Danielle - October 2019
I Want to Sell
The time has come and you are ready to sell your property. The biggest piece of advice I can give is to put yourself in the buyer's shoes. What makes your home so great? Let's highlight those areas! Buyers have the ability to scan hundreds of homes online in a matter of hours. This is why it is essential to have your property look as good as you reasonably can. Everything from curb appeal, to decluttering the inside, maybe even a paint job of a room or two; these touches go so far to speaking to a buyer and saying "I'm the one".
Curb Appeal
Cleaning up the outside of your home is such a great way to catch the eye of qualified buyers. A tidy yard with cared for touches speaks volumes to the long term maintenance and upkeep of the property. Whether it's you spending a few weekends sprucing things up or paying a landscaper to work their magic, some time invested here can really set your property on a fast track for offers. First impressions are everything!
Inside Preparation
Staging your property surely has its benefits, but if you still live there it can be complicated. If you are preparing for a move, you can begin with decluttering and cleaning. Decluttering is not only beneficial to you, but it lets the buyers see the home more clearly and start to imagine themselves living there. Moving is such a daunting task and that's why it can be an excellent motivator to get a head start. Not only will moving things out or at least boxing them up and putting them in the garage or basement start to give you momentum, it will give buyers a cleaner and clearer look at your home and allow them to envision a life there.
Kitchens and bathrooms are increasingly important to buyers. Not that they were ever lacking demand, but there is a deeper focus in our changing marketplace. If the spaces are clean and welcoming it can be a key ingredient in cooking up a quick offer!
Bedrooms are the sanctuary to relax and rejuvenate. Crisp, clean, calm; a simple layout without the frills allows for a buyers vision to take hold as the have their first deep breath looking at what could be their own.
Marketing
This is where we can set your home apart from the rest on the Midcoast. Going the extra mile is the most important mile of the whole journey. We'll use professional photography and include drone photos and go above and beyond to give your buyers the best insight with a 3D Matterport tour of your property. This allows them to see the property far better than photos, so when they come for their showing it is already their second time seeing the property!
Let's showcase what your property has to offer. Is in near the water, how about a dock? Let's highlight the key elements that make it a home you have loved!
Back yard? Front yard? Side yard? I'll take the drone up and get some shots to give buyers a unique angle and demonstrate what the outside has to offer for lifestyle and entertaining.
Every Matterport 3D Tour I create will come with a floor plan of the house which goes a long way in helping buyers to gauge the space and understand how their furniture and belongings will fit in certain rooms. The floor plan gives added confidence to buyers and allows them to plan away!
This is part of the Matterport 3D Virtual Tour and it is called "Dollhouse". It allows buyers to view your house as a 3D model, select rooms to view, and tour the house fully as if they were there. Click the photo to see how amazing this technology can be in showcasing your home!
Inspections
I believe that one of the most important ways to sell your home fast and for as much as possible is to have it inspected. Why? Well having your home inspected shows you areas that you may not have known could be an issue to any buyers. That way you can fix or update the minor issues and be prepared for anything major BEFORE your home is under contract. I also advise getting your septic inspected as well as having your air and water tested. These tests give buyers confidence in the condition of your home with no big surprises and speeds up the whole process. Having the opportunity to close on your first chosen offer gives you a greater chance at the most money for your home versus having your first offer fall through and now with the necessity to disclose any issues to new buyers and selling it for less money in more time.
Here's a quick story for you:
I had a seller reach out to me after trying to sell their home on their own. They had a buyer that walked because the leach field failed an inspection and needed to be replaced. While the septic work was being completed, I encouraged her to go the distance with the remaining inspections (general home, air, and water) and she did. She had the leach field replaced for around $12,000 and had an additional $3,000 worth of work done to make her property shine. I hired a professional cleaner, lined up the photographer, and topped it off with some aerial drone shots and a 3D virtual tour. The property hit the market and got multiple offers in less than a week and sold for $35,000 above her for sale by owner price!!! The best part is that the buyers were so confident with the inspections that they did not negotiate at all down from their offer price since they had no inspections to do! Sure, she put $15,000 into it but came out with another $20,000. Give yourself your best shot out the gate and get your property inspected!