Expert Tips for Selling Your Austin Home
Selling a home can be an exciting experience for homeowners. But it can also be a little nerve-wracking. My advice is to keep the excitement but minimize the nervousness. You can do this by being actively involved in the process of selling your Austin home, which will make your real estate agent's job easier and lead to a quicker sale. And that's what selling a home is all about!
Here are some specific things you can do to sell your Austin home faster, and for the best possible selling price.
1. Capitalize on First Impressions
Every