Right now is a great time to sell your home in Washington, D.C.
It’s a seller’s market, inventory is low, and you have a pretty good chance to sell quickly and for a great price.
But before all that, you need to make sure your house is ready to be placed for sale on the market. Here are four things to keep in mind as you go through the process.
Get to know the other homes in your neighborhood.
You may be one of those neighbors that goes to every open house near you and knows exactly what your house may be worth, but chances are you probably haven’t thought about it at length since you moved in. Especially if you came in when the neighborhood was totally different (which is common here in D.C.), then you need to spend some time getting to know what similar homes are selling for and what price range you should be looking at when you list.
Spend some Sundays checking out the open houses in the area, and keep an eye out for what something sells for versus what it was listed for. You’ll have a much better idea of what to expect when you’re ready to put it on the market. It’s also a good way to see how your house stacks up -- where it’s a lot better and what flaws it may have.
Courtesy of wikipedia.com
Talk to a local real estate agent.
It is always better to list with a real estate agent than by yourself. They have the resources to market your home properly and the connections to get the right buyers looking at your house. They also have access to extensive comparables, wealth of knowledge from previous experience, and relationships with other agents. Plus, you don’t have to worry about figuring out contracts, long complex processes, or negotiation tactics. Your real estate agent will provide you with full representation and make sure you get the best possible deal.
There are many ways to find a good agent. Maybe there’s one whose “just sold” or “coming soon” flyers you get in the mail. If you’ve noticed a certain name in your neighborhood a lot, chances are they’ve done a good job with the houses near you.
Talk to your friends and see if you can get a referral. People don’t refer their friends or even acquaintances to agents they’ve had a bad experience with.
And if you’re not sure about an agent after the initial conversation, interview a couple and get a sense of your options. Just because an agent has sold a lot of homes doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be the right fit for you.
Courtesy of topagentconnection.com
Tackle the right projects.
Make sure you’re strategic with the projects you decide to do when preparing your home for sale. Painting the walls a lighter color, replacing some broken fixtures, and adding some landscaping is easy, affordable, and will be well worth the effort.
Gutting an entire kitchen may not be. You don’t want to be spending thousands of dollars completely renovating your home for a marginal increase in price. If your kitchen is livable, then let the buyer tackle the renovation. That being said, this is why talking to a real estate agent can prove to be so important. They can let you know whether putting in a new countertop or redoing a bathroom is a sound idea.
Courtesy of homeadvisor.com
Consider the value of staging.
Staging can significantly increase the perceived value of your home. Yes, it can cost you a couple thousand dollars, but what’s a couple thousand if your home sells for ten thousand more than you thought?
Professional staging brings a home to life. It adds meaning to the space and lets a potential buyer imagine what it would be like to live there. If your home needs a little bit of work or has a funky layout, staging can completely turn those negatives around by creating distinct uses for each room or masking an outdated feel. Sometimes it’s hard to see the big picture, and putting in a little furniture and décor does the work for you.
There is something to be said for an emotional connection, and buyers fall in love with a house based on how they feel about it, and not on whether the HVAC is updated. Staging makes them feel like it could be their home.
Courtesy of realtor.com
Are you looking to put your house on the market in D.C. soon? Have you sold a house recently? What have you found to be the best tips to prepare for a house sale? Share in the comments below!
