up our assertion that our system works and regularly gets clients faster offers and higher returns. If you’d like to learn how we can help sell your home fast, visit us at 72SOLD.com.