10 Best-Kept Secrets When Selling Your Property

A woman holding up a sold sign.

Selling a home can be stressful. You might think that you will never get all of the details in order to be able to sell your home for a good price without a lot of hassle. This is a common refrain for many people who are trying to sell their home and it can be really hard to find the time and the energy to make sure that you are going to get your home on the market with ease.

Selling your property doesn’t have to be a struggle, however. There are many ways to make the process a breeze and you will love that you can use these tips and tricks to make your home selling process that much better overall. You will be able to get your home on the market and sold for a great price with minimal headaches if you use this guide to help you to get your home sold with ease.

If you are ready to learn the best-kept secrets when selling your property, read on!

Best-Kept Secrets When Selling Your Property

Selling your home and property can be easy if you set yourself up for success. Forgetting any of these important details can lead to issues with selling your home that might also cost you money off the sales price. You should consider this list a guide to help you to get your home ready for sale for a great price!

1. Picking the Right Price

You should always make sure that you are aware of what the market is like in your area. You cannot hope to sell your home for more than the going rate for your neighborhood and you would not want to make it tough for people who really love the home to get the right down payment to make the loan work. You will need to consider that people who want to buy your home have to be able to get a loan they can afford when they are looking to buy your home and you cannot outprice all of your customers just because you have added a pool or some other exciting features to your property.

You should always stay within the parameters of the local market costs when you are pricing your home to be sure that you will be able to get the right people looking at it and ultimately buying it.

2. Do the Repairs

You should never put your home on the market with things that need to be repaired or replaced on display. You will want to be sure that you are showing a home to people that they will really actually want to move into and you cannot hope to attract a lot of buyers if your home looks neglected. You will also not get a good offer on price if you have a property that you are showing that does not look its best.

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It can add some cost to get things into tip-top shape before you try to sell your property but you should always invest the money to make sure that you will be able to sell your home for a great price. This is one of the key reasons that people lose money on their home or struggle to sell it and your investment in repairs will always come back to you many times over when you sell your house.

A couple with a SOLD sign in front of a house.

3. Clean Out Clutter

Nobody wants to look at a home to buy that looks cluttered and chaotic. You will want to be sure that you take out the excess items that are crowding up rooms and closets and put them in storage or sell them before you list your home. People need to be able to imagine their own items and furniture in your home and if they cannot see the floors or open the closets without something falling on them, they will struggle to be able to see themselves in your house.

You will want to make sure that people can really tell what your home looks like and feels like when you are living in it and this is best accomplished by getting rid of clutter. This offers a side benefit because it will make your moving process much easier and get rid of things that you had forgotten that you even owned and are not using anymore.

4. Add Lighting

If you have always thought that some lights on the front walkway would be good for curb appeal but have never added them, now is the time to do so. Make sure that the backyard and other areas also have all the lighting that they need to be welcoming and look cared for. Lighting can make a home much more approachable and presentable and you should not skimp on areas where you have been ignoring the need for some good lighting.

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You will find that your home will look much more lived in and loved when it has the right lighting and people will be able to see it from the road with ease as well. Your home should look welcoming and safe and secure when people come to look at it and you can secure this feeling by adding some quality lighting both inside and outside.

5. Repaint

Make sure that you do not skip the step where you repaint the walls or replace old and dated wallpapers. People want to see that your home is well-cared-for and they will want it to look modern and up to date. Old wall treatments and smudged and dingy paint will make a bad impression and lead to negotiations to bring the price down due to the need for repairs.

You will also find that it is a good idea to paint over wild paint colors that you have chosen for your own tastes. Most people will walk away from a home that needs a lot of paint alterations to cover up accents walls that they do not like so it is a good idea to make sure to cover these up with neutral colors before you try to sell your home. Think of your home like a blank slate that other people will make their own and make sure that they can see their vision for their perfect home when they are looking at your property.

Two people and a dog selling an unfinished house.

6. Do an Inspection

Your home buyer will probably do an inspection when they go to buy the house, but you can be one step ahead of the game if you have your own home inspection done before you list your property. This will turn up any things that need to be repaired or replaced or brought up to code so that these issues can be attended to before you list your home. There is nothing that slows down the home selling process like issues with an inspection.

Avoiding the common pitfalls that happen to home sellers when an inspection is done on their property can save you lots of money and frustration when you are selling your home. The future owner of your home will appreciate that you took care of repairs and changes that needed to be done before you listed your home as well.

7. Pick the Right Broker

Nothing will make a sale more difficult than working with the wrong realtor. Avoid picking someone just because they are in your local area and be careful about working with friends or family. You want to work with someone who understands how to sell in your area and knows how to set up the right kinds of viewing and showings to make a big impression. This can be particularly true if you have a unique property to sell like a farm or large home.

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If you work with the wrong realtor, you will find that you will struggle to sell your home due to your own agent’s inadequacies and this should be avoided at all costs. There is nothing worse than having to break up with a realtor after you have wasted months trying to sell your home and you can help yourself to avoid this issue by doing some research before you pick a broker.

8. Take Pets With You

When someone comes to look at your home, make sure that you take your pets with you or put them somewhere out of the way. People who are scared of dogs or who don’t like cats and other pets might not buy your home if they have to deal with these animals during their showing. Some people will also think that your home is dirty when they see a pet, even if the house is spotless.

Make sure that you put litter boxes away and take your pets with you if you can to ensure that no one who comes to see your home is turned off by the fact that pets share the space with you. This can help immeasurably when you are selling to people who are not animal lovers.

9. Make Sure the Kitchen Looks Great

Many people focus on the kitchen as the main driver for their purchase and if your home’s kitchen looks dated or has a lot of clutter lying around on the counters, this might make people reluctant to buy your home. Make sure that you do upgrades as needed in the kitchen before listing your home and that you put away messes and other things that might cause people to think your kitchen will not suit their needs.

The kitchen is often the biggest deciding factor for most people looking to buy a home and having a dingy or old kitchen in your home can make people walk right out without looking at the rest of the house. The kitchen is a focal selling point and deserves your attention before you list your home for sale.

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10. Replace Carpet

If you have had a kid who spilled on the floors or you have had issues with pet accidents, no matter how clean your carpet might appear, people will probably be able to tell that it has seen better days. This is one of the key areas that need attention before listing a home for sale. You will want to take care to replace any flooring that does not look its best, and you will want to be sure that you think about the cleanliness perception that people who do not know you will bring into their inspection of your home.

Carpet that does not look its best will immediately be a big turn-off for most buyers and this can also lead to negotiations to lower the price. You will be saving money in the long run by replacing any carpet and flooring that does not look like it once did and your buyers will appreciate that they can walk into your home and tell you that it is clean and well-cared for.

Selling Your Home Can be Easy

A couple selling property takes a selfie in front of their new home.

If you have done your homework, selling your home can be a breeze. You will find that this list will give you all of the tips and tricks that you need to make a fast sale for a great price. Skipping any of these steps might lead to issues with selling your home and you should avoid making the common mistakes that slow down the sales process for many homeowners each year.

From working with the right sales agent or broker to making sure that your property and home look their best before you sell it, there are many ways to make sure that your sales experience is smooth and easy. People will be begging to buy your home once you have used these tips and tricks to get your home ready to put on the market and you will be glad that you took the time to get your property ready in the right way before you start trying to sell it.

Using this list will guide you through the process of getting your home ready to sell with ease and for a really great price!

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