Selling a home is a very emotional experience for most people.  However, it doesn’t have to be a negative experience if you have the right tools to help you succeed.  Many sellers perceive the value of the home to be higher than what the buyers are willing to pay.  This is understandable because the seller has invested time and money into the home and has made memories there.  While there may always be some discrepancy, there are some simple things you can do to improve the way buyers see your home and enable you to get top dollar.

 

Staging Your Home

 

The first step towards getting the best price for the home is to make it look inviting and give it a comfortable feeling for the buyers.  This can be difficult to do when you’re moving out, but here are some tips:

 

Clear away clutter.  Buyers need to see a clean living area and must be able to imagine putting their own furniture in the home.  You also should put away excess decorations and pictures.  These family mementos hold meaning for you, but they are likely to be distracting to the potential buyers.

 

Apply a fresh coat of paint.  You’d be surprised at how much quicker homes sell simply because they’ve been freshly painted.  Avoid bright colors that might be a turn-off to some people.  Instead, stick to neutral colors or more modern desert type shades that are popular now.

 

Clean up the yards – The first thing that prospective buyers will see is your front yard.  It is imperative that bushes are neat and trim.  Placing pots with flowers near the front door is a welcome touch as well.  All debris should be cleared from front and back yards.  If you have a pool it should be cleaned.  Also, a yard is more inviting when all plants look healthy and the yard is not too sparse.  It is a small investment to replace some vegetation that has seen better days.

 

These are just a few tips.  I highly recommend that you consult a Professional Home Stager.  This person has expertise in making your home look very inviting and can save you money in the long run by helping you avoid having to reduce your price for a sale.  Below are three local stagers. 

 

Desert Chic

 

Tucson Staged Homes

 

Fresh Redesign

 

Understanding Market Conditions

 

For several years, the market in Tucson was very favorable to sellers.  Now the market is more of a “normal” market, which means that in order to sell quickly and at a good price, the seller’s home must stand out in comparison to other homes in the same area and price range. 

In order to understand market conditions, I recommend that you meet with an agent who will provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis.   Your agent will show you other homes that have sold recently as well as homes that are currently on the market so that you will understand why the agent recommends the price that they do.  Ultimately, the decision on what price to offer the home at is yours, but keep in mind that an agent will be investing time and money into marketing your home and may not be willing to take the listing if it is not priced comparable to other homes of the same size and in the same condition as yours.

 

Working with your Agent

 

Your real estate agent is a vital component to a successful sale.  It is important to find someone who will be honest with you about what is happening throughout the transaction and who has your best interest at heart.  This is the person who is representing you to other people, so it is vital to have someone that you have confidence in.  When you first meet with your agent, it is a good idea to talk about your expectations about communication and to spell out what is expected in terms of marketing and anything else that is of importance to you.  If you are not sure what would best suit you, ask your agent for advice (after all he or she is a professional).  Your agent will have experience in pricing, marketing, and knowing what to expect from buyers.  He or she also knows the legal ins and outs of selling a home.  You are paying for this person's expertise:  Use it!!

 

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