Effective Marketing Tactics For First Time Home Sellers
Is it possible to sell your home as quickly as you want and walk away with your asking price?
For first time home sellers, selling your home as quickly as possible and walking away with your asking price may seem like a ‘mission impossible’. But you can get it right the first time; sell your home, and walk away with a broad smile.
So if you intend to put your house on the market anytime, sit back and relax. You can easily set yourself up for success by using effective tactics that home selling agents, investors, realtors etc. use to sell homes quickly and walk away with their asking prices.
Home selling tips for first time home sellers
Price your home accurately
First, put your best foot forward by pricing your home accurately. Underpricing your home creates an impression that something is probably wrong somewhere in the property. Home buyers do all they can to avoid such properties. Overpricing your property makes it seems as if you’re looking for someone to rip off, especially when your property is unnecessarily more expensive than similar ones in your area.
So hire a reputable listing agent with a positive track record of selling several listings, preferably in your area or neighborhood. The agent you hire will analyze comparable sales and come up with an estimate of value known as a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis).
The listing agent should have enough experience and education to price your home accurately. Ask about the agent’s standard real estate commission and make sure you’re comfortable with the response before signing any deal. Do not hire a weasel.
Now let’s get down to the basics!
Improve your home’s curb appeal
Before any potential home buyer tour your property, chances are they’ll do a drive-by first to see the property from a distance and to decide if it’s worth their time or not. So make sure your property is enticing enough to lure onlookers before they set foot on your porch.
So hang easy-to-read house numbers. Searching for your house number shouldn’t seem like searching for a needle in a haystack. Wash all your front windows. Potential buyers always imagine how the interior looks like by what they see on the exterior. So power wash siding and walkways. Consider staining the porch floor as required or repainting.
Also, mow your lawns, reseed or add fresh sod as required. It’s never too late to plant some fresh greenery and blooming flowers if you can.
Make your house sparkling clean
Make sure every surface in your home is sparkling clean. From scrubbed grout and glittering windows to shining counters and clean floors, all surfaces must be brilliantly cleaned.
This is one of the easiest methods of showing off the best features of your property and convincing prospective buyers that the value is worth every cent. If you have a large house, consider hiring house cleaners to get the job done.
Declutter your home
Home buyers hate clutters. Clearing away clutter is never an easy task. But the task is worth the trouble. So start purging as soon as you decide you’re going to sell your home. Clean and clear cupboards, closets, and surfaces. This will create more spaces around the home. So clear away anything unsightly and anything you wouldn’t want potential buyers to see, like your cigarette ash tray.
What about your kids’ toys? Arrange them neatly in your kids’ rooms or any other available closet. Don’t assume that the potential buyers also have kids and are used to having toys scattered everywhere. Many families are considering a fresh start during house hunting not a different house with the same clutter.
Style your dining room table
Many first time home sellers skip styling their dining room table. You shouldn’t. Rather, you should use fresh fruits to make the dining table come alive. You should put apples, avocados, lemons, oranges and other fruits you prefer in transparent glass containers. These containers can be transformed into center pieces for the table.
Give all floors a thorough cleaning
Don’t make the mistake of downplaying the value your floors add to your property. So steam clean carpets and ensure all floors are thoroughly cleaned. If your wood floors are in a poor shape, have them refinished before potential buyers start knocking on your door. But if you aren’t interested in refinishing floors, consider strategic placement of area rugs.
Change the arrangement of your furniture
Symmetrical arrangement of furniture is usually appealing. So pull your furniture off the walls and consider using pairs of lamps, sofas, chairs etc. Rearrange the furniture to create an aesthetic conversation area. This will make the furniture more appealing to potential home buyers.
Entice house hunters to explore the entire house
Some house hunters turn around and walk away after seeing just a few rooms. They assume they’ve seen in at all. But in many cases, they’ve not even seen the best parts of the property. So place attractive objects on stairs, corners, or hallways to spike curiosity and to keep house hunters interested throughout the home tour.
There are several different objects you can use to draw the eye. A colorful rug, a beautiful vase of flowers, a painted accent wall, a hanging light or even a window seat, any or all of these and other items can do the magic.
Bottom line
Different house hunters are on the lookout for different things. So don’t take their comments personal and don’t undersell your property. But don’t hesitate to make up your mind, when the right buyer shows up.