Real-estate market is competitive. With the recent downfall in the economy, an increase in the number of houses and properties up for sale was witnessed by the country. But the economy is starting to recover. According to the 2009 Mortgage Choice First Homebuyers survey, the number of people who are in the position to purchase new homes has increased in 19%.
If you have decided to put your house on sale, then it could be a sad and painful experience seeing it remain unsold for a while. Real estate agents and experts recommend few things that will surely help in making your house and property noticed.
Hiring a good agent.
A good real-estate agent, would help in selling your house fast. Of course, it would mean that you would be giving commission to the agent when the sale is concluded. But real-estate agents would have enough contacts and tools that could be used creatively to clinch to deal. When choosing an agent, make sure to check their references, background, and experience. An agent should have knowledge about your neighborhood and its market history.
Name a good price.
Price is always important, it could either make or break the sale of your home. Your real estate agent should have an idea on what would be the appropriate price for your house and the price range in the location. A house which is too expensive may push away prospective clients while a very low price may raise some questions on the credibility of the property. You could ask your agent to do a comparable market analyses (CMA) to get an idea on how much were the houses in your area sold for.
De-clutter
People would want to visit and live in a nice home, not a messy one. Remove clutter and tidy up. Put away things that are not frequently used. If potential buyers are coming over to check the house, it is to put away photos from walls and shelves. Potential buyers are not interested in looking at your holiday pictures, they are more interested in picturing themselves in your lovely home. Make your house look more spacious by getting rid of unnecessary furniture, clearing out cabinets, and removing items on top of tables and shelves.
Home staging
Home staging is another aspect on real-estate marketing. A home seller could get a home stage, the real-estate agent may offer similar services or the sellers could learn how to stage their space for buyers. Home staging is about redesigning or arranging furniture around the home to make it more neutral, homey and comfortable for the clients. Home staging would be able to help the clients picture themselves in the house and eventually purchase it.
Fix things
You could fix minor problems in the house like broken faucets or window treatments. Take note of these problems when you check your house. It would indeed take time and effort, but would be worth it. Simple home improvement repairs could just be small things but buyers would be able to notice them.
Leave the house
When prospective clients will visit your house, it is better not to be there. Of course, you would like to make people see how great the house is, but it would be uncomfortable for both buyer and seller. Buyers would not be able to talk to the agents about their real opinion of the real estate and property. Aside from that, buyers would be able to ask questions freely, if the owner is not present.