How to Sell Your Home in Seattle
Selling your home doesn’t have to be stressful. As you prepare yourselves and your home, keep in mind these tips for making the process as smooth and easy as possible.
Home Selling Tips
Have a pre-inspection conducted. Paying for a home inspection before listing your home keeps you in the drivers seat longer during the home selling process. A pre-inspection can help to streamline the process because the buyer doesn't have to do an inspection or you can at lease only except offers that have waived the inspection contingency. It gives you the opportunity as the seller to know exactly what is "wrong" with you home prior to putting it on the market. You have the opportunity to have the deficiencies corrected before listing or if nothing else, it will eliminate any surprises if the buyer also decides to have an inspection and ensure them that you have already accounted for any deficiencies in the list price and therefore reducing their likely hood of being able to counter with a reduced sales price or concessions based on their findings during the buyers inspection.
Spruce up the curb appeal. Pretend you're a buyer and stand outside of your home. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Does your lawn and shrubbery look neatly manicured? Is the address clearly visible? Does your exterior look faded and dull? If the siding is in generally good condition and doesn't need replaced, consider adding a fresh coat of paint to the exterior. If nothing else, repaint the front door as this is the focal point as a potential buyer approaches and enters the home.
Declutter and clean. The less stuff and clutter in your home, the larger it will appear and easier it will be for a potential buyer to envision themselves (and their stuff), in your home. Pack-up lesser used items around your house and out-of-season clothes in your closets. Remove and minimize what you keep on your kitchen and bathroom counter tops. Store your extra stuff in your garage or better yet, in an off site storage unit. Clean the windows, carpets, hardwood floors and lighting fixtures to make your home stand out that much more.
Click the button below to view a downloadable PDF of my "Home Enhancement Checklist" to help you prepare your home to sell.
Prepare For Listing Photos and Showings
Remove clutter and clear off counter tops. Put extra furniture and personal nicknacks in storage. Clean out 3/4 of the clothes in your closet will make them look much more spacious. Learning out the extra stuff in your home will make it seem larger and removing personal items and making your home decorations more simple and generic will help potential buyers see past your personal taste and invoice themselves in that home.
Wash your windows and screens. This will help you get more light into the interior of the home.
Get rid of smells. Clean your carpets and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows to air out the house and use scented candles or room fresheners if necessary.
Brighten your rooms. Put higher wattage bulbs or LED bulbs in light fixtures to brighten up rooms and basements. Replace any burnt out bulbs. Clean the walls or better still, put on a fresh coat of neutral colored paint inside.
Consider doing minor repairs. Small problems like doors that don't shut quite right, torn screens, cracked caulking or a dripping faucet may seem trivial, but they can give buyers the impression that the house isn't well -maintained.
Tidy your yard. Rake the leaves, cut the grass, trim the bushes, edge the walkways, and clean the gutters.
Set the Scene. Set the table with nice dishes and candles, and create other vignettes throughout the home to help buyers picture living there. Make centerpieces for your tables using brightly colored fruit or flowers. Accentuate the fireplace (if you have one) by laying fresh logs in the fireplace or put a basket of flowers there if not in use. Make the bathrooms feel luxurious by replacing your old towels with plush ones, adding fancy guest soaps and conceal away your daily toiletries.
Pay attention to the little details. Keeping everything extra clean during the showing period will send a strong first impression to buyers that your home has been well-cared for. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates, mop and wax floors. Clean the stove, other kitchen appliances and bathroom mirrors.
Lock up valuables, jewelry, and money. While a real estate broker will be on site during a showing or open house, it's impossible to watch everyone all the time.
Put your pets outside or take them with you. When it comes time for showings, make sure your pet is crated or outside the house to give the real estate broker and their clients full access your home and reduce the chances of them accidentally letting your pet out of the house.
Leave the home. It's always best if the sellers are not at home during an open house or showing. It's awkward for prospective buyer to look through your home, talk openly with their real estate broker or express their opinions of your home with you there.
If cleaning, making repairs, creating great first impressions of your home through design and staging aren't your forte... I can help with that too by making recommendations and referring you to top local professionals and contractors to help with these specialties. My background with 15 years experience as a finish carpenter, general contractor and remodeling have given me a good eye and knowledge base for these things and an extensive network of professionals to be your resource for all things real estate and home related.
Click on the link below to send me a message and let's get to work
