You’re considering selling your home and you live in Puyallup. The City of Puyallup is a great location and in high demand. With that being said, some areas are better than others but preparation is the key before deciding to list your home for sale. Here are some tips for selling your home and getting the best deal around.
If you have ever sold a home you probably know how stressful and difficult it can be. Unless you have months and months before you need the house to sell, you probably could use some tips to make selling your home faster.
Where to start
First you need to find the best real estate agent to work with as you might need the help of a professional due to:
• Numerous and long documents
• Trained in negotiating
• Marketing
• Pricing
Professional selling agent
It is wise to have a professional to work with you and help you with preparing the house for showing. Professionals also know how to use the multiple listing service or MLS. You’ll want to make sure you’re on the MLS list because that is a lot of extra exposure. You should try to find a professional who uses all the technologies and understands tools that are currently available to help. Find a Puyallup agent with a lot of experience and sells real estate full-time. A marketing background is important as well. Most agents will want you to sign a listing agreement which commits you to them for a certain period of time so pick an agent you’re confident about.
Buyers
Today’s buyers are extremely educated about equivalent sales in the area you live in and can heavily influence the market value of your Puyallup home. Have your broker or agent give you selling prices of similar homes in your area that sold in the last month or so. When you are setting the price try for 10 percent to 15 percent less than other homes sold for. This will bring you more visits and often you could receive offers that are multiple – bidding wars are still happening. You can also review Zillow to do home research. Set the list price taking into consideration:
• Market conditions
• Interest rate
• Surrounding community
Makeover or upgrade
Don’t do a total makeover or really big upgrade. Huge projects for improvements are not worth the time or money if you’re planning on selling. Any small updates will pay you back in the money you make from the sale. This advice can differ depending on what your real estate agent thinks. It maybe required in some Puyallup communities where there are other homes you’re competing with. Some of the basic fixes you’ll probably want to do include:
• Fresh paint on the walls
• Curtains that are cleaned
• Replacement of door handles
• Hardware on kitchen and bathroom cabinets
• Get closet doors on their tracks
• Clean and whiten grout in bathrooms
• Fix any faucets that leak
• Make sure is doesn’t smell bad
Getting ready for your home showing
Always have the house ready to show; it needs to be ready to show at all times. That can be difficult if you have a family, work full-time, and are still living there but it is really important. When a buyer calls in and wants to view your home in a hour – make sure it’s ready! You will never know when potential buyers are going to want to see the house. You may want to use one of the many moving and storage companies in Puyallup to help keep the home clutter free. It all might be inconvenient, but it will help you in selling your home. You need to be available and sure it is always in good shape. This includes:
• No dishes in the sink
• Toys are put away
• Dishwasher cleaned out
• Bathrooms sparkling
• Everything dusted
First impression is everything
A first impression is usually the only impression. It doesn’t matter how great the interior of the house looks, buyers have usually already made their judgment from the front and the area around the front of the house. You never will get a second chance so the first impression needs to be the best. Clean up your yard and try to add some color. It should be nice and clean. You also can do some little touches in order to make a person feel welcome, warm and safe. This is called curb appeal and spending some money on inexpensive shrubs or colored flowers is worth it. Don’t forget to take great photographs as well. Entry ways need to also be welcoming by placing a small bench or chair, fresh flowers or some cookies. Have a friend of family member do a walk through with you so you can get their feedback on any issues like cleanliness and bad smells.
Kitchen
Actually you really are not selling your home; many people will tell you that you are really selling your kitchen. That is how important the kitchen is. Remodeling your kitchen is important and the money you spend will often come back. Countertops might cost several thousand dollars but the buyer could drop up to $10,000 off your asking price if the kitchen looks old. Check with your agent before starting to get his/her feedback. They have more insight into the area to determine if the expense is worth it. The most inexpensive and fastest updates include:
• New cabinet hardware
• Painting
• One new stainless steel appliance
When painting use a paint that is a neutral color as this is an easy way for the buyers to imagine their personal style. Buying one stainless steel appliance makes potential buyers think that all the rest are expensive also and updates the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to ask your selling agent what he/she thinks would work best. They know what colors sell best. Fresh paint gives the impression of a cleaner environment and helps remove any bad smells if that is an issue for your home. A fresh paint smell is better than a dirty dog smell.
Bring the sunshine in
Do everything to bring a lot of light into your house. Good light is the one thing every buyer says that they want in a home. Open those windows up! Things that you can do to make it more sellable:
• Change lampshades
• Clean windows
• Increase the wattage of light bulbs
• Cut hedges or bushes outside
• Whatever makes your home bright and full of cheer
Clean up your junk
Get rid of all the junk in any room – you will have less to move and the potential Puyallup buyers will have less to make the home look unappealing. Your home should appear minimal. Having a expert real estate agent can help you with this if interior design is not your thing. You want to attract the biggest audience when showing your home so it needs to have a certain feel. It’s import to pack up knickknacks and most of the stuff that is sitting on top of tables, countertop or any flat surfaces. This makes for a home that looks like you could be out in a few days.
De-personalize
De-personalizing your home will make it easier for buyers to see their stuff in these spaces. Stuff like:
• Religious décor
• Family photos
• Memorabilia from vacations
As discussed, you want to attract the biggest audience. The buyers must be able to see themselves (or their family) in their new Puyallup home. These are items that can be packed up and put in storage. Even if you have to store some items with your family or friends it’s really an important step in getting your home sold quickly. According to Realtors.org, 38% of home buyers are first time buyers. They need to imagine a life, their life, in your home. Make it easy for them to do just that.
For sale by owner option
There are some sellers who want to sell their own homes without using an agent. This is due to the fact that ‘for sale by owner’ means that the owner saves the agent’s fee. Anyone who is thinking about these needs to answer the following questions:
• Will you be able to work with an agent for the buyer’s?
• Are you able to price your home in the market today?
• Are you able to take charge of all of the sales and marketing duties?
• Are you able to screen potential buyers?
• Do you have an attorney to work with on documents you will need?
• If you have a full-time job, do you honestly have the time to complete the transaction?
When to sell your home
Remember that it is most difficult to sell family size homes before school is out for the summer. Most families want to make a move after school is out as it is less stress and strain for children when children are able to avoid changing schools in the middle of the school year. So you should not expect many potential Puyallup home buyers until schools are out. Actually many advisors believe that spring break is the perfect time to put the house on the market.
Documents
When you are selling your home yourself means you will need to prepare all documents. Also prepare an informational handout that list the following:
• Commuting to jobs at different locations
• Schools children will be going to
• Information about the community
• Have a map that shows roads as well as schools
• Information about local transportation
Listing your home, for sale by owner, puts more stress on your shoulders and might not be worth the savings that you might or might not make. So think carefully before you make the decision of selling with an agent or for selling by owner.
Also some of these are tips that make putting your home up for sale less traumatic by selling faster and helps with some of the stress that this major event in your life can bring. It’s important to consider all these items before selling your home. Don’t be afraid to talk with a real estate professional and invite them over to give you a free price evaluation for your area.
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