Tips For Selling Your Home in The Woodlands

With years of Real Estate experience, we understand the improvements which best position in the Marketplace and assist in the Sale of your home. Below is a comprehensive list of best practices and measures that should be considered to enhance your property’s marketability as you prepare to list and sell your property.

Get Things In Working Order

Consider scheduling your HVAC technician to evaluate and service your HVAC units prior to listing your property and be certain to vacuum/clean HVAC grates and install fresh filters.

A malfunctioning air-conditioner can generate serious buyer concerns. It’s not necessary to have new HVAC systems; however, the system(s) should be clean and functioning properly. Otherwise, when the buyer’s inspector identifies discrepancies even of minor nature, the buyer may place an unwarranted degree of concern leading the buyer to terminate the contract.

Ensure that all plumbing and electrical fixtures have a neat appearance and are in proper working condition. Replace any burned out lightbulbs and use the same lightbulbs throughout the home if possible. Consider replacing any fixtures which are unsightly or not functioning properly.

Roof Concerns

“Big Ticket” Items like the aforementioned HVAC system(s) as well as your home’s Roof are perhaps the two most costly components to replace and maintain. Consider scheduling a trusted Professional Roofing Contractor to evaluate your roof prior to listing. A qualified roofer can evaluate the roof and complete needed repairs prior to listing and buyer’s inspections. Again, the goal is to alleviate unwarranted buyer concerns following inspections. If the roofing concerns are not addressed prior to inspections, the inspector will obviously identify any roofing deficiencies upon the inspection report leading the buyer to request significant repairs and/or replacement of the roof.

Take Care Of Landscaping

The first thing a buyer notices when pulling up to your house is landscaping. Few things enhance a home’s curb appeal as significantly as landscaping. Extravagant landscape measures aren’t typically required. However, be mindful to tidy up the yard and flowerbeds and ensure plants look vibrant and healthy. Fresh mulch in the flower beds along with a few fresh seasonal flowers greatly enhance your property’s curb appeal and photos of your home.

Power washing stained driveways/walkways and even the home if needed is typically very inexpensive yet very beneficial in further enhancing your home’s curb appeal.

Remove Stains

Eliminate any stains from carpets, sinks, and other surfaces. Consider installation of new carpet/flooring if the current carpet/flooring is tired and/or dirty. Replace stained sinks and toilets if unable to be effectively cleaned.

Consider A Professional Cleaning

Upon commencement of showings, it’s imperative that your home be neat, clean and tidy. A dirty home can turn away prospective buyers faster than just about anything. In the event you haven’t the time to thoroughly clean your home, it may be best to hire a professional cleaning company to address that concern so you can focus upon more important preparations. Don’t overlook your windows, many sellers forget to clean their home’s windows. Clean Windows (interior and exterior) greatly enhance the viewing experience as prospective buyers tour your home.

Market On All Channels

Today, most people own a smartphone and use multiple social media platforms E.g. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, Linked In, and Twitter. With good photos, your home can shine on these platforms.

Photos Are Crucial

Exceptional photos are imperative for your property’s listing. Our Team at The Woodlands Realty uses the best photographers in the area to provide high quality photographs to enhance the presentation of your home. Your property’s photos will be viewed across many platforms including MLS and social media. In preparation for our photographer, please remove all clutter and make sure the home’s interior is neat and clean and that the exterior is power washed and windows (interior and exterior) are cleaned prior to scheduling/arrival of our photographer.

Lighting Is Important

Inadequate lighting can leave prospective buyers feeling a home is lacking light and may result in the buyers discounting some of the home’s finer features and attributes. If a home doesn’t have strong natural lighting, strategic interior lighting can often provide the lighting required to fill any void in natural light and alleviate buyer objections regarding poor lighting. A bright home is more inviting to buyers. Let the sunlight in if you can and add thoughtfully placed lighting if your home’s natural lighting isn’t adequate.

Eliminate Odors

Your home should immediately convey a clean and peasant environment to prospective buyers. If prospective buyers upon entry detect even a hint of an offensive odor they may assume the home may be dirty. In some cases, odors actually lead prospective buyers to suspect the presence of a serious concern like moisture and/or mold. Most Realtors can recall a showing during which a prospective buyer cut short a property tour due to an offensive pet odor and/or an odor which they deemed to be an offensive odor. If a foul smell immediately overcomes a prospective buyer upon entry, they will likely miss the home’s finest features. We grow accustomed to smells within a home within which we live including pet odors. It may be wise to have a valued friend or your trusted Realtor visit your home and offer an honest assessment to ensure there are no odor concerns within your property.

Make The Kitchen Pop

Spending money on a home you’re planning to sell may seem counterintuitive. However, for those with dated kitchens, it’s a good investment if you have the time and resources to do so. Many buyers are very focused on kitchens and buyers often select a property with an updated kitchen with appealing trending styles/colors. Most Realtors will agree that the kitchen is the most crucial room in a home as the kitchen is typically the room within which a family spends the majority of their time while at home.

Get Organized

During a tour of you home, prospective buyers will likely open virtually every door including closets and the garage. They will often even open cabinets and if the refrigerator is a built-in refrigerator, they may even peek inside there as well. By making sure these areas are clean and organized, prospective buyers can better consider and evaluate how their items will fit into the areas if they purchase your home. Don’t overlook the garage, a garage cluttered with items moved from the home to the garage in an effort to declutter the home may lead the prospective buyer to perceive there isn’t enough space in the home. Consider a temporary storage unit if needed.

Get Your Pets Out Of The House For Showings

For pet owners, it’s difficult to imagine not liking an animal. Be that as it may, some people aren’t as fond of dogs, cats, fish, and other pets as you. Removing your pet and left-behind hair and toys opens your home to everyone, improving the buyer’s viewing experience while also improving the possibility that the buyer will present an offer.

Selling your home can be stressful regardless of market conditions. To help simplify and improve the selling experience with minimal stress and inconvenience, it’s imperative that you partner with a true Real Estate Professional. An experienced Real Estate Broker/Realtor can guide you through the process calling upon our vast array of experience to properly market and sell your home at an optimal sales price with minimal days on market.

At The Woodlands Realty, we look for the privilege and opportunity to serve you with your Real Estate needs. Our team is ready to prepare a free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) for your property and we will assist you with recommendations/preparations to ready your home for photography and listing.

Give us a call to learn more home selling tips.