Deciding to sell your house is never easy. There’s the fact that you’re leaving years’ worth of memories behind. You will have to say goodbye to the comfort it made you feel, the neighborhood, and everything along with it. But there will come a time when saying goodbye can be a good thing.
You can start a new life, in a new location, and in a new home. You can find a new house that will better fit your needs and your lifestyle. Even though you are ready to move on, there are still a few things you ought to ask before you list your house for sale.
Should I Fix and Improve the House Before Selling?
If you are rather in a hurry to sell the property, you can choose to skip the basic improvements and touch up. Be sure to prepare yourself for a lower offer since you are now selling the property as-is. But if you want to increase the selling price and entice quality buyers, consider investing in new improvements.
Aside from the necessary repairs and maintenance tasks, one thing you can consider investing in is a new air conditioning system. This is especially true if the system already reached its end of life or is still using R-22 Freon. Hiring a company to install an air conditioning system in your property may cost an average of $4,800, but it will pay big time in the future.
If your system is still working, then you can opt to buy a one-year warranty for your air conditioning system. This will give the buyer peace of mind knowing the costs will be covered in case of breakdown. They can then choose to renew the warranty or replace the system instead.
Should I Hire a Realtor or Not?
Many sellers would want to skip hiring a realtor when selling a property. They are reluctant to pay professionals thinking this will eventually reduce their profit. But then, realtors offer exciting perks that can make the home selling an easier experience.
Realtors will take care of the selling part. You have a professional who will find you, buyers, negotiate for you, and keep your financial details intimate. You get to eliminate costly mistakes that come with selling the property, including errors made when signing the legal documents.
But if you are serious about doing a ”for sale by owner” transaction, you need to find out how to market the house on your own. This includes setting a selling price, identifying the selling points of your home organizing open houses, and negotiating, among many other tasks. Do your research to reduce the possible hurdles that can come your way when selling the property without a realtor.
What Should I Include in the Sale?
There are sellers who would rather leave everything behind when selling the house. Some homeowners, on the other hand, won’t leave anything, including their appliances. It is crucial that you determine early on what is included in the sale so you can easily answer this question when asked.
Remember that not all buyers would want anything to do with the old homeowner’s belongings. Others would appreciate a few key pieces, including major kitchen appliances. Before you even list your house in the market, make sure you already got this covered.
If you plan on taking some items, be sure to keep them away before taking photos of your home. Start the decluttering process and depersonalize the house. This will give buyers a better chance of imagining themselves designing and living in your house for sale.
How Much Should You Sell the House?
This can be a tricky question. No seller would want to price their property so low unless they are hiding something. Many factors can influence the home value, including the following.
- Location
- Neighborhood comps
- Age and condition of the house
- Size of the house and the usable space
- The local market
- Updates and upgrades
- Interest rates
- Economic indicators
If you want an easy way to check how much selling price you can ask buyers for, a realtor can help you. They have the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to determine a fair home value for any property. They can even help you determine the many ways you can pump up the asking price, provided you are willing to make a few changes and improvements.
There are tons of other questions worth asking now that you made up your mind about selling the house. The next few months won’t be easy. Considering the many tasks you need to cover. But if your goal is to make your home selling experience a lot less stressful, you can do this by planning the sale, taking the necessary preparations, and hiring the pros to help you with the sale.
