Despite the enormity of the task, with the right help, a flexible approach and a few tricks up your sleeve, you can achieve a great result every time.
Pick the right real estate agent
The one decision that could have the biggest impact on the success of your sale is the agent you select.
Here are some of the key requirements:
- Considerable experience in your specific area with homes similar to yours
- A quality listener who’s willing to meet your needs, instead of imposing their own
- Several good references from ex clients
- Honesty, good communication skills and reliability
- The support of a large real estate agency with considerable resources
Don’t feel pressured to pick the first agent you meet – interview several and select whoever best fits the above criteria.
Consider staging
If your home looks the same or worse than all the other options buyers are considering you’ll receive a lower sale price, or you won’t sell at all.
Your best bet to make your property stand out from the crowd could be home staging. This targeted method of styling is different from renovating in that it aims to highlight your property’s strongest attributes and make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves living in it.
The cost of furniture hire and staging packages varies considerably depending on the size of your home and your location. However, it’s important to look at the cost as an investment as it could fetch you a higher sale price.
Make cosmetic fixes and clean
Before the real estate agent photographs your property and buyers start inspecting, make sure your property is looking its absolute best.
Clean all those spots you’ve forgotten for years so that nosy buyers aren’t put off by mould, muck or dust when they peek in cupboard doors. Then consider the cosmetic changes that could transform your property.
Small things like having a professional carpet cleaner remove all the stains in your carpet, putting down fresh bark in the garden or a lick of paint on the walls can make all the difference. Focus on making changes that will improve your property the most for the least investment.
Price your home well
You want the best price for your property but buyers want to get value for their purchase. If you price your property too low, buyers will see the value, interest will be through the roof and you could miss out on money. On the other hand, if you price your property too high, buyer interest will be low and you may not sell at all. Finding the ideal price can be difficult but it’s well worth the effort. Research similar sales in the area and get an understanding of how the market is behaving at the moment to get a rough idea of what your property’s ideal price is.
Then speak to your real estate agent for further advice – they should have considerable experience pricing property like yours.
Listen to the right feedback
When you sell your property everyone will have an opinion. Your neighbours and friends may think you’re selling for too little or that now’s not the right time. Buyers who are interested may say the price is too high. Know that feedback from those invested in the sale of your property should be taken with a grain of salt and that you should trust in the research you’ve done and the agent you’re working with.
You should, however, take notice and speak with your agent if buyer interest is extremely high or extremely low overall. That’s because you should always listen to the market and your price can always be adjusted to achieve the result that you want.
If you’re ready to go speak to a real estate agent in your area in the near future to start moving towards a successful sale.