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Are you planning to sell your WA home some time soon? If so, you’ll obviously want to be able to sell in a relatively short amount of time and get the highest sale price possible. This is a goal that just about every seller has.
But achieving this goal takes a lot of work and careful planning. Not only are there a number of things that you should do to make sure you experience a successful deal, but there are also some things you should avoid doing so you don’t throw a wrench in the deal. Here are some important mistakes to avoid making when selling your Washington home.
Photos are a crucial component of marketing your home for sale. After all, it’s the images that you advertise that will initially attract buyers to your home. The home buying process is a visual one, so providing images for prospective buyers to look at before they decide to book a showing is essential.
That said, it’s also important that you use high-quality photos for your listing. Using lousy photos or no photos to promote the property for sale is foolish. Professional photography is not so difficult or expensive that sellers should settle for the use of bad photos. Sometimes all the potential buyers will see is the photos they find online. If the photos are bad or not there at all, then that is the end of their interests.
To stimulate interest in a property, it is even better to use a high-quality video walk through than simple photos. This allows a buyer to enjoy a virtual showing of the property. Forget about snapping pics of your home using your iPhone. Instead, you should enlist the services of a professional photographer to ensure that each image is the best-quality photo possible. These experts know exactly what it takes to show a property in its best light, which can go a long way at helping to draw in more buyers and even promote a quicker offer.
Sometimes, buyers should step aside and let the experts guide the process. This is your home, and you’ve likely built up a lot of memories in it. As such, your home means something more to you than it would to someone who has never lived in it. To you, it’s your home that has meaning and personal value. But to a prospective buyer, it’s just a house with four walls.
Considering this, it’s easy for sellers to be emotional about selling their home. But these emotions can get in the way of a successful deal. If emotions run high during the negotiations, it’s easy for a deal to fall through. That’s why it’s always best to leave the negotiating and selling process to the experts who do this for a living.
Having your home staging can help you sell faster and for money. It’s been proven time and time again. Failing to stage your home can cost you.
Home staging essentially involves getting your home in tip-top condition so that it’s most attractive to buyers. There are different components to home staging, which usually start with de-cluttering the home so that it’s clean and tidy. This allows the home stager to start with a clean slate.
From there, some de-personalization of the home is necessary. This means removing any photos or family items in order to help buyers visualize the home as theirs. The reason for doing this is to allow the potential buyer to imagine their family living in the home and not have them think about the previous residents.
Then, the home stager will re-arrange furniture or add new pieces to create great flow and functionality to space. Decor and accessories can then be added to complete the space and make it looks its best to buyers.
It may be tempting to try to sell a home without utilizing the services of a professional REALTOR®. However, many studies show that the net price that sellers receive for selling a home on their own is about the same as if they used a real estate agent.
Usually, the price achieved by a professional real estate agency is higher than what an owner may achieve alone. The reason for this is that buyers expect to get a discount from the market price for a for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) home. Another consideration is that marketing a home is not easy for amateurs to do, so FSBO homes may languish on the market for a long time before selling.
You might think you’re saving some money by going the FSBO route, but you could actually leave money on the table.
Listing a home for a price that is higher than the market value automatically puts the seller at a disadvantage. It discourages a potential buyer from making an offer. This stigmatizes the home and makes it look like something may be wrong with it.
The listing can eventually become stale as it sits on the market longer than it has to. Eventually, this may lead to having to discount the listing price.
Homes that have a pre-inspection and all the necessary repairs made are much more attractive to buyers. This is true, even if the price includes a discount from market value to allow for the estimated repair costs. It is mostly a matter of convenience for buyers who want a home that is ready to move in and does not immediately need repairs to be made.
Avoiding these common, and sometimes costly, mistakes may help sellers to sell their homes faster and hopefully get a higher price. Work with a qualified REALTOR® to learn more about how to get a home ready for sale, what price to ask for, when to list it, and what to do to maximize the sales price.
If you are in the market for a new home or interested in refinancing your current property, be sure to consult with your trusted home mortgage professional to discuss financing options.
If you’re curious about mortgages in WA, Sammamish Mortgage can help. We are a local mortgage company based out of Bellevue, Washington that serves the entire state, as well as Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado. Our mortgage experts will work closely with you to help you determine which one of our mortgage programs is best. Contact us today with any questions you have about home loans in Washington State.
Whether you’re buying a home or ready to refinance, our professionals can help.
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No Obligation and transparency 24/7. Instantly compare live rates and costs from our network of lenders across the country. Real-time accurate rates and closing costs for a variety of loan programs custom to your specific situation.