BY RON BARLAY
Some clients looking to sell their home complain about previous unsatisfactory experiences in this regard. They wonder why their home hasn’t sold as quickly as they wanted. They want to know how to expedite the process. Sometimes, they have unconditionally purchased another home, so, financially speaking, the need to sell is even greater.
When it comes to trying to ensure the sale of your home, there are a number of factors that will help the process. Let me first outline the positives.
Firstly of course, is the need to have your home in a presentable condition. Some characteristics which, in general, enhance a home’s saleability include: neutral paint colours, a bright and clean atmosphere and minimal clutter. Remember first impressions are lasting ones. Studies show most potential buyers form an opinion about a home within minutes of walking into it. With that in mind, your real estate agent as part of their service package, may utilize home stagers to make sure the home is properly showcased.
Secondly, pricing your home properly is a vital aspect of any sale. If a home is priced too high, it won’t get enough traffic flow and thus its saleability will be compromised. On the other hand, if your home is priced too low, there’s a greater risk that you will get less than fair market value for your home. This all means that proper guidance from your real estate practitioner on pricing your home to sell is essential.
Another means of getting any home sold is exposure. This includes both print media and on the Internet. Both are essential to obtain maximum awareness from prospective buyers. While advertising can be costly, I believe it is a necessary component in ensuring a quick, successful sale.
There’s a further aspect that can make your home sell faster – open communication between you and your realtor. Part of this communication should include feedback reports to you, at a minimum of once a week, that tell you exactly what a potential buyer thought of your home. This is being proactive. This knowledge can be very helpful for a seller in making any necessary adjustments to their home.
On the negative side, I believe it’s important to outline a number of qualities that can decrease the saleability of your home. These include: odors (consider lighting scented candles), animals that meet potential buyers at the front door (consider walking them when a showing is scheduled), dirty bathrooms, dimly lit rooms, busy wallpaper, damp basements, poor curb appeal and sellers who hang around during the showing. It is best to avoid these pitfalls when you are trying to sell your home.
In conclusion, selling your home can be a daunting task, one that can get more worrisome the longer it takes. That’s why starting the selling process properly in the first place is so important. Time spent in the beginning making your home more appealing can pay off in the end.
