Selling a house is challenging. There is much to do, from cleaning fixtures to organizing paperwork and setting up appointments. To help ease the stress and chaos, let’s examine seven things you might not know about selling your home. If you are considering selling your Cotswold property for sale, consider these seven underestimated ways to sell your home as efficiently and smoothly as possible.
1. You need a local, experienced real estate agent
Even though it is not mandatory, hiring a real estate agent is highly recommended to help you sell your Cotswold real estate home. Statistically, a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) home sells for 17% less than a home sold with a licensed realtor. When you hire a real estate agent, you get invaluable connections and extensive experience.
A local realtor familiar with Cotswold can connect you with a network of people who might be interested in buying your home or who can provide essential services to maximize your home’s curb appeal. A realtor is an expert negotiator on your team, always looking out for your best interest. It helps to have a skilled real estate agent who knows the industry and the locality well so that you can efficiently and quickly sell your home.
2. You need to fix any major problems
Well before you list your home on the market to sell, you need to do an extensive walk-through of your home. You can hire a home inspector to walk through your house and note any potential home problems. After receiving the report from your home inspector, read through it and then determine what may or may not be worth fixing.
For example, problems such as holes in the walls, broken windows, leaky faucets, and broken appliances should be fixed to improve the curb appeal of your Cotswold property for sale. You can also paint the walls and change the light bulbs to help make your home shine. However, don’t take on massive upgrades in your home, as you could potentially lose more money in the process. Don’t strive to create a perfect home, but instead aim to show the home’s considerable potential.
3. You need to stage your home
After walking through and inspecting your home, the next step is to stage your home. That does not mean you should pack up all of your things and leave the house looking bare. Keep only the necessary furniture and other artifacts in every room in the house. You can go ahead and remove the personal pictures and trophies, but keep neutral objects such as a few select books and paintings in the home. You want buyers to be able to walk through and fit their lifestyle in the house.
4. You need to hire a professional photographer
After making minor repairs to your home, it is time to hire a professional photographer. Nothing screams amateur like smartphone pictures. Instead, hire a professional photographer to capture images and highlight the best features of the home’s exterior and interior. Excellent images encourage potential buyers to visualize themselves and their lives in your house. Having professional photographs of your property also shows that you genuinely care about the quality of your home. A great picture can help convince the right buyer to take the next step toward making an offer on your house.
5. You need to understand that videos are more powerful than photos
Today, videos are making a huge impact and are often even more powerful than still images. In addition to having high-quality professional photographs, you also need professionally produced videos.
Simply put, videos sometimes are much more appealing to watch than photographs. They allow potential buyers to step inside the home virtually and imagine themselves inside the frame. Moreover, photos can hide certain inconsistencies or flaws in the house, which is more challenging for a video. Therefore, having professional videos of your home communicates transparency to potential buyers. Listings that contain videos get 403% more responses than those that do not use any video in their listings. As you can see, videos are well worth the investment and will help sell your Cotswold property for sale faster.
6. You need to have everything documented
Before you invite your first of many potential buyers to your home, you need to gather all of your paperwork. By compiling all paperwork ahead of time, you can quickly and efficiently pull them out when your potential buyer asks to look at them (and they most likely will). No serious buyer will take your word at face value, so having documentation on the house is essential.
You need documents on home inspection reports, original sales contracts, title and ownership liens, tax records, mortgage documents, and monthly dues to your home association. Having all this information ready shows that you are well prepared, transparent, and trustworthy, so the potential buyer will feel comfortable making an offer on your house.
7. You most likely will not get the asked-for price
The important thing to note is that the asked-for price is merely the starting price. It is most likely not the price that you will end up closing on. After consultation with your realtor, you can determine the right price to list your home based on the median prices of similar homes in Cotswold. The main thing to remember is not to ask for a price too low, as you don’t want to undervalue your house.
Instead, look at the range of costs of similar homes in your neighborhood and then, depending on the condition of your home, evaluate what you and your real estate agent feel your home is worth. Remember, there is always room to negotiate with your potential buyer. You can ask them to make another offer, or you could counter it with another price. The goal is to show that your house is well worth the extra effort and cost, so once you settle on a number, stay firm and committed. You can then find a price that you feel is perfect for the value of your Cotswold real estate home.
Now you are ready to start selling your Cotswold home. By following these suggestions and hiring an experienced real estate agent such as The Laws Collective, you will be well prepared to sell your house in today’s challenging real estate market. Contact The Laws Collective directly to start the process of selling your home today.
*Header photo courtesy of Shutterstock
