7 Essential Tips for Selling Your Home
Getting ready to sell a home? These 7 essential tips for selling your home will help you to get prepared and create a good listing that will attract and engage potential home buyers.
Quick Summary
Seven things move a home sale along: pricing it realistically using three no-obligation valuations plus research into what comparable properties actually sold for; fixing what will improve the home inspection report rather than remodeling for its own sake; preparing the property by decluttering, depersonalizing and repainting in neutrals; timing the listing for spring; investing in professional photography with a strong front shot; getting the listing onto an online portal rather than just an agent's own site; and including a floor plan — Rightmove found that doing so can increase click-throughs by 52%.
Typically your chosen real estate agent will handle most (if not all) of the requirements to create your listing. However, as the seller, you have an important role in the process. These home selling tips will help you to get a better understanding of the process and what you need to prepare to sell a home successfully. So let’s get started!
Table of contents:
1. Price – What can you sell a home for?
Get an accurate and realistic idea of what you can sell a home for in your area. We recommend you follow these simple steps:
- Request a ‘no obligation’ valuation of your property from at least three real estate agents
- Research what similar properties are listed at and (this is important) what they sold for in your area
- Study successful listings. Make a list of what was appealing and made it a good listing. You will likely see a pattern. That can help you create your own checklist.
Keep in mind that a property is only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it, therefore it’s important to understand what the market will bear in your area. By following the home selling tips above you will give yourself the best opportunity to know and achieve your property’s true value.
2. What To Fix – Home Inspection Report
Most mortgage lenders require a satisfactory home inspection report from a certified home inspector before they will approve a mortgage. If you are debating what home improvements your home might need in order to sell, focus on the repairs and upgrades that will improve this report.
Remodeling a dated kitchen or bathroom rarely pays off when selling a home, so keep upgrades to a minimum and focus on necessary repairs. Prioritize red-flag items such as water leaks be it a roof or leaky faucet. Upgrade old appliances or water heaters that use too much energy. If you don’t know where to start, hire a certified home inspector to consult. This can also save you from unforeseen surprises that could derail your sale.
3. Preparation – Ready your home to sell
We’ve all heard the phrase “first impressions are everything”, when preparing to sell a home remember this is critical. The following home selling tips will help ensure that your home makes a great one.
Start at the curb – walk outside and take a good honest look at your home and property. Does your home have curb appeal? Ask your neighbors and the real estate agents you request valuations from too. This insight is valuable and will help you prioritize your efforts. Make a list and do what’s needed to make sure your home looks tidy and well-cared for from the outside.
Next, move indoors. Time to de-clutter and de-personalize. Prepare your home so potential buyers can see themselves there. To do this, you need to make things look more neutral, spacious and inviting:
- Clear the clutter and pack up personal effects such as family photos, artwork and collections.
- Remove old or damaged furniture, decor and ailing plants.
- Empty out and tidy up your closets and cabinets. Closets and storage space are important to homebuyers. Don’t let yours look like a red-flag.
- Freshen up your walls – Repaint any walls with bright colors as basic white, off-white or beige. The more neutral and consistent your color scheme is, the easier it is for buyers to see the potential.
Look at it as an opportunity to start packing and preparing your house and yourself for the move. Need help? You’ll find lots of great lists online that will help you organize your efforts by room. Keep in mind that you may need to rent a storage unit but, it’s worth it. Your home will be better prepared for pictures, the showing and you will be more prepared for your move.
4. Sell at the Right Time
Spring is typically the best time to sell a home as most home buyers are looking to move during the summer months when the weather is mild and children are out of school. Plan to have your home ready to go on the market by March or April. Typically, it’s recommended that you allow at least 6 weeks to prepare your home to sell and an additional 6 weeks to sell a home. All in all, the process takes about 12 weeks. So start your preparations a good 3-6 months before you need to move.
5. Photography Matters
Invest in a good professional property photographer to make sure your home looks the best it can. It doesn’t matter if want to sell a home that’s small or large, a property photographer will know how to make your rooms look spacious.
Make sure your photographer has some experience ‘staging’ homes so that each picture will show your home at its best. In many cases, it’s worth investing in a professional home stager, especially if you need to sell a home that is a little tired and dated. They can provide you with valuable ‘hands-on’ advice and assistance to prepare your home properly for photography.
The ‘front shot’ is the main image that will appear on your property listing. The goal of this photograph is to motivate potential buyers to look at the rest of the photos, read more about your property and request a viewing. Think about what this shot might be and invest your efforts in making sure that view is a good one.
6. Get Your Listing Online
If your listing is not online your property is not out there. A listing on a local real estate agents site is great, but it’s harder for potential buyers to find. Especially for buyers who are coming from out of state or even out of the country. Therefore, you want to make sure your real estate agent also uses an online real estate portal.
7. Include Floor Plans
A study by Rightmove shows that including a floor plan is one of the most important tips for selling your home. Over a third of buyers said they were less likely to inquire about a property without a floor plan. In addition, they found that including a floor plan can increase click-throughs from buyers by 52%. That is a significant amount! Ensure that your listing will be a success by including a floor plan.
Luckily, you can get floor plans for your listing quickly and easily online from RoomSketcher. Simply upload a blueprint or sketch of your floor plan, including a few measurements for scale, and an expert illustrator will create your floor plans for you – ready the next business day.
Get professional-looking 2D Floor Plans and high-quality 3D Floor Plans. Include furniture, dimensions, and room sizes to help potential buyers understand the size and layout of your home. Good, clear floor plans not only help buyers to visualize a home easily but they will also make your listing more engaging and your home more memorable.
"RoomSketcher is brilliant - the professional quality floor plans I have created have improved our property advertising immensely"
James Bellini, James Griffin Lettings Ltd, UK
How do I work out what my home is worth?
Which repairs are worth doing before selling?
How should I prepare my home for sale?
When is the best time to sell?
How much does photography matter?
Why does the listing need to be on a portal?
How much difference does a floor plan make?
Make Your Property Listing Stand Out
Great photos can capture a buyer’s attention, but a floor plan helps them understand the property. With RoomSketcher, you can create professional 2D and 3D Floor Plans that clearly show the layout, room sizes, dimensions, and flow of the home.
Create the floor plan yourself, convert an existing plan with AI, or order floor plans from our redraw service. Then add the finished plans to your listing to give potential buyers a clearer picture before they book a viewing.
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Top 7 Reasons Floor Plans Boost Home Sales
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