How To Prepare For A BIG Pay-Off When You Sell
by: Neeraj Varma
Follow the steps below to get a higher price for your house:
1. Get your house ready to sell:
a. Remove the clutter, starting from the most important room in the house...the kitchen. Then move on to the bathroom, closets, furniture and storage areas.
b. Fix up the house interior, but watch your spending! You'll be surprised at how quickly the costs add up! Spend money only on items that will increase the value of the house more than your costs. To learn how to make thousands of dollars in profit from fixing up your home go to: http://netman-ecommerce-guru.com/fix-up
c. Fix up the exterior of your house by tidying up the yard, fixing cracks in the driveway and making sure the windows and doors open easily. Spray WD40 on all hinges. Also, check that the exterior lights and doorbell work. Power-washing the driveway and porch can do wonders.
2. Select a realtor who is willing to learn why your house is worth more than the competition. Interview several realtors until it becomes obvious who knows their stuff and who doesn't. Since a house is usually the biggest investment in most people's lives, there could be some intense moments in the negotiation process. Be sure you feel comfortable with the realtor as a person.
3. Set a starting price and the lowest price you will accept. If you have lots of time to sell your house, you can start the price slightly higher than market value. If your start price is too high, your house won't sell, or the bank won't finance it. If you reduce the listing price later, other realtors will think there is something wrong with your house and will only bring bargain hunters. A realistic price is the best place to start.
4. Negotiate the listing realtor's commission and the selling realtor's commission. If the commission is too low, realtors will spend less time promoting your house. If you are in a hurry, or if you want better service, you are better off increasing the commission by $500 rather than reducing your price by $5,000.
5. Develop a features and benefits checklist for realtors. They see so many houses that after a while they all look alike. A written summary of strong points of your house helps the realtor justify a higher price when presenting to the buyer.
6. Develop a lifestyle oriented features list of your house and surrounding area. A pictorial collage of two or three pages will help increase the desirability (and higher value) of your home.
7. Just before a showing make sure everything is well dusted, all the lights are on and the windows are open, if weather permits. Use a neutral deodorizer just before the buyers arrive. Lighting a candle is very effective in eliminating odors.
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