How to Sell Your House Faster For the Highest Possible Price!!

1. Price it right in the beginning. Trying to “test” the market on your price can make other properties look better and may cause your home to age on the market. Properties that sit on the market overpriced can end up looking desperate to buyers and may cause low-ball offers. In the end, the National Association of Realtors research shows that overpriced properties end up selling for less money than if they had been priced right in the beginning.

2. Be flexible about showings to the degree that you can. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.

3. Be ready for an offer. Decide in advance what price & terms you’ll accept.

4. Don’t refuse to drop the price...if your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer you should seriously consider lowering your asking price. Generally speaking homes don’t sell for 3 reasons; location, condition or price. If your home is receiving showings but hasn’t had an offer, you need to ask yourself which of these three factors is stopping buyers from making an offer. If it isn’t condition or location ~ it is your price.

5. Get your home market-ready and keep it that way while on the market. To do this consider the following items:
   • Get rid of clutter, pack & store out of season items, toys and clean out closets and cupboards. Your goal is to make your house, closets and cabinets look as roomy as possible.

   • Wash your windows and screens.

   • Thoroughly clean your home and keep it that way. Clean the oven, wash walls & switch plates. Buyers looking at a house think cleaner homes have been better cared for and it can help increase the price you receive.

   • Get rid of smells. Have your carpets professionally cleaned and if you smoke, clean the draperies and don’t smoke in the house. Also, while your house is on the market try not to cook anything that adds ‘unique’ cooking odors to the home.

   • Put higher wattage bulbs in your light fixtures to make rooms look brighter. Make sure you replace any burnt-out bulbs.

   • Make all minor and major repairs that you can. Small problems, such as sticky doors, cracked caulking or a dripping/running plumbing fixture may seem trivial, but they give the impression to buyers that your home isn’t well maintained.

   • Tidy the outside space. Keep your grass mowed and trimmed, edge the lawn, put out bright flowers and make sure the exterior of your house is painted and clean. It helps to hose down your house every month, especially in areas visible when buyers come up the walk.

   • Clean your gutters and make sure you change your furnace filter often. Both of these items aren’t readily seen by buyers until you are under contract and the inspector checks them out. But having them clean shows the inspector that you care for you house and doesn’t cause him to think you have deferred maintenance issues.

   • Buy a new and welcoming door mat.

   • Don’t burn candles that have a strong scent. Many buyers will fear you are hiding some smell if the candle is overpowering. One way to make a home welcoming is to keep refrigerator cookies available and cook up 4 or so before showings. It makes your house smell ‘homey’ and you can leave the cookies on a plate with a note for the buyers and Realtor to help themselves...a very nice touch!

   • Keep your home as light and bright as possible for showings. Open the draperies or window coverings to allow as much light without making it obvious that you are doing so. Leave lights on for showings even if it is the middle of the day.

   • Rearrange furniture to make each room easy to maneuver and look as large as possible. If you have big pieces, you might consider moving a piece out of the room and storing it to make the room look larger and more inviting.

   • Leave your home when there is a showing scheduled whenever possible. Buyers like to feel they can freely talk about the house as they are going through. If you can’t leave, go out in the garage or patio.

The Nichols Team, LLC
Real Estate Agents Denver Colorado

Steve & Annette
Owners/Brokers
303-316-0166 Office
303-322-3507 Fax