You’ll often here that you should stage your home if you’re thinking of selling, and the list of reasons why seems near endless. While home staging can help your home look more move-in ready, appeal to more buyers, etc. oftentimes staging your home is simply out of the budget for many sellers. Luckily, even if you feel your budget doesn’t allow for a professional staging service, there are a few things you can do on your own that can help your home look as if it’s been staged, without the help of a professional.

Related: 6 Home Features Buyers are Looking For

De-Personalize

First and foremost, anything that is personal, or shows the life you lived in the home should be removed, from family photos to trophies and awards, dog peds and bowls, fridge magnets that show where you’ve traveled, etc. remove it all! If you’re questioning if something is “acceptable” to leave out, chances are, it’s not, time to pack it!

Clean, Clean and Clean Again!

Often when you have your home staged, professionals will bring in a cleaning service to give your home a deep clean prior to placing furniture. Cleanliness is key, so go through your home with a fine-tooth comb, cleaning every corner, dusting every surface, wiping out every windowsill, and then do it again, and again, until your home is near new and sparkling clean.

First Impressions Count

Your first impression is often what sticks with buyers the most, and thus you want to be sure to impress. Make sure your curb appeal is up to par, and if you have an entry way, give it a good cleaning, place a wreath on the door or a welcome sign by the doorway.

Related: Great Listings Photos Sell Your Home Faster

Fresh is In

Don’t go overboard, but a few house plants or fresh cut flowers in the kitchen can go a long way. Bright green plants are great for bathrooms, give a little color to your kitchen with flowers, and if you have it, a tall green house plant in the living room can boost your home’s appeal to potential buyers.

Go Neutral

If your budget allows, try to go as neutral as you can. Paint the walls all the same neutral color, we suggest a light grey as it can be paired with both cool and warm tones pending on the buyers’ preferences. Fresh paint provides a clean crisp look in addition to giving the buyers a blank canvas to make the house their own.

Re-arrange

Re-arranging your furniture can make your home look completely different. Try to minimize the furniture that you have in your home and re-arrange it until you find the ideal placements to help each room look open and bright, often creating the illusion of more square footage or space than your home may have. You don’t want your home to look empty, however think of a more minimalistic approach when it comes to placing your furniture.

Light it Up

Light is key. Open all the blinds, curtains, turn on all the lights, and open all the doors so the light flows through your home. If there are parts of your home that don’t receive good light, try adding a floor lamp or desk lamp to the area. Another tip is to try and use mirrors in your décor as it can often help reflect light, or give the illusion of extra, well-lit space.

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home and need a qualified seller’s agent to assist you, or if you have any further questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

 

More Information for Sellers

• Once in a Lifetime Seller’s Market for the Carolina’s
• What’s an Offer Review Date?
• Are Open Houses Over?
• Do I Have to Accept the Highest Offer?
• Forgotten Costs When Moving
• The Biggest Packing “Don’ts”

As time changes, so do the features that buyers are searching for. While some things can’t be changed such as the layout or location of your home, there are a few things that today’s buyers are searching for that you might be able to add to or incorporate into your home to make it more appealing in today’s market.

Related: New Year, New Home? Are You Planning on Buying in 2022?

Laundry Room

While most homes are equipped with laundry rooms, or have had them added over the years, there are still a few older, more historic homes, as well as condos that might not have their own in-unit laundry. This is easily one of the biggest features that buyers look for, so, if possible, try to create the space for a laundry room, or if space is limited, look into installing a washer/dryer combo unit.

Garage Storage

Storage space is a must, and regardless of how much, or how little storage you have within your home, if you have a garage, it should be equipped with ample storage space. Whether with built in shelving and cabinets, or hanging storage racks on the ceiling, buyers want plenty of storage of space.

Ceiling Fans

To save on electric bills due to running the air conditioning, ceiling fans, or whole house fans are a huge feature to have within your home. Additionally, ceiling fans help with air circulation which can keep the home from feeling stuffy and create a pleasant breeze.

Energy Efficient

Energy efficiency is all the rage, and if your home isn’t energy efficient, chances are, when you try to sell you will receive lower offers than you may have expected. Windows, doors, and appliances are the main areas of your home that buyers will focus on when it comes to energy efficiency, however, lighting is another great place to make your home more energy efficient.

Hardwood Floors

While carpet is still perfectly acceptable in bedrooms, it is a flooring style that buyers don’t want to see in the main living areas of the home, hardwoods are the most sought after, however tile and other durable flooring options are seen as better, or more suitable options over carpet.

Dining Room

Believe it or not, quite a few homes no longer feature a dining room. Over the past few decades more and more people have begun to eat on the couch, the kitchen counter, kitchen island, etc. and thus, a few new construction floor plans decided to eliminate the dining space, as there was a brief time that buyers didn’t see the need for the “wasted” space, however, the trend was short lived, and buyers want to ensure that their home has a dedicated dining space.

