Tips for Selling Your Home Faster

Tips for Selling Your Home Faster

Emotional detachment – Selling a home is an emotional process, so number one piece of advice would be that once you decide to sell your home, do your best to detach yourself from it. This is not easy, but it is possible, especially with a right agent who will make this process smooth and stress free. KRA Bahamas is here to assist you.

Price your property right, it is an imperative.  The way to attract the best buyer for a home is to expose it to the largest number of potential buyers. The market dictates the amount of attention that a property will receive based on its listed price. Pricing above the market value will reduce the amount of interest from potential buyers. Pricing at or below market value will generate more attention from qualified purchasers.

Did you know that most buyers come to look at a house in the first 30 days after the listing goes on the market? So the Sellers who price their homes correctly in the beginning and take their profits with them benefit when compared to the sellers who hold out and end up reducing their price later on. All you end up doing is taking longer to sell. And often you don’t get any more money, even if you sell for the asking price at the end, that is not a realistic number. Why is that? It is because you did not take into account what it is costing you each month if the property doesn’t sell.

We must think about why you wanted to sell your property at first place. It will set a sense of urgency if necessary.  If your reason was so you can move, how quickly do you want to do it? Don’t you want to execute that plan sooner rather than later? If you wanted to invest the money or use it otherwise, would not you rather have the money now than risk the possible changes that may happen in future that can affect how you use that money, if it will appreciate or may depreciate, currency fluctuations etc.

Talk to your KRA agent. At KRA Bahamas we promise to determine the price point that will sell your home quickly for the highest price possible. 

How to get your house ready:

Curb Appeal. Acquiring the highest market value and elevating your home above the others in the same price range often comes down to first impressions. Here are some inexpensive ways to maximize your home’s curb appeal:

• Paint the front door, make it visible and accessible to buyers.
• Clear debris 
• Declutter  all the rooms
• Clean and declutter the yard
• Mow the lawn and prune hedges
• Pot or plant colorful annuals and perennials to attract attention from the street. 
• Fix broken screens and outdoor lighting
• Make sure your doorbell is working

Fix the small stuff 

• Repair or replace broken or outdated hardware throughout your home. The new hardwares improve the functionality and safety of these components.
• Install new door handles, faucets, towel bars and curtain rods. These fixtures that are readily visible to homebuyers are rather inexpensive and worth the investment.

Update lighting

• Replace decorative light fixtures that no longer fit your home’s cleaner, fresher look.
• Install new bulbs with the appropriate lighting for specific areas of your home. For example, ambient, low-key lighting fills a room, whereas directional or task lighting works better in areas like a reading nook. 
• Use accent lighting to highlight focal points in a room, such as the artwork above a mantle, to draw buyers’ attention to certain selling points.

Adjust the drapes and curtains. Ensure you have the right window treatments, which enhance natural brightness and boost the appearance of a home. Window treatments also can impact a room’s temperature because they reduce or increase the amount of light entering the space. Open up the drapes and blinds and choose lights that compliment a room, can also make a room seem bright and give that positive vibe we want to achieve so your home can feel welcoming for our potential buyers. Adjust window treatments appropriately when showing your home in the mornings, afternoon and evenings.

Paint. A well-done job painting does wonders. 

• Put a fresh coat of paint and repaint walls that have eccentric or unconventional colors. Choose neutral, nature- and spa-inspired colors, such as taupe and subtle gray.
• Don’t forget the trim and molding 
• Fresh coat of paint on older and worn cabinetry goes a long way too
• Apply a layer of fresh paint to any wooden fences and your front door.

Declutter the house. Cramped and cluttered rooms turn buyers off and make your house look smaller. Having your personal belongings can make it difficult for others to envision living there. Start by:

• Storing away excess furniture, toys and personal decorations, such as family photos.
• Pack up things you don’t use on a daily basis, and put them in storage or ask a friend to hold onto them. Decluttering your house also gives you a head start on your move.
• Remove children’s toys
• Put away pet belongings during showings and open houses.

Make it sparkle. Sparkling clean house sends the right messages to the buyers. They want know that the house  has been well taken care of, so deep cleaning can win points with buyers. Buyers are known for scrutinizing homes, especially kitchens and bathrooms. Clean the windows inside and out. Repaint to give rooms a fresh and clean look. Clean rugs and carpets to eliminate unsightly stains or dinginess and eliminate odors. Tidy each room, including cabinets, closets and the garage, before showing. It might seem daunting to do all that cleaning yourself, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to take care of all of it for you.

Consider Staging: First impression happens only once and that is when most buyers form an opinion about a home. We want to capitalize on that moment. Some research suggests that homes staged prior to listing sold an average of  almost 80% faster than homes staged after being listed. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average staging investment is between 1 and 3% of the home’s asking price, which generates a return of 8 to 10%. It’s the investment worth making. Consult your agent  and let him/her be your guide. 

Well-placed furniture can open up rooms and make them seem larger than they are.  Sometimes existing furniture does not emphasize the space as well, although it has worked well for you and your family needs. It might be a good idea to think about staging your home.  Our goal is to  help you prepare your home to look its absolute best. Staging a home effectively can result in your home selling in a much shorter amount of time and for a higher price.

In addition to that, in todays world every home search starts online. Making sure your home is effectively staged before photos are taken for your listing will significantly increase your chances of selling.

Tidy up your yard. Having a clean and neat yard will show how much you cared about your property inside and out. Keep the grass cut and yard clutter to a minimum, trim the hedges and plant some colorful flowers to bring life to your yard. 

Buy some flowers. Fresh, decorative flowers in the kitchen or on the dining room table are always  a nice touch. 

Play quiet background music and infuse your home with a comforting scent.

Remember this is someone’s future home, make them want to come back. 

Let KRA Bahamas guide your though this process every step of the way.