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Truth and Fiction about Selling your Home

Realtor Showing a Home

Selling a house can be a long and arduous process, sometimes taking years for the house to sell. There are many steps you must take in order to ensure that your house sells in the quickest way and you get the most for your money. The last thing any home owner wants to do is continually have to lower their asking price because they do not follow simple rules to expedite the sales process. Here are some truths and fictions about the selling process and how you can best maximize your home sale value and move out as quickly as possible.

Fact: A house needs to be properly staged to sell.

As much as it might be simpler to just clean the house and keep it the way it is, the truth is that a properly staged house will present much better to prospective buyers. In order to really ensure that you are able to sell your house as quickly as possible, make sure that every room is arranged in a fashion that will facilitate the quick sale.

staged living room

A good realtor will be able to advise you on the details of staging, and will help you arrange furniture, decorations, etc. in a fashion that is most conducive to the sale. There is an entire sales psychology associated with proper staging, and avoiding the reality of its effect on your home sale can delay the process by months or even years.

Fiction: You must remodel key rooms in the house, such as the kitchen and bathroom.

In fact, this is completely unnecessary. Though a newly remodeled house is always nice, it is definitely not a necessity for the selling process. If a house is properly staged, a new remodel is not needed. Make sure everything is arranged in the most attractive fashion, clean the house and present it in the best light. This is the most cost-effective way to sell the home.

On the other hand, new remodels will raise the value of a home, so if you do have the extra money, a brand new kitchen or bathroom will sometimes raise the value of the home enough to actually offset or profit off of the renovations. Still, the one risk of this is that by raising your home value it could go higher than what your target buyer is looking for.

In the end, consult with your realtor. They will know if a remodel will aid in the selling of your house. If it will help in your case and you have the money, feel free to go ahead.

renovated kitchen

Fact: If you're looking to sell, you should put a fresh coat of paint on the house that will really go with the theme.

Buying a house is sometimes as difficult as selling, and a new homeowner has no desire to deal with anything extra. With that in mind, paint the house before trying to sell. This may cost you up to $500 if you do it yourself or even more if you hire a painting company. Still, the house will be much more attractive to prospective buyers, and you could easily make that money back in sale price alone. If not, it will certainly make the house sell faster.

freshly painted room

Fiction: You absolutely must have a realtor to sell.

The truth is, for-sale-by-owner is allowed and it is possible to sell the house in this way. Though this may be a fiction, it is still better and less time-consuming if you do get a realtor. Realtors have experience selling homes, and they are motivated to get yours sold.

Find a realtor that exclusively sells houses and you can benefit from expertise and experience that will help you through all aspects of the selling process. A good realtor will know how to properly stage a house and will greatly increase your chance of selling. Still, if you must go it on your own, do as much research as you can and make sure to present your home in the best possible light.

Hopefully these truths and fictions will help make the selling of your home go by more smoothly. Sticking to these principles and having a realtor to consult on the process will greatly improve the speed of your sale. Keep them in mind if you are looking to buy too, as these are variables that you should consider.

Posted by: TrustedPros
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