3 Tips to Prepare Your Home for Market
We can all see it’s a much slower real estate market than it used to be. There are no longer lines out the door the day the house hits the market with 30 offers all over asking price with an appraisal waiver. It’s important as an agent to roll with the punches and set realistic expectations with your buyers and sellers while also staying positive.
Back in 2019 we helped a client buy his first investment property in N Austin. He immediately found renters that (fortunately) stayed and helped maintain the home until he was ready to sell this year. The home was pretty outdated and the wild market had settled so we had to make sure we took all the right steps to get it market ready”. After 2 short weeks on the market we were able to get it under contract at close to asking price with my client’s ideal buyers (first time home buyers) Here’s what we recommend when you are getting your house ready for market:
Tip #1: If your budget allows, make the mechanical/functional upgrades needed. ESPECIALLY in those older homes.
For example, my client updated the HVAC and replaced all the windows. This home had SO MANY windows and with the old HVAC system the tenants were paying $700+ for their electric bill every month in the Texas summer just to keep the house cool. This was a huge selling point and made the house look so much more updated with all new windows throughout the house.
Tip #2: Hire someone to DEEP CLEAN! Like cleaner than your house has ever been, EVER. Trust me it’s worth the money. A bonus tip: If you have wood floors have them waxed and if you have carpet get a pro in there to clean them up. Your wood floors will look brand new even if they are original to the home.
Tip #3: This is the most important one - STAGE! You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but have the core rooms of the homes staged. Not everyone is a visionary like you and can picture their furniture or even new furniture in wide open spaces.
For example, I had a client who re-did a home that was stunning! New EVERYTHING and because it was so beautiful he decided not to stage it. We sat stagnant on the market for almost a month. He decided to have it staged just to see if that helped and we went under contract in 3 days. STAGING MATTERS!
The goal is to paint a picture for potential buyers of what their future could look like in the home with the least amount of effort possible.