How to Achieve a Satisfying Sale in a Challenging Housing Market

How to Achieve a Satisfying Sale in a Challenging Housing Market

While most markets are set to frenzy right now, some markets are a bit cool. And when the market is down, it can make putting a house up for sale seem unwise. However, there are ways to turn a lean market to your advantage. Making your home stand out from the crowd is challenging, but not impossible. Read on for tips on how you can still achieve a satisfying sale, even given the current situation.

Understand the Process

Things have changed since you purchased your home. When the pandemic erupted, the real estate market adjusted its procedures to accommodate the safety of everyone involved. Happily, technology is helping to keep things rolling, and the current market favors sellers. You can use tools like virtual showings and open houses, 3D walkthroughs, and video chats for the process, and not only does the technology make this all possible, it’s user-friendly. And if you do hit any hiccups, you can always get help from an experienced and dedicated real estate agent like Raymond Maestas.

Technology can also be beneficial when it comes to keeping your paperwork organized. Now is the time to digitize any paperwork you have relating to home ownership or selling your home. Scanning these documents and saving them as PDFs will make them easier to share with your realtor and potential buyers. If you’re sending particularly large files, you can compress a PDF online with a compressor tool that reduces the file size to make longer documents easier to email.

Know Your Numbers

When you’re planning to list a home for sale, a good basic starting point is in recognizing the current value on the market. This is based on things like how many bedrooms the house includes, square footage, the specific location, and the price points of similar homes in the area. This is just a ballpark number, but it will give you a general idea of what to expect. From there, you can influence the price and how quickly you get an offer by making your home desirable.

Start with Essentials

A home that is move-in ready is always going to appeal to buyers. This means it not only is in good repair, but it will also require minimal tweaking for the buyer to become comfortable. In other words, you should focus on maintenance and easy-to-work-with decor.

Your first priority should be the usual home selling strategies. Make any lingering repairs, like worn window screens, scratched floor trim, and dented drywall. While you’re making these fixes, as Mr. Handyman explains, it’s also a perfect time to refresh your paint. Remember to aim for neutral colors that can easily flex to house hunters’ personal tastes.

Then, do a thorough decluttering, removing any unnecessary furniture or other nonessential decor, and leaving just enough in each space to suggest its purpose. You can use this opportunity to start packing up, but make sure you don’t fill your rooms with boxes. If you don’t have a discreet spot for them, plan on keeping them off-site until after your house is sold.

Spotlessly Clean

With fewer belongings in your way, getting your home thoroughly clean is much easier, and with the pandemic situation, it’s more critical than ever. You’ll make a great first impression in your photos and other digital presentations by creating a spotlessly clean home since buyers and sellers alike are especially concerned about germs right now.

Touch base with your real estate agent as to the policy for showings and tours; many limit how many people can enter the home at a time, require social distancing, masks, booties, and so forth. Keep in mind that whether you have virtual walkthroughs handled by a real estate professional, or in-person walkthroughs with prospective buyers, you’ll want to clean before and after the tour. As far as cleaning supplies that will kill the virus, ScienceAlert notes that many household products can do the trick, including bleach, hand soap, and antiseptic wipes.

Selling your home at any time can feel like a major challenge, and with a pandemic tossed into the mix, it’s particularly daunting. However, with the right strategies, you can present a home that will catch buyers’ eyes, and subsequently catch a satisfying sale. Be thorough in your preparations so you can look forward to your success.