Selling Your House for the First Time: What to Know
Everyone always talks about the excitement and nervousness of buying your first home, but it’s just as important and thrilling selling your first home! Moving from a buyer to a seller is a completely different real estate experience and should be done with just as much care and consideration as the buying process. Preparing your home for selling can be a nerve-wracking and emotional experience but with the right research and the right real estate team behind you, selling a home can be an enlightening and efficient process. Keep reading to learn more about what to know when selling your house for the first time.
Hire the Help You Need
If you went through the home-buying process with the help of a real estate professional, why wouldn’t you do the same when going through the home-selling process? Just like purchasing a home, there are many different things to keep in mind while selling your house. With the help of a real estate agent, you can make sure all the boxes get checked while focusing on the things that matter the most to you, like purchasing a new home while selling yours.
With the right real estate team in place, like Team Blake, you can get much-needed assistance in prepping your home to sell, a useful timeline on what to do when, and timely updates on public interest when your house finally hits the market. The home-selling process can be much more emotional than one might think. Whether it’s the first home you ever bought or the place you made memories for ten years, selling your home can bring forward sentimental emotions. With that, a real estate professional can keep your best interest in mind while going through this delicate situation.
Price Your Home Realistically and Competitively
Finding the right listing price for your home can be a challenge for many first-time home sellers. At the end of the day, you want to feel like you are getting back what you’ve put into your home and setting yourself up for success in your next home. Accurately pricing your home can lead to a faster sale, saving you stress and time. According to Zillow, 57 percent of homes nationwide sell at or above the listing price when they accept an offer in the first week.
When it comes to setting the right price, consult your real estate agent! When it comes to home values in your area, your real estate should be an expert on the subject. They can provide guidance on where to set your price, as well as offer a strategy of reasonable repairs and updates to get the most bang for your buck before putting it on the market. Investing in just a few small renovations before selling your home can lead to a big return on investment when your home hits the market.
Make Updates That Add Value
The upgrades or repairs you’ve been putting off for the last couple of years might be just the thing that could entice home buyers into putting an offer on your home. There is no one magic number on how much money to spend on home improvements but a fresh coat of paint, some fresh flower beds, and updated light fixtures could work wonders for your home’s listing price and listing photos.
One of the most common updates recommended before selling your home is a new layer of interior and exterior paint. Oftentimes, neutral color shades like beige, gray, white, and taupe can often lead to a faster sale. Additionally, new carpet/flooring can also lead to a faster purchase.
The Significance of Staging Your Home
Updating your home isn’t the final step when it comes to readying your house for presentation. Staging is another important addition to add to your home-selling strategy. Staging refers to setting up your home by adding and rearranging furniture and decor to make it accommodating and enticing to as many potential buyers as possible. According to The National Association of Realtors, 40 percent of buyers agents surveyed said that buyers were more inclined to walk through a staged home than one that was not staged. Staging your home can be as simple as adding a bowl of lemons to the kitchen to as involved as bringing in furniture to fill every room in your house. The good news is that staging isn’t a task you have to undertake on your own! For instance, Team Blake offers assistance in the staging process from calculating what you may need to handeling the process and being on-site when the furniture arrives and when it needs to leave.
Prepare for Hidden Obstacles and Move Out
Despite your home getting under contract, the home-selling process isn’t quite done yet. There are many obstacles and road bumps to be aware of when you get close to the end of your real estate journey. Potential issues that can come up between the time you accept an offer and closing day include a bad home inspection report that can lead to negotiations after the report is completed and potential financing failures on the buyer’s side that may lead to you pivoting to the next best offer.
Additionally, it’s best to be prepared for everything to go right! If your home sells quickly, make sure you are prepared for your move-out. Depending on the contract you sign with your buyer they may want to move in quickly. If you are unprepared to move your items out or still need to find a new home, having a backup plan can be crucial. Discussing these potential items can be important when meeting with your real estate agent, allowing them time to offer you customized solutions that fit your needs and timeline.
Sell Your First Home with Team Blake
Only you can make the decision on when you’re ready to sell your house for the first time. When you make that decision, we hope Team Blake is the next call you make! Team Blake is a group of seasoned real estate professionals ready to help you through the first-time home seller process. There are so many small things to consider when putting your home on the market, all the way down to what season it is! Team Blake is here to help with every single one of those small things to consider. If you’re ready to jump into the sale of your first home or just have questions about the process, contact Team Blake today.
