How To Sell Your House For More Money Without Spending Tons To Get There
Making the decision to sell your house may come with the need to get as much for it as possible. Many people hope to have a flood of interested buyers with competitive offers, with some even coming in over the asking price. Yet, you can't count on that to happen, but you can be proactive about your listing. Some people may feel they need to invest in their home to give buyers more of what they want, such as updated kitchens and bathrooms or even an open floor plan, as noted by FortuneBuilders. Things like low-maintenance features and energy-efficient appliances are great, but they tend to cost more than you'll get out of them, making this a less-than-ideal way to boost offers.
So how do you get as much as possible for your home, then, without having to invest a lot — or any — money into it? There are a few strategies that may help you to get the best possible price for your home. Here's how to get your home ready to sell.
Know what the market is paying
Setting a price for your home requires more than simply picking a number you assume is what it's worth. Bankrate recommends spending time getting an accurate price for your property based on one of two methods, or a combination of both. You can use online home-value estimators that give you an automated value of what your home is likely to sell for based on things like size and bedrooms. These may include recent sales data for homes near yours for more accurate figures.
A second option that provides more specialized attention to your house is to use a comparative market analysis created by a real estate agent. This method helps create a hyper-local estimate of what your home's value is likely to be, helping you take advantage of your agent's insight into the neighborhood, market conditions, and overall expectations for your home in particular. Accurately pricing your home is key to attracting enough prospective buyers to the listing.
End your price with a 9
What factors make people look at a home? Aside from the location and number of bedrooms, many people are buying within a specific price range. They may have approval from their lender to buy up to a certain amount or know what their max budget is. If you price your home above that amount, even just a fraction higher, you may miss out on prospective buyers. A person looking online for a home that's no more than $250,000 may not see your home at $252,000 because of the way search features on listing sites work.
There's another factor to keep in mind, and that's the psychological impact of the number itself. According to Realtor, prices that end with a "9," "95," or "99" get more attention from buyers. That $249,995 home seems more affordable than one that's priced at $250,000. In reality, that's not the case, but psychologically it could play a role in what they decide to look at when shopping for a home.
Make sure your home shines online
The days of putting a sign out front and hosting an open house to sell your home are gone; online marketing for homes is often a better method today for attracting a large number of prospective buyers. The key is doing it well. Zillow shares that there are a few things you need to consider to create a real estate listing that's attractive enough to draw in buyers. That starts with having professional photos taken of the property's best features. Zillow's research shows that homes with under nine photos are about 20% less likely than those with 22 to 27 photos to sell in 60 days.
Another excellent tip to get people to set up a showing of your home is to create a video walkthrough. Having a professional videographer create an interactive tour of the home enables prospective buyers to visualize the space better, making them want to check it out in person.
Sell your home through the features buyers want
After providing all the hard facts about the home, think of what the buyer is looking for when considering your home beyond the basics. For many, it's not just the home but the lifestyle it offers. With a bit of sales language, you could convince someone to stop by for a tour. Realtor provides some tips about how to showcase what your home offers to a larger potential buyer base.
Do you live in a neighborhood with tree-lined streets and sidewalks? That could mean your area is perfect for pet owners who like to go on long walks. Perhaps your home has a fenced-in backyard that offers a great place for the kids to play. You may have a house that's within a short walk to the bus stop or close to the best coffee shop in the city. Perhaps list just how many minutes it takes to get to the freeway. Think outside of the box regarding what various types of buyers may be looking for in a property.
Declutter your home to sell it faster and for more
Getting rid of clutter can help your home to look like the perfect fit to a prospective buyer. The Real Estate Solutions Guy recommends getting rid of excess items to help buyers see what your home really has to offer in terms of space and features, and it often makes the space seem bigger as well. Eliminating personal touches in that process also gives them a blank slate to work with to build their own memories. Take down photos and tuck away personal items that make this your home. You want them to see it as their prospective home instead.
A decluttered home also allows prospective buyers to check out all of the added storage your home has to offer. When there's less stuff in the closets, they look more spacious. It may also help your home feel newer and better maintained to the prospective buyer. All of these staging tricks that will cost you little to nothing could lead to selling your home quicker and at a higher price.