Without question, people like to "save" money whenever & wherever they can. Some people's mantra is, "Never pay commission." I can understand that reasoning. Heck, I don't like sales people either. So in the spirit of the New Year, I offer my 6 rules for selling your home yourself for potential home sellers in Louisville, KY.
- Clean the home (professionally if possible) & de-clutter. Cleanliness and the removal of everything that does not add to your home's attractiveness are two relatively easy & inexpensive ways of ensuring that every single potential buyer who walks through your front door takes notice of & remembers that, if nothing else, your home was presentable. It also feeds the perception that a clean home is a well-preserved home.
- Use as much signage as is legally permissable. For Sale signs are one of the best marketing vehicles at your disposal. Directional signs at major thoroughfares are a great idea as well as long as they are allowed by your neighborhood. Make sure written text is LARGE & neat.
- Complete minor repairs/maintenance-related tasks PRIOR to putting the sign out. Buyers are fickle. If they see any obvious short-coming associated with your home that could have been addressed prior to showing, they will either use it in negotiating the price or worse, they'll walk away. Don't assume buyers have vision to see past the "little things" never bothered you. Even the ones with vision will act like they don't have any. It's absolutely crucial to eliminate all reasonable objections up front BEFORE the first potential buyer walks through the door.
- Find & use as many inexpensive internet marketing vehicles you can. There are lots of social media options. Use as many of them as you can because at least 85% of the home buying public is using the web to aid their home search. Remember, you don't have even a fraction of the resources a REALTOR does in terms of on-line marketing so you have to use everything you have because your home is competing for buyers in a market where there aren't a ton of them.
- Create a feature sheet chock full of color photos highlighting the best features your home has to offer. Keeping a box of flyers full can be a hassle & wastes a lot of paper. I suggest laminating a double-sided flyer & attaching it to your for sale sign.
- Get as much help from any agents who call inquiring about the property as you can. When you put your house up for sale by owner, you're bound to get all kinds of solicitations from real estate agents. Some will want to list your home, and some will have potential buyers. If you're serious about selling, don't waste these information gathering opportunities by being defensive. If you're willing to pay a buyer's agent a commission should one of them present you with an acceptable offer, let the inquiring agents know that up front. Don't make the commission contingent upon a specific price because that is understood. Whatever commission you're willing to pay, stick to it. Ultimately, it's up to you to pull the trigger on the sale of your home.
These six steps are absolutely crucial to getting the most money for your home as the current market will bear. Of course, the statistics show that these six strategies coupled with professional marketing exposure increase your chance at success substantially. Please contact me on how my approach to selling homes can put more money in your pocket in a shorter period of time.
