9 Tips To Follow If You Want To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

When thinking of selling your home, as the seller, you may have a price in mind of what you think your home is worth. You have sentimental value, memories, and a personal attachment to this home.  In your mind your house might the best on the block, neighborhood, and city you have called home. It very well may be the best of the best, but when thinking of selling your home, it will benefit you greatly, as a seller, to get an inside look of the current market in your area. The best way to get this inside look is through a home valuation from a trusted Realtor who works with the ins and outs of your market every day. Presenting a home to the market is the most important moment a seller can have. This is first impression; you want all eyes on your home and you will want to drive as much traffic to your home as possible. Railton North + Co | Homes Park City will help get you set up on the right marketing path to have your home looking its best to make sure you do not leave any money on the table while selling and negotiating one of your biggest investments. Let’s jump into the 9 steps to follow if you want to sell your home for top dollar. Understanding the Park City Market and following these 9 tips will make sure your home stands out above the rest.

Tip 1 To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

Tip One - Pricing your home right and selecting the right realtor. Schedule a home valuation meeting with a trusted Realtor in your area. Make sure the Realtor you choose is active in the current market. A Realtor who is working full time in the local real estate market has a true pulse on what is happening for both buyers and sellers. You may have a friend or cousin who has their license and will sell real estate as their hobby, but this can be a risky move as they may tell you what you want to hear about your home, instead of presenting facts and data from current industry insights and analytics. When you get your home valuation or competitive market analysis from your realtor, they should give you a few listing options for selling your home. The choice is yours on the story you want to tell about your home, but your realtor should give their opinions on the best strategy for the current market. Don’t fall for the highest listing price as your home could set on the market for too long and get forgotten about. A home that is priced aggressively gets the most buyers into the home and we are seeing a result of multiple offer situations with the seller getting that higher price than expected at the end of the day.

Tip Two - Curb appeal. The first impression is the only impression. Most buyers will drive by your home before the schedule a showing. They want to get a feel for the neighborhood and your home. This is your first chance to grab their attention and have them book a showing as soon as they can. Curb appeal can be inexpensive and most of the time you will get your money out of the investment put in. Plant fresh flowers, add in new wood chips in all flower beds and in your tree wells, make sure the yard is upkept and sidewalks and driveways are free of debris. If you use the driveway for storage, make this area look as neat as possible or rent out a space in a storage lot to store the RV, boat, or extra cars while your home is on the market. When a buyer schedules their showing, you want the buyer to feel warm, welcomed, and safe while approaching your home. Buyers want to see the potential of the home as well as the ability to make it theirs without too much hassle. If your entry is big enough, a small bench and welcome mats are a nice touch.

Tip Three - Declutter. You are selling your home with a goal to move, so why not start the packing process, donation process or selling process early? When decluttering your home, you are showing off how much space your home truly has. This leaves a lasting impression with the buyer. If a home is packed with furniture, décor, kids toys, and years of stuff you have accumulated, this can be a turn off to a buyer. The rule of decluttering is 50%. A room, closet, pantry, and garage should be 50% empty. This gives the buyer a better idea on how much storage your home has and shows the buyer that you are ready to move. Aside from the space, potential buyers can get distracted by your belongings which will take their attention away from the home for sale. The items you decide to keep in these areas should be kept organized and tidy until you are ready to move out.

Tip Four - Lighting. Most buyers in todays market want natural light and a bright space when they walk into a home. Here are a few tips to help you make the best impact you can with lighting. Take down drapes and clean the windows on the inside and outside. Make sure all the lightbulbs in your home are working and up the wattage to bring more light to the area, upgrade the lamp shades and trim any bushes or trees that make be blocking your windows. Upgrade your light fixtures to make the space feel more modern and to make sure the room has adequate light for the area.

Tip Five - Deodorize your home. You may not notice it, but every home has its own unique smell. If you have animals, a potential buyer could come into your home and all they can think about is this home smells like dog or cat. Hire a company to come do a deep clean of the home to make sure all walls, doors and base boards are wiped down. Get your carpets professionally cleaned and replace your air filters. During the time your home is on the market make sure your home smells its best while not being too overpowering with scented candles. Go with clean laundry scents and only have a few candles or plug-ins in the home. While we are talking about animals, make sure the animals’ toys, beds and bathroom area are clean and put away while you are showing your home.

Tip Six - Make small upgrades. Many sellers think that if they remodel an area in their home that they will get 100% of their money out of that project. This is not always the case and most buyers who see a quick remodel are most often disappointed as they don’t like the style or choice of the remodel. Stick to simple upgrades that will make the most impact on your homes value. Upgrade light fixtures, paint the interior of the home a nice neutral tone, door handles, new knobs and handles on all cabinetry, makes sure all door and closet doors work correctly, fix any leaks, and make sure the grout is clean on floors and in bathroom areas.

Three More Proven Tips That Will Help Sell Your Home For Top Dollar

Tip Seven - Staging. Take the home out of your house. We know that this is your home, but when a buyer walks into your house, you want the buyer to see themselves living in this house as their own home. Hiring a professional stager will help to give you a streamlined plan on what steps to take. De-personalize the home by removing all family photos, memorabilia, collectables, and keepsakes. The home staging could look a few different ways depending on if you are occupying the home or not. If you are still living in the home, a few furniture items may be brought in to neutralizes living spaces, adding fresh linens and rugs can go a long way. If you have moved out of your home, a full furniture package would be brought in to create the magazine style home when buyers first walk into your house. With Railton North + Co | Homes Park City, your home staging package is included in our marketing budget, so we cover this cost for you.

Step Eight - Focus on your kitchen. The kitchen is the gathering space of the home, so many buyers will put most of their focus on what does the kitchen look and feel like. While doing a full remodel may be out of the question, there are a few things you can do to make this space feel updated. If you can afford to put in new countertop, do it. This upgrade may cost a couple thousand dollars but could save you in negotiations when a buyer is asking for $10,000-$15,000 off the purchase price because the kitchen isn’t updated. Buy a stainless-steel fridge if yours is older. This will give the impression that your kitchen has updates, and a fridge is a focal point in the kitchen. Paint the kitchen a nice neutral white to make it feel bright and clean and add some new hardware to your cabinets. Trust me, these small upgrades will go a long way in a buyer’s mind.

Step Nine - Always be ready to show. I know this can be difficult is you are living in the house with a family, but you never know when a potential buy will want to see your home. If you have children or pets, adopt the bin system. Your closets or your garage have already been cleaned out, so you should have some extra storage room for a few bins that you can throw in the toys, clothes and towels that may end up on the floor. This is an “easy” pick up routine to help you get out the door fast. Make sure dishes are not in the sink and all counters have been wiped. If you are tight on time, call your realtor, as they are your helping hand to get your home sold.

Let Railton North + Co. Help You Sell Your Park City Home For Top Dollar

Selling your home is one of your biggest investments and Railton North + Co. | Homes Park City wants to make sure that you get the best service and negotiation power to make sure your investments pays out as it should. Taking pride is the sales process also shows the potential buyer that you have cared for the home well and they will have more faith in what they are purchasing. To start your home selling process, click here to get a home valuation started and Railton North + Co. | Homes Park City will be in contact soon.