Taking the Right Steps in the Right Order
Taking the Right Steps
in the Right Order
By taking the right steps in the right order and properly preparing your house for sale, you can increase profit potential and decrease time on the market.
Taking the right steps in the right order will ensure the best results when selling your house, but all too often it doesn’t happen that way. Usually when you decide to sell you call a real estate agent who looks at the house and makes a few basic recommendations for getting it ready. Then the agent compares similar houses in the area and proposes a marketing plan and listing price. Once you sign the listing agreement, your house must go on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) within three days, allowing very little time to be certain it looks its best. Pictures are taken and the listing is published on MLS, the internet and in the newspaper.
This sequence of steps works against smart selling. Your agent can only price and market your house as it exists. If the house isn’t ready when the agent sees it, the recommended listing price is lower than it could be, and you lose money at the outset. Also, while agents are experts in real estate marketing and negotiations, many aren’t trained to apply design principles to preparing a house for sale, or as construction experts. They don’t always know what to suggest, including low cost ways to enhance marketability. There are diplomatic issues, too. Agents are often reluctant to be candid about sensitive topics like cleanliness, clutter and odors, or work that is needed, so they spare your feelings, protect the relationship and say little or nothing about these problems. It’s understandable, but as a result, your house isn’t presented in the best light, so you risk a longer selling time and a smaller profit. In today’s market that’s a major misstep.
We recommend a different sequence of steps. Begin by evaluating your house in terms of repairs and cosmetic issues. Get help from professionals such as a stager and a home inspector, if you think the condition of your house warrants it, because they’re trained to give you the candid, objective assessment and guidance you need. Implement the key recommendations and then call your agent. Doing the work first will justify a higher initial listing price that can often cover the expenses, and costs far less than the inevitable price reduction(s), if you don’t.
Smart Selling Tip: By taking the right steps in the right order and properly preparing your house for sale, you can increase profit potential and decrease time on the market.
