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If you are a homeowner and are looking to sell in the near future, you might want to make some improvements and changes to your home to get it ready for the market. This will help it sell faster and for more money, and this article will list some helpful tips to get your home ready for the market.
Maybe your goals are on the smaller side, like painting your front door, or maybe it’s something bigger, like selling your house, to move somewhere that’s a better fit for you and your family. While the best time to sell your home is generally considered to be the spring in Washington, it’s still possible to be very successful regardless of the time of year.
Here are some of the steps to take to be on your way to moving day.
To sell your home quickly, you want it to be as attractive as possible to potential buyers. You’d be surprised at how addressing basic maintenance can improve the view of your home to others. Fall is an ideal time to trim trees, clean gutters, and downspouts, and upgrade weatherstripping on doors and window frames when leaf drop is in full force, and temperatures begin to dip but aren’t yet at their lowest.
You can also fix squeaky door hinges, update lightbulbs, and touch up paint on walls. If you’ve been wanting to replace your roof—and a brand-new roof can be an attractive selling feature for a potential buyer—fall is also an ideal time, when temperatures are best for the work and materials required for roofers.
A potential buyer is likely to decide whether or not they want to tour your home within the first 30 seconds of seeing your front door. That means curb appeal, or how your house looks from the street, is possibly the most important step you can take to sell your home quickly.
You don’t need to hire a landscaper to upgrade the “face” of your home. Planting shrubs in the ground or adding a couple of planter boxes with bright-colored flowers by the front door can do the trick. A relatively simple upgrade is also to paint your front door in an appealing color. Trimming trees and shrubs that are already planted is also key.
To sell your home fast, it needs to be priced right. When you hire an agent, they will produce what’s called a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA), which compares your home to other similar homes in your neighborhood to determine the best market price.
Before you even hire an agent you can produce one on your own, and then discuss your findings with your professional expertise, to be sure everything is on track. Having information about your CMA will also give you a better idea about how much home you can afford.
When you are in a time crunch to sell your home, not just any agent will do. You need someone who knows the Washington market, as prices can vary depending on which county and even city, your home is located in. Ideally, your agent has a long track record of selling homes in your city, and it’s even better if they know your neighborhood.
Home maintenance and curb appeal aren’t the only ways to help your home put its best face forward. Staging is a process of creating allure in your home, making it appeal to a wide range of people. Spaces should be warm and inviting, but also neutral.
Some tips are replacing personal objects with tasteful decorative items, upping the brightness by cleaning windows, opening drapes, and adding floor lighting, and making rooms feel fresh with plants and flowers. You can hire a professional stager or follow DIY staging tips!
Once your home is ready for its time in the spotlight, it’s time to get serious about marketing. Photos are going to be your tool here, and you’ll want to hire a professional photographer to capture the best side of your home.
If you have a room or a feature — like a lake-facing backyard, or a recently-remodeled kitchen or bathroom — that stand out, be sure to emphasize that in your photos. Once you have quality pictures, your agent can help you get your listing posted on websites and influential social media channels.
If you’re in need of a home loan, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a mortgage company serving the Pacific Northwest region including Washington, Idaho, Colorado, and Oregon. We have been providing mortgage programs with flexible qualification criteria to borrowers since 1992. Please contact us if you have any questions or are ready to apply for a home loan.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.