Top 5 Tips for Getting the Best Price

1. Price it Right

The listing price contributes greatly to the number of interested parties and offers you will receive. It is important that you set your listing price at market value. Even a few thousand dollars above market value can influence how long your house will sit on the market, especially during a cold or normal market. Remember, you are listing your house so that you can sell it. It is better to have multiple buyers interested in your property at a market value price than few or no buyers interested in your overpriced property. More buyers who are interested, hotter your property becomes. And this can motivate buyers to make offers on your house. The consequences of not pricing your house right are: less offers, less showings, less agent response, and less qualified buyers. In the end, your house will sell for less than you wanted and sit longer on the market.

2. Present your House at its Best - Appearances matter.

Your house should be clean and spotless. Remove any clutter from the outside and the inside of your house. Remember, your house is competing against newly constructed homes as well. Even the tiniest detail or odors can offend or turn interested parties into non-buyers. Don’t lose potential buyers and don’t let the flaws in your house become big issues during negotiations when they could’ve been fixed. Ask yourself what your home is worth and then prove it. However, if you property looks like a fixer-upper, then be prepared to negotiate on those terms.

3. Make your House Accessible

To save your real estate agent time and to help them help you show your home, they should have a key to your home. This allows them to show your house at the buyers’ convenience. You don’t want to lose out on an offer simply because your house was not available for showing. When your house is being shown, remember to do the following: keep your house well lit through by opening curtains and drapes and turning on all lights, keep doors unlocked, remove yourself from your house, and let your agents promote your house.

4. Paint the Interior and Exterior and Clean or Replace the Carpets

Painting your house will immediately make your house appear more clean and bright. Dirty walls, chipped paint, stained carpets will have a negative effect on interested parties. They will notice, and don’t think they can’t find better elsewhere.

5. Make your House Welcoming

As soon as interested buyers drive up to your house, they should not be distracted by clutter or have any negative response. The driveway and entrance should be clean and rid of cars or junk. The landscape should be maintained and the house should be welcoming. Interested buyers want to enter a house that they could move into, they don’t want to feel that they are entering someone else’s property or walk through the owner’s mess.

6. You Market Your House – Don’t be passive in the selling process.

You need to take control of how you want your house to be perceived. First of all, find a hot agent and make sure that your listing is placed on the MLS and on the Internet. Use up all advertising avenues, the more your exposure your house gets, the more opportunities for it to attract potential buyers. Consider advertising in local papers, websites, local TV public access stations, word of mouth, and having a large “For Sale” sign on the property. Not only do you need to know where to market your property, but how. It is as important that the right people view your house as a hot property. Know the features in your house and tell interested buyers why they are a benefit to them. Don’t just ask for a high listing price, but know why. Convince your agent that your property is hot. It is how buyers perceive your home that attracts them to your house in the first place.

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