Are you thinking of selling your home this year? Not sure where to begin or if it’s worth it to renovate your home for the sale? Well, there are actually many ways to prepare your home for the sale besides renovations. But realize that homes that were recently renovated usually command higher prices than those that were not. Since Covid started, the Department of Buildings has been processing things more slowly, making it very hard get your requests approved. I have seen an increase of buyers who prefer a ready-to-move-in home and will pay a premium for that because who knows how long it will take to renovate their new home and if the Department of Buildings will even approve what they want. If renovating is not within your budget, no problem! Other ways to prepare your home for sale are improving your curb appeal, decluttering, depersonalizing your space, doing a deep clean, neutralizing the color palette, and doing minor repairs such as fixing cracks.
Decluttering your home is a real game changer. I see many homes that have a TON of items that are not in use (think baby walker, cribs, etc.) when all the kids are married and out of the house. Storing those things out of sight is an option if you want to keep them.
Thinking of Buying? Determine Your Non-Negotiable List
When you work with a real estate agent, they’re likely to ask you for a list of non-negotiable amenities – features that you deem are a must and you won’t consider purchasing a home without them.
If you’re about to search for a home, it’s a great idea to start to create your non-negotiable list now so you can determine exactly what you’re looking for. Not to mention, your real estate agent can help you pick out the best houses to show you that suit your needs!
Don’t forget – even your “non-negotiables” become negotiable when you see the right house.
This list just helps couples to start off with some basic ideas, especially when they have widely divergent expectations of what they must have.
New Buyers – Get Those Utilities Lined Up
New homeowners, listen up! Don’t make the classic first-time home buyer mistake of not coordinating with your utility providers before moving in.
This can easily be overlooked when you have a million other tasks to take care of during the home-buying process. But nothing’s worse than finally getting the keys and then realizing that you can’t take a hot shower or turn on the lights.
So, before you move in, make sure you get in touch with your electricity and gas providers to get everything transferred over to your name. The water bill is automatically switched by closing in New York and goes on the actual home, whereas you need to contact the electric company and gas company to get those service transferred to you.
Selling Myths
Selling myths are everywhere! Don’t fall victim to any of these false facts. Let’s bust some of the most common myths that agents frequently see.
A quick offer means the property is priced too low – A quick offer doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the price of the home and various reasons like location and need could have made your home a more desirable candidate.
Overpricing a home results with a higher sale price – Don’t fall for this! If you price your home higher than what’s normal for the area, you risk scaring buyers away and leaving your home on the market for too long
Thinking the house sells itself – Even if your house has impeccable design, selling a home is still work! You have to deep clean, get it ready for staging, plan out a marketing strategy, and host open houses. Negotiating, looking into the buyer’s finances, and assuring they really can get a mortgage are super crucial to the deal as well.
Too many times, I see sellers say, “My home is beautiful, on the best block, it’s going to sell in a hot minute…” and I try to keep my comments back because in the past few years I haven’t seen more than a handful of homes that sold “in a minute.” For one reason or another it can take a few months to sell.