Selling Your House? Here's How To Prepare

Thinking of putting your house for sale? This might be the perfect time for you!

Right now it’s definitely a seller’s market here in the Triangle area.

While selling your house can certainly be a boost to your finances, it can also be stressful if you’re not familiar with the process.

How to Sell Your House

Thankfully, I had the pleasure of speaking with Louis Guillama, Coastal’s Vice President of Real Estate Operations.

He’s had decades of experience working in real estate from residential and commercial sales, property management, renovations, and investments.

If you’re thinking about selling your home this year, here are some key actions to take so your home can stand out and get competitive offers!

Know Your Numbers

One of the biggest mistakes that sellers make is not being prepared, especially when it comes to your finances. After all, you want the numbers to line up in your favor.

When weighing your options, you want to consider the whole process. After you sell, do you plan on buying another property? If so, how much equity do you have in your current place?

You want to make sure that you’re able to comfortably afford your next home.

When running the numbers, don’t forget to factor in expenses with your real estate agent, closing, and any repairs or maintenance you need to do around your house to prepare it for showings.

A huge benefit of having an experienced agent is how they can help you get an objective view of your home.

One of the most important things to consider is your listing price. Many sellers fall into the trap of sentimentality with the price and not know what the current market is willing to pay for their place.

When interviewing potential real estate agents, make sure they’re able to show they have the knowledge and experience to list your house competitively.

Focus On Curb Appeal

Buyers are very visual, so you want your home to look its best. The first impression is everything which is why it's critical to make sure your curb appeal is on point!

Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas:

• Trim back the shrubs and any overgrown tree branches
• Clear all your walkways and paths
• Make sure your windows are cleaned
• If your exterior is a bit shabby, look at pressure washing or adding a fresh coat of paint
• Plant some flowers or easy to maintain herbs if your front yard is a bit bare.

It may seem like a lot of effort, but it can be a huge help in getting more offers for your house.

Home Stage The Right Way

As people are inside your home, you really want them to imagine themselves living in it, so you have to stage it.

Daymark Realty, wholly owned by Coastal Credit Union, actually offers free home staging review as a part of their service because they feel strongly about the effect it has on sale price and time on the market.

As Mr. Guillama explained, “Once we started that program, we saw a significant reduction in days on market. So there is definitely a tangible benefit to doing some staging.

Now staging can take on many forms. It can be as elaborate as renting furniture and really redefining the interior space of a home.

But in most cases, those staging can be something as simple as just decluttering the home and presenting it in such a way so that people are able to focus on the property and that the personal belongings that you want people coming in and focusing on the product, which is your home.”

Some fundamental principles to staging your home include:

• Removing personal possessions. Again, we want buyers to feel at home, so that means you have to remove those sentimental pieces, and family photos.
• Neutralize your paint colors. This might seem like a small detail, but it does matter. What you may have found personally appealing can be a turn off to a buyer.
• Declutter your space. Give yourself a head start with your move and start packing away. It will help your space feel bigger.
• Natural light is wonderful. Pull the curtains back and for those darker spaces, turn the lights on.
• Define each space. If you have a very large multi-purpose room, break it up and show the multiple purposes that you can do in each section.

Start with these tips and you’ll be ahead then many sellers on the market now.

Choose an Experienced Agent to Guide You

There are a lot of things to consider when selling your home. One significant way you can ease the stress is by getting an experienced agent to guide you.

We used Daymark when we sold our last home and absolutely loved the experience. Our agent Anita made the process much easier and she was very knowledgeable about the area.

Come check out Daymark Realty and start the process of selling your home!

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