Millions of homeowners have found themselves effectively trapped in their homes, unable to sell or to refinance. This situation finally started to change last year, with the housing market displaying some signs of life at long last and bringing buyers from all over the United States back into the game and raising house prices in a lot of communities. For a lot of sellers this meant that they were at last able to get on with their lives and make a move somewhere closer to work or to a smaller or bigger residence. Around two million homeowners emerged from negative equity positions last year. If you want to sell your home this year, you need to realize that buyers are far from desperate; in fact, they are far savvier than ever before. Fortunately there are a few pieces of advice to help you to sell smart.
One good tip is to treat your photo shoot with the utmost seriousness. Many buyers will get their very first impression of your home via the internet and it is never a good idea to have a listing that has no photos, or even just the one photo, or photos that show a room in darkness with the blinds closed and the lights turned off. If a professional photographer is not part of the deal with your estate agent, pay for one yourself and have the photos taken at the right time of day with clutter removed and your home cleaned. If your listing does not show buyers something they like, you will not be making a move any time soon.
It is also a good idea to have a house inspection before you put your home on the market. There is nothing little more annoying than putting your home up for sale and having to wait months or possibly even years before you get an offer, only to then have potential buyers find out that you have dry rot or that your HVAC system is on the verge of collapse. If this happens, you may end up having to take credits, lower your price, or even risk losing your customer altogether.
If you are forced to put your home back on the market, not only could this scupper your own move but it also makes it even tougher to sell your home, as agents and buyers alike will suspect that there is a problem with your property. Spending money on a pre-sale inspection is therefore the best possible investment that you could make; if you do discover any unfortunate issues, you can at least price your home accordingly. You will also be providing potential buyers with a greater amount of information, which is never a bad idea and is likely to get you in their good graces right from the very beginning. It is also a good idea to throw buyers a bone now and then; for example, if they would like an early closing and there is nothing stopping you from agreeing to this, a sale can be secured.
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