Selling your house? Don’t forget these tasks!

Are you getting ready to sell your home? Selling your house might make you feel excited, nervous, or even a bit emotional. However, with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to make you feel stressed! Here are some important tips and tasks to complete before putting your home on the market. These will help you feel fully prepared by the time you stick that “For Sale” sign in your yard.

Learn your property’s value

One of the most essential parts of selling your house is understanding how much to list it for. You need to know what your home is worth, and what you can realistically expect buyers to pay. This means you will need to have a great real estate agent on your side. Realtors provide endless help and guidance for sellers, and one of their biggest draws is determining an accurate listing price for your property. Your agent should be familiar with market trends in your area, how much similar properties are selling for, and how your home compares. They can give you a solid estimate of your home’s value and how much you should put it on the market for. It’s important to have an accurate listing price. If your asking price is too low, you could be missing out on what you truly deserve from your home. However, if your price is too high, you might have a hard time finding the right buyer.

Decide on the right time to list

Different seasons tend to have different housing market trends. When you sell, you should consider how conditions might look when you put your home on the market. For example, spring and summer tend to be much busier than winter in terms of sales. As a seller, this means you will likely have more buyers interested in your property, but it also means there may be more sellers to compete against. It’s also important to keep an eye on mortgage rates. During periods of high rates, people may be discouraged from buying, while lower rates tend to bring out more bidders. Right now, interest rates are high, but they are also expected to drop in the second half of the year. The prospect of falling rates may encourage buyers to jump into the market, knowing they can likely enjoy lower mortgage rates in the future.

Complete any necessary home improvements

Another big decision when selling your house is whether or not to complete renovations prior to listing. Some people decide to sell their property as-is, while others shell out the money on home improvements with the hope of increasing their property’s value. It can be a tricky balancing act, because you do not want to overspend on renovations, nor do you want to sell yourself short by not making necessary improvements. Your real estate agent will be a great help here. They can give you suggestions on potential improvements that will increase your home’s value on the market, and how much you should aim to spend. Some properties may just require minor touch-ups, while others would benefit from a fresh kitchen or updated flooring. It truly depends on the age and condition of your home!

Depersonalize your space for viewings

You probably know the feeling of stepping into someone else’s home and thinking it doesn’t match your own taste or style at all. This is a feeling you do not want potential buyers to have when they view your property! If you felt distinctly out of place in a house, would you be likely to want to purchase it? Probably not. It’s important to take the necessary steps to depersonalize your space so buyers can imagine themselves making it their own. This means removing any family photos, personalized belongings, and any objects that clearly indicate the home is yours. Try to keep the space neutral, so viewers can easily picture how they would bring their own style to the house. This is a small thing, but it makes a big difference. Help buyers feel at home!

Plan out your future

Lastly, selling your house means you will need somewhere else to go. Have you planned out your own next steps? Being a seller can be stressful, because it often means you are also a buyer for your own new property. Before listing your home, take some time to understand what you’re looking for, your timeline for moving, and your budget. A mortgage broker is a big asset here! We can discuss your needs, your purchasing power, and how you can navigate the process of both buying and selling.

Selling your house can be an exciting and emotional experience. It means saying goodbye to a property you have grown to love, but it also means moving on to something that’s a better fit for you! The key is to feel fully prepared by the time you put your home on the market, so you can be confident during your time as a seller. If purchasing a home is also on your to-do list, make sure you reach out to a mortgage broker so you can get started on your buying journey.

If you have any questions about your mortgage, get in touch with us at Clinton Wilkins Mortgage Team! You can call us at (902) 482-2770 or contact us here.