Selling your home is a major financial and emotional task, which requires lots of planning. So before you decide to put your home on the market, here are four questions to consider.
What is my home worth?
Several factors go into determining your home’s market value. These include the condition of the property, square footage, location, amenities, as well as recent comparable property sales. For a snapshot of your home’s current value, please enter your address into my free online value estimator tool.
How can I sell at the highest price possible?
There are several simple, low-cost things you can do to boost the value of your home. These include eliminating clutter, washing windows and walls, touch-up painting and making sure that the landscaping is beautiful around the property. Larger projects, like renovating kitchens and bathrooms, typically yield more substantial increases in sales price, but often, these projects prove to be extremely expensive and time consuming. Also, buyers sometimes like the opportunity to remodel to their own taste. Staging your home can help the buyers to envision it at its best, which also leads to a higher price and a shorter time on the market.
How long will my home be on the market?
The time your home spends on the market depends on several factors, including location, how competitively your home is priced, and how aggressively your home is marketed. Additionally, if listing inventory is low, your probability of selling quickly increases.
How can an agent help?
A real estate agent will help with all aspects of the selling process, from pricing to marketing to handling the intricacies of closing. An agent will negotiate on your behalf to secure the best price – and quickest sale – possible. But that is only the beginning! During the property inspection and loan contingency periods, it is critical that you have an agent who will stay on top of all the moving parts on a daily basis. Communication with inspectors, appraisers, mortgage brokers, escrow officers, lenders and most importantly – you! – is one of the most important factors in any real estate transaction. If we work together, you will be well apprised of every detail in a timely fashion.