5 Tips to Help You Sell your Northern Michigan Home
5 Tips to Help You Sell your Northern Michigan Home
So you’re ready to sell your Northern Michigan home? Selling it fast and for the best price is important. With a few easy steps and a little effort, you can sell your home quickly – even in the offseason
1) Curb Appeal – you know what they say about first impressions? You only get one. How your home looks as potential buyers walk up your driveway, can make or break a sale. Is the yard freshly mowed and edged? How about dead or overgrown shrubs? Do those shutters need a coat of paint? There are many quick fixes to improve curb appeal that don’t cost much. Hire a professional lawn care service if you need to, plant some fresh flowers, and replace or paint that old mailbox. Make your exterior look like it’s been loved and cared for.
2) De-Clutter – the fewer knickknacks you have lying around the better. Remove any personal family photos, newspapers, magazines and other personal items. Clean out your closets. Your closets will look more spacious with less in them. The same can be said for the kitchen. Remove items from the cupboards that aren’t needed. Don’t leave anything on the kitchen counters. Remove other personal items that might be religious or political. You might even want to hire a cleaning service and give the house a deep cleaning. It’s best to keep dogs, cats or other pets and their things somewhere else while the house is showing.
3) Staging the house – put on a fresh coat of paint, set the table with your best china, tablecloth and napkins. Buyers want to visualize themselves in your home. Bring in fresh flowers and or put a single fresh rose in a small area like a bathroom and the buyers eyes will be drawn to that, giving them a good feeling. Homes are often purchased for emotional reasons. There’s nothing more homey than the smell of bread baking. Dabbing a few drops of vanilla extract on the light bulbs will give off the smell of fresh baked goods. And remember, when you know the agent is on the way to show your house, turn on all the lights, (make sure you use high watt bulbs), and get out. Allow the potential buyers to relax and talk freely without you there.
4) Make it easy to show – homes that don’t get seen, don’t sell. Have the house prepared for showing at all times. Make it easy for you to get out without much notice, anytime the realtor calls. Keep your house as clean as possible all the time so all you need to do is turn on the lights and get out. If you’re not home much, get a lockbox so the Realtor® can get in whether you’re available or not.
5) Setting the right price from the start – sometimes people think they should set the price high and then lower it later if needed. This strategy can often fail by losing precious time and buyers who go elsewhere where the property was priced right from the beginning. Setting the price too high might make it seem like you’re not motivated to sell or negotiate. The first 30 days on the market are often the most important, so work with your Realtor® who will compare prices of comparable homes in the area.
Selling your property in today’s market can be a challenge. When you are contemplating putting your home up for sale, make sure it is ready. Before you list your house for sale, you will need to invest a small amount of money to prepare the house for marketing. Some folks spend hundreds of dollars to get their used car or truck ready for sale. Since your house is likely many more times valuable than your car or truck, you may need to invest a thousand or two. However, the investment may produce a handsome return.
Ken Carlson can help you find the luxury home or cottage of your dreams. No matter what you are looking for, Ken has the resources to help you find it. Call Ken at 989.240.0970 to schedule an appointment for a complete review of your personal objectives and goals.
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