Related: Dangers of Over or Underpricing Your Home

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home and need a qualified seller’s agent to assist you, or if you have any further questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

More Information for Sellers

• Once in a Lifetime Seller’s Market for the Carolina’s
• What’s an Offer Review Date?
• Are Open Houses Over?
• Do I Have to Accept the Highest Offer?
• Forgotten Costs When Moving
• The Biggest Packing “Don’ts”

When selling, pricing your home accurately and accordingly based off of your home’s value is crucial in not only a successful sale, but also a timely and profitable sale. For some, the idea of pricing their home under value seems appealing as it could cause a feeding frenzy of sorts, however just as there are dangers with overpricing your home, there are also dangers with underpricing your home.

Related: Great Listing Photos Sell Your Home Faster

Dangers of Underpricing Your Home

Contrary to what some homeowners believe, when selling your home, underpricing your home is far from a smart strategy as it could cause a laundry list of issues, a few of the most common being:

• Deters potential buyers – a lower than market value price tag often creates the illusion that there is something wrong with the home, even if it is near perfect condition. While not necessarily true, many buyers will avoid the listing due to the notion that the home will require immediate maintenance and repair.
• Loses Value – by listing low, this could still result in offers, however, these offers may be in line with your list price and not the bidding was you had hoped for, and thus, you may be forced to accept a lower than market value offer. By accepting a lower offer, you are essentially giving up equity and could be creating financial issues for your next home buying journey as you won’t have as much capital.

Overpricing your Home

It’s no secret we are in a seller’s market, and thus, many sellers feel as if they can over price their home and try to profit as much as possible due to supply and demand, however, much like underpricing your home, overpricing your home also brings its own challenges. A few common being:

• Sits on the Market – often with overpricing, this could cause your home to sit on the market far longer than comparable homes which are listed at the proper market value, as potential buyers don’t see the point in overspending.
• Price Drop – you’ll often see price drops in listings that were originally listed too high, and while this often doesn’t mean anything other than pricing errors, it can create the illusion of something being wrong within the home, thus causing the price decrease. This decrease can often deter potential buyers.

Related: Are you Ready to Sell Your Home? How to Answer the Toughest Questions

Market Value

Whether overpricing or underpricing your home, trying to get an accurate market value of your home is crucial in your home selling quickly, efficiently, and successfully which ultimately, is the main reason you want to ensure to price your home accurately the first time. There are many different variables that go into finding your home’s market value, whether from a full competitive market analysis, to pulling and comparing comps in your area, make sure to hire an agent who is knowledgeable of your specific market area, as often list prices vary, even for comparable homes based on their location.  

If you’re currently searching for a new home are ready to sell your home or if you have any further questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

More Information for Sellers

• Once in a Lifetime Seller’s Market for the Carolina’s
• What’s an Offer Review Date?
• Are Open Houses Over?
• Do I Have to Accept the Highest Offer?
• Forgotten Costs When Moving
• The Biggest Packing “Don’ts”

Listing photos are easily the most important part of a real estate listing, and ultimately selling your home. As technology evolves, so does the real estate market, and thus, online listings. While some sellers are opting to still hold open houses for their homes, the majority of home sales are being conducted by private tours only in an effort to help limit the number of potential buyers in the property at any given time. The days of driving through your desired neighborhood and simply popping into open houses are seemingly over, and while this may be frustrating for many buyers, surprisingly it makes it difficult for sellers too.

Related: Are you Ready to Sell Your Home? How to Answer the Toughest Questions

Open houses were once the best and often the easiest way for sellers to market their homes to potential buyers as it allowed for the space to speak for itself, however, now, many of your homes best features may be missed by many buyers as they aren’t able to be physically seen before the listing is viewed and, in some cases, removed from the “favorite” list of potential buyers.

When selling your home in today’s market, your online listing needs to be up to parr, otherwise you may risk losing potential buyer’s before they’ve ever even stepped foot through the front door. In addition to being marketed in all the right places and on all the proper websites, the actual listing itself is the single-most important thing when it comes to a successful sale. The property description shouldn’t be too wordy, should highlight your homes features, nearby attractions, restaurants, schools, and ultimately, should be a portfolio of your home including, high quality listing photos.

Related: Why is my Online Listing Receiving Little to no Traffic?

Your listing photos should highlight the space and features in your home and most importantly, should be professional photos. Lighting and angles are the two biggest things that need to be thought of when listing photos are taken, as both are easy ways to either elevate your photos or have them look less appealing than the space truly is. Listings with professional photos were viewed 20% more than listings with either no photos, minimal photos, or low-quality photos, additionally, these listings sold for an average of $11,000 more than other listings and sold nearly 35% faster than other homes. So, if you’re hoping to sell your home fast, and for top dollar, hiring a reputable real estate photographer for your online listing is a great place to start.  

If you’re currently searching for a new home, are ready to sell your home and need a qualified seller’s agent to assist you, or if you have any further questions regarding Carolina Real Estate, please feel free to contact our office at any time.

 

More Information for Sellers

• Once in a Lifetime Seller’s Market for the Carolina’s
• What’s an Offer Review Date?
• Are Open Houses Over?
• Do I Have to Accept the Highest Offer?
• Forgotten Costs When Moving
• The Biggest Packing “Don’ts”