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15 Steps To Successful Sell YOUR House: Faster And For A Higher Price
YOUR House For Sale Is A Commodity -
Pretty Much Like A Watermelon Or A Jug Of Milk… Only More Expensive…
Vastly MORE EXPENSIVE!
The Sooner It Ends Up In Someone’s
’Shopping Cart,’ The Better!
What Should YOU
Expect Here?
SUMMARY
Of This PAGE
15 Steps To Successful Sell YOU House: Faster And For A Higher Price.
The 3 Ds: Detach – Declutter – Depersonalize.
Pre-inspection.
Pre-Appraisal (? maybe)
New Water heater, air conditioning, furnace.
Roof ...new OR shampoo.
Keep Interior tidy and yard spruced up…till the closing day.
Control smell of cooking and pets
Speaking from experience – a case study
…But ONLY do these steps if you want to sell faster & for higher price 😉
The 3 Ds: Detach – Declutter – Depersonalize
If you only will follow one or two of my recommendations – by all means, select from this group!
Besides – they are virtually at no cost to you!
Step 1. DETACH – I am also a “counselor” …In Real Estate, I am!
So let me tell you a BIG truth: When you decided to sell your place, it is NO longer “your home.”
It is now, back to being a ‘house!’
And a ‘house’ is a ‘commodity!’ And therefore, no different than other thing which is up for sale: a car, a watermelon or a jug of milk.
So, let it go!
If you are to receive comments you don’t like – about your ‘house’ – let it go!
If buyers offer you less than you are asking for the house, either counter offer …or let it go!
It is no longer ‘your beloved home’ as it was until the day you put it in the market.
Carry the memories with you!
But detach yourself from the ‘house’ and let it go!
When you ‘LIST’ your place,
Please ‘DETACH:’ It is NO LONGER your beloved ‘home!’
It is NOW a
VERY PRICEY COMMODITY
you MUST SELL!
FAST! & for the HIGHEST $$$$$$$$
Step 2. DECLUTTER
Boy, do we accumulate stuff …don’t we?!
The more stuff that you have in the house, the smaller it ‘feels’ for the potential buyers!
First – please think where are going to… are you going to have more space or less?
Do you ‘really’ need all the belongings in the current house?
Please make an inventory of ‘family heirlooms!’ those are the “must-keeps!”
Check with your family if they would like to have any of your stuff…
Have a yard sale = fun for the whole family!
In one occasion, I was improving a townhouse that I owned (Please see my “Speaking From Experience” entry below) and I already had plans to resale it at the end of the updates. So, I went ahead and rented ad storage space!
Hardly any of that stuff came back to the old place.
INTEL: Make sure to number the boxes and make a meticulous inventory what you have in each box.
While I was waiting to sell my unit, I did need some stuff from the storage and my ‘tracking system’ paid off big time!!!
Last but not the least – donate what you think you can live without!
My favorite is the Veterans Of America – the used to come take out for you!
Regardless of you favorite charity - they may give you a receipt that you can claim a deduction on your tax return next year.
Hey! You also need to have space to buy more stuff in the new place 😊
Step 3. DEPERSONALIZE
I find – depersonalize – the hardest to ‘counsel’ and still hardest for the home seller to execute it!
Let me explain: Perhaps with a ‘small’ license for your favorite football team, all evidence of other traits of ‘what you are’ should be toned done …or, better still, take it all down, completely… and pack it for your “next home!”
I have the greatest respect for other folks’ faith, religion and ethnicity – and yes! I will support 100% whatever display you may have inside ‘your home!’
But again -please ‘detach:’ It is no longer your ‘home.’
It is now a very pricey commodity you must to sell …and you want it sold as fast as possible for the highest price as possible!
Please keep all this three Ds in mind: Detach – Declutter – Depersonalize!
Most of these suggestions will cost you ZERO DOLLAR$$$! (Or so close to zero, that feels like it!)
Others will have a negligible cost compared to the potential to bringing more dollar$$$ AND selling FASTER!
You will be sitting at a closing table much faster and YOU will take away a BIGGER check …to YOUR NEW HOME!!!
Step 4. Keep Interior Tidy
Shoes, toys, personal items all tucked away. Home office neatly presented …kitchen sink uncluttered …smell of cooking to a minimum …smell of pets ‘tightly under control’ is a must!
INTEL: When I am the listing broker, I do my best to keep visit appointment in a 24-hours advance schedule. However, we - real estate pros – more often than not, want to do it ‘now!’
So, I warn them: “If the house is not as tidy as my clients wished, BUT they are selling the house, not their stuff!’
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Spruce Up The House
Make it shine.
Step 5. Curb Appeal
Your house ‘curb appeal’ is the first opportunity you have to make a good and lasting impression on the buyers!
There’s a lot riding on how to make your house
to stand out …on the buyers’ hearts & minds!
YOUR HOUSE must standout from the many buyers will see during their ‘house hunting expedition!’
Let’s take a look:
Step 6. Spruce up the landscape, cut the grass & maintain it manicured throughout the listing period… Until the closing – many times …for countless reasons, contracts fall through! contracts fall through!
No over-landscaping, please! You need to present a house which is easy to maintain!
Step 7. Pressure wash the driveway
Step 8. Pressure wash ALL external walls… specially if they show any signs of mold
Step 9. Paint the front – if it is called for AND if you can afford it do paint the front of the house
Step 10. Shampoo the roof – if it looks ‘less than new.’
Few things scare buyers more than if the roof looks bad.
Roof is a large expense and it is NOT the first thing buyers want to replace!
A dinge roof may not be necessarily at its last leg.
If that is the case - Shampoo it!
The house will gain a lot in ‘curb appeal’
Buyers will less concern about your house’s roof
Step 11. Garage – clean and decluttered …no oil spots, please! (If you have oil spots, pressure wash it too)
…Garage Floor painting – if all possible, paint the garage floor. There is a special paint made only for garage floor – it will pop!
This is definitely a DIY which you can handle and it is fun do it!
Step 12. Pre-inspection …have the house pre-inspected as soon as possible, go ahead and make repairs so the place will be in top condition:
Fix leaky faucets,
Fix running toilets
clean the chimney,
clean oven and fridge
if all possible, call some professional cleaners to do a ‘deep cleaning!
I am quite sure that you would love to move to a house whose seller had the same care I am recommending here
…and so will your prospective buyers!
So, GIVETH TO THEE! They will REWARD you BACK!
An inspection should cost you between $400.00 to $700.00 – depending where you live, naturally. This is how much I have seen here in GA.
It is a great investment and you can counter with authority any question coming from a potential buyer… they also will have more confidence in buying your house knowing that you had the care to ‘trouble shoot’ ahead of the listing the house!
Step 13. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) AND Water Heater Unit
As rule of thumb, any of these units, have a life span estimated to be 12 years.
There are exceptions – but don’t count on it!
If any of these items is passing the year 11, please consider replacing it. You are bound to sale your house faster and for a higher price!
Thus, you will recover your “investment!” in jazzing up the house + Dividends!
If you cannot replace any of the units, at minimum, have it serviced by a certified technician to make sure it is in ‘good working order’ (GWO)
Step 14. Keep A Log Of ALL The Improvements You’ve – Proudly - Done
Keep the invoices and receipts in a folder ostensive displayed in the kitchen counter – along with the receipts and INVOICES of all other TLC (Tender Love & Care) you made pre-listing.
Name it:
For The Future Owner
Of
123 My Shining Home Street
Bright Hills City, GA* 12345
(*Or YOUR State, it’s fine! 😊)
Leave a note on the counter that the lucky buyer will receive it as your gift!
You are bound to create a BIG Billboard
In their hearts and minds!
YOUR house will be unforgettable!
Step 15. Move In Ready House Vs Fixer Upper
If you implement all or most of the items I pointed here, you are bound to sell your house faster for a higher price!
… if for nothing else, you will short circuit buyers’ instinct to bargain to pay less. You are already giving them more bang for their buck!!!
If your house is ‘newer’ and ‘in good shape’ you may get away with skipping some of these fixes.
However, if your house is of a ‘certain age,’ you are setting yourself up more to be in the ‘fixer upper’ market…
“Investor buyers” will beat you on the head and squeeze the last penny out of 25% to 30% of what you, potentially, could get with the simple and smart steps as I laid out here!
On the other hand, there are plenty of folks who ‘love to put their stamp on the new house.’
But those are still a small part of the market and they are also looking for a lower price.
TIP: Did you learned anything here that will be helpful when you look for in your new house?
I betcha!
If you will allow me a few additional thoughts here
There’s a lot riding on how your house stands out …on the buyers’ minds! Specially if they have been on ‘house hunting’ for a while, it becomes ‘blur’ on their memories!
I have had people who confide to me that they had no recollection of certain house!
I recently represented a couple who bought a house -which both wife and husband – told me they had “completely forgot” about that particular house!
The house was – and continues to be – excellent choice for the configuration of their family: BUT it had not to stood out from the dozens of other houses they saw!
On the other hand, they ‘vividly’ remember another house, which sellers had decorated half of the garage into a ‘playground’ …it even had a small American Indian teepee 😊
…AND sellers had a home electric car charging station in the garage!!! (The only one out of those many houses we visited)
A home EV car charging station typically ranges from $700 to $2,500! Everything in this world can cost more!
But I bet you that for less than $1,000 your house will standout on ALL the buyers that come through your doors!!!
…Even in the minds of those who still do not own electric vehicles: (a) it is a ‘hedge’ for things to come AND (b) for ‘bragging rights!’
Imagine dropping this line at work or family reunion:
“- Our house has an EV charging station” ?
For less than one thousand bucks you can ‘make that stand out in their hearts and minds!’
Pre-Appraisal (?)
Pre-Appraisal is a good procedure to have done before listing… Although NOT as a good procedure as the Pre-inspection
It will instill some confidence on the buyers – who have no clue the about the value your property... and will not know how to compare with the others they’ve seen.
Cost: $400 to $700 (Metro Atlanta Market)
The price of your property will definitely will stand out on their minds …because most of the other homes in the market will not present that level of care.
…AND you will keep at bay any of those ‘low ball offers!!!’
However, I would say it is NOT as important as a pre-inspection.
Listen, I know all of these recommendations amount to a lot which, sometimes, the seller is not in a strong finance situation.
Also, I do not mean that your house needs every single step laid out here.
However, if they are necessary and if you can do any of the improvements I bring to your attention here – please do not hesitate one minute to do all the ones that you can do!
It will pay dividends both in “selling faster and for a higher price!”
Please allow me to remember you one more time – because it is never too many: you live in a ‘home’ but you sell a ‘house!’
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE!
(A Case Study)
Elsewhere in this site/blog, I mention that once I ‘invested’ $17,000 (Material and labor) in a condo that I owned.
I did a complete update:
new high end laminate flooring throughout
fresh paint throughout
I finally finished the laundry – which until then was unfinished with ‘spider web’ like of wires and cable tangled and hanging wild; painted the laundry which I knew the future buyer was going to be proud of hanging around in there
I did NOT provide washer and drier – but I did put a pan on the washer spot 😊
I changed the water heater which was at about the tail end of its ‘useful life’ - over ten years old for sure;
most of the rooms (except the bedrooms which did not have ceiling lights) received its unique ‘designer lighting,’
to include the bathrooms and master closet
Track lighting in the kitchen! 😊
Each of the bathrooms received distinct brand-new vanity …naturally the ‘main bath’ is ‘grander!’ And it really stood out!
Both bath tiles were in great shape; the main bath tiles were really new, as previous owner had done a bit of renovation there …so we only did a deep bleach cleaning.
Both baths received ‘antifog’ mirrors – which were novelty at that point in time. Each had different shape and sizes;
Main bath shower shut-off valve was dripping when not in use (of course) …I changed it!
Kitchen: I installed granite countertops with undermount sink– which is what nowadays buyers want to see;
I added brand-new garbage disposal
Kitchen: I repainted and kept the cabinets which were in good shape;
I installed backsplash with a nice pastel color = matching the cabinets color scheme;
I changed the still in good shape fridge, range and microwave oven …because they were NOT stainless steel and, again, that’s what today’s buyers expect to have!
Windows – had recently been inspect by the HOA and the judged that my windows were up to par …so I did not touch them!
Sometimes luck gives you a hand! 😊Final cleaning: After all the hard work and painting was done, I had a three crew of nice people to do a thorough cleaning, to include remove any paint spots, windows and bathrooms (again!)
The main bath was never used anymore – during the remainder of my ownership!
Pheeew! Yes, it was a lot of work – and a lot of thinking too – that I put into that unit!
…and it paid off: I walked away with $65,000 check – free and clear!
I mean: After the mortgage pay-off, and paying the selling broker a 3% commission, and a 3% concession to the buyer!
She was a single mother buying her first home!
AND there is one more import piece intel you will be interested to known:
I listed the condo on a Sunday;
the buyer’s agent called for an appointment by Monday;
the buyer came to see the unit on Tuesday…
we were under contract on Thursday!
…AND we closed in 30 days!!!
Do you think that it was ‘ fast?’
I did receive two other calls but this buyer was the only one that came in - 😊
At that point in time, my unit was the highest price ever sold in the complex…
My unit was a two-bedroom flat and they do have much larger townhomes! 😉
When the appraiser called to set an appointment, he said: - “You have squeezed every penny out that unit, haven’t you?”
AND I answered – with all the confidence in the world: - “AND I am certain that you will agree with me – it is worth every one of those pennies!”
…I am proud to tell you that the appraiser did agree and still gave us quite a few dollars in the top of his ‘estimate of value” A/K/A appraisal!!!
We closed in 30 days!!!
Do you think I am “speaking from experience?”
May I Be Of Service?
Dear friend and fellow cybernaut!
Thanks for visiting my humble website - where I am all about buying and selling real estate!
Selling and Buying Houses more so!
May the wind always be a friend to you and your family
May the sun shine bright upon you and your family
May healthy and fortune be a constant companion to you and your family!
All the very best to you and may you sell your house fast and for the highest price possible!
AND if you are in Georgia – and you still did NOT select a real estate professional to list your house – I will be honored to serve as your broker!
Be it a small pad or a million dollars home – I will bring all my energy, enthusiasm and experience of over 20 years as real estate professional AND I will work as hard for YOU!
At the time of this writing, I have a one bedroom, $75,000 condo listed for sale.
Earlier this year we closed another listing of mine at $969,750.00 (To be precise 😊): My seller paid “ZERO” in Closing Costs 😊 LIG = Life Is Good
I always put the same efforts and dedication to sell each of these properties – no matter what the listing price tag!
A Few Of The Items
I Bring to YOUR
House Listing
I will be honored to list you house for sale!
When I am your broker – I will help you all the way!
I will do a ‘pre-listing’ walk through with you to include assisting you on:
a) list what you ‘need’ to do
b) what you can leave alone
c) check the age of your HVAC
d) check the age of your water heater
e) Flooring - give my expert opinion if you can keep it or if you have work to do AND what to do
f) Check list what buyers are looking for
g) I can anticipate what ‘the inspector’ will present in their report
…and much more
AND, yes, I will bring “that” FOLDER with you address on it …ready to roll!!!
My time and efforts that I put for each house I list
is always the “full measure!”
AND I will work as hard for YOU!
Regardless your house size or price range!
It is a mission!
AND, should you chose to hire me,
It also will be a mission
to work hard and deliver
a great job for YOU too!
Call me! I will be honored to be your broker!
Search Here ALL Intel Within This Site
INCLUDING To Find Any Types
Of Homes By City, # Bedrooms AND Price U Want
Search Here ALL Intel Within This Site
INCLUDING To Find Any Types
Of Homes By City AND Price U Want
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you still need
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is -still - not in this
15 Steps To Successful
Sell YOUR House:
Faster And For
A Higher Price page?
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