With an average selling time of 97 days and falling prices, it is essential to prepare well to sell your property as quickly as possible. The price of the property and its general condition are not the only decisive criteria for buyers. Here are some tips to put all the assets on your side Houston house buyers.
Set the right price for your property
The objective of any seller of real estate is to sell his property at the best price. But posting a price much higher than that of the market risks considerably lengthening the selling time. And conversely, underestimating the price would make you miss out on interesting value. This is why it is necessary to estimate your property.
You can do it yourself, with online simulation tools or by consulting real estate listings (professionals and individuals) similar to your property. Nevertheless, to have an estimate at the right price, call a professional is clearly recommended. Why? Because a simulator does not necessarily take into account some criteria that could change the selling price. A real estate agent, a real estate appraisal company or a notary can estimate your property to its true value. Namely that the last 2 proposals are paying unlike the real estate agent who offers a free estimate.
Look after the appearance of your property: an undeniable asset to sell quickly
Prospective buyers like to be able to project themselves into the apartments or houses they visit. Remember that your personal tastes are not necessarily those of others. Before you even put your property on sale and before the first visits, you must rethink your home by highlighting its strengths . Beautiful living area, master bedroom, kitchen … are all positive points to value to arouse envy to buyers. You must purify your decoration; remove the excess of too personal objects. If some furniture is too big, remove them to give an impression of more space. Give meaning to every room. A tote will sow confusion in the minds of your visitors who will not know how to exploit it. And above all, put away! What’s more repulsive than visiting a messy property? Also know that there are professionals, called home stagers, to revamp your home. This paid service is to consider if you have neither the ideas nor the time to do it yourself.
This upstream work may seem a little tedious but it will only have positive repercussions. The photos you will take for your ad will be more attractive. And for them to be successful, avoid back lighting, choose the best angle of view, avoid taking pictures when the brightness is lower, etc. The photos you choose for your ad must value your property. If you are limited in number, choose the main rooms and all the elements that make your property unique (garden, extraordinary view …). Similarly, during visits, buyers will see that you take care of your property and this will reassure them about the general condition of housing.
Do not forget that your exterior is just as important as your interior! Do not neglect it. Maintain your garden by gathering leaves, mowing the lawn. If you have a balcony, show that it can be a true outdoor space exploitable, especially for sunny days. Depending on its surface, install a table, chairs or plants.
Deal with the sale yourself or use a real estate agency?
When you decide to sell your property, you have the choice to do it alone or to be accompanied by a real estate agency. If you opt for total independence, make sure that you are sufficiently available to organize the visits and that you will be able to answer all the visitors’ questions. Some are trying to destabilize homeowners by identifying the slightest anomaly in order to lower the selling price. In addition, selling without an intermediary allows you to display a cheaper price, since there are no additional costs.
If you prefer to delegate, you have the choice between agency networks (ORPI, Century 21 …) and independent agencies. Choose one located in your neighborhood because it knows the real estate market in your area and will be able to have the right arguments to sell your property. The advantage of branch networks is that your ad is served across the entire network and will reach more potential buyers. A real estate agency usually requires an exclusive mandate (3 months) and this is preferred. Indeed, an agency receives a commission on the sale and if you put your property in several agencies, there may be less involvement from each of them. In addition, if your ad is not the same price, it discredits your offer. At the end of the mandate, if your property is still not sold, you can then use several intermediaries to increase the visibility of your ad.
Do the necessary work and repair small damages
The real estate you are going to sell, you may have been living there for a while. Apart from perhaps a few minor works, your apartment or your house remained in the original state. Cracks have appeared here and there, paint has peeled in some rooms, a tile is missing in the bathroom. So many details that do not matter to you but are important for future buyers. It may be worth investing in refurbishment or even renovation work to bring your property up to date. This investment will prove to be profitable because in carrying out these works, your property will take value.
Prepare all the necessary documents for sale
Put your real estate on sale requires preparing some documents beforehand. You must provide a DDT, a real estate diagnostics file that includes a list of mandatory diagnoses including that of asbestos, lead, the DPE (energy performance diagnosis), the ESRIS (the State of Servitudes Risks and d Soil Information) Not all municipalities are affected by the same diagnoses. Check with your town hall for the exact list. Be careful, some of these diagnoses have limited validity. If your property is slow to sell, you will probably have to do it again.
If your property is in a condominium, buyers must be kept informed of the last minutes of the general meeting of co-owners. Has work been voted on or is it planned? What is the cost ? A key issue because all work decided before the sale, is not the responsibility of future buyers. They also want to know the amount of property tax, condominium fees … You must be able to answer these questions and this in full transparency.
As you can see, selling a property quickly requires a minimum of involvement and investment. And if despite your efforts, your property does not find a buyer, perhaps you will have to redefine a new selling price to stick to the best real estate market that will probably have evolved.