Selling a home can be a daunting task for anyone who is needing to get their home on the market as quickly as possible. And with the holidays fast approaching, you’ll be vying for buyers’ attention around the Charleston area. To attract buyer interest, you’ll need to get your home sell ready and outfitted for the season. Here’s how you can sell your home before the holidays:
Day 1: Find an Agent & See How They Can Sell Your Home
Find an agent who seems more concerned with properly selling your home than simply making a profit. Attend an open house or two to find a reputable agent while asking for referrals from other agents. Once finding the right person, discuss their plan for selling your home and the time frame they expect to sell it in.
Day 2: See What Your Home is Worth
The best way to determine the value of your home is by asking your agent to do a comparative market analysis (CMA) while taking repairs or upgrades on your property into consideration. Your agent should also inform you on the current market conditions and give you an estimate of where to price your home at. You can also hire a home appraiser to get another expert opinion on how much your home is worth (in the eyes of lenders).
Day 3: Decide on a Listing Price
The listing price should be set a little higher to make room for negotiations, while still remaining fair to the buyer. It should also be low enough to still be competitive with other homes on the market to ensure it peaks interest.
Day 4: Make Necessary Repairs
Selling a home that needs repairs will reduce its value, as well as lose the interest of potential buyers. Repairing sagging screen doors, cracked tiles, scratches on cabinets, and even old toilet seats can turn buyers’ opinion around and drive interest. Home buyers always want to purchase a home in good condition.
Day 5: Clear the Clutter in Each Room
Clutter immediately detracts from the overall appearance of the home’s interior, making it important to remove these items before buyers tour around your home. Items like toys on the bedroom floor, over-stacked papers in the home office, and too many kitchen appliances on the counter can be negative aspects to the subconscious mind of a buyer. Try to minimize these items and tidy up the house.
Day 6: Arrange Furniture in a Way That Sells
Rearrange the home’s furniture to make it more appealing to buyers, between having a focal point in each room to ensuring that the space is broken up evenly. Remove an excess of furniture that can make a room appear too cluttered and place furniture diagonally near corners to give the room dimension.
Day 7: Stage the Bathroom
Home buyers often pay the most attention to bathrooms, making it important to remove clutter for more counter/sink space. Try adding some fresh towels and a few decorative accessories. All personal items should be tucked away, as buyers don’t want to see your personal hygiene style.
Day 8: Stage the Kitchen
The kitchen should appear spotless and only have two or three items on the counters to ensure a clean and tidy space that is easy to imagine living in. The main focal points that you want to highlight in your kitchen is the amount of counter space and your appliances. Show that there’s plenty of room to cook in the kitchen and that it’s comfortable.
Day 9: Enhance the Curb Appeal
The front yard is the first thing home buyers will see of your property. It’s the place where they will develop their first impression, and you want to set the stage the correct way. Rake up any dead leaves, clear up any fallen tree limbs, and mow the lawn if it needs a tidying up.
Day 10: Add Seasonal Touches
Use decorative elements in the home to celebrate the season by adding stockings to the mantle or a wreath on the front door. These items will not only add a little bit of unique decor to your home, but will also appeal to current emotions during the holiday season. It will make buyers feel like your home is their home — which will drive them to make an offer.
Day 11: Prepare & Host an Open House
The open house should be planned well by promoting it on social media, having pets stay with a friend, and creating a neutral environment for a space that is more inviting and easy to imagine living in. Spend the day around town and let your agent handle the open house. They will talk with potential buyers and get feedback about your home. Buyers are often more open about viewing a property when the owner is not there watching them.
Day 12: Review Feedback from the Open House
If you haven’t received any offers, the open house will be a good source of what buyers are thinking. Do they think your home costs too much or isn’t big enough? From there, you can adjust your home strategy with your agent.
Selling Your Home in Charleston, SC
If you’d like more information about selling your home in Charleston, read our free home seller’s eBook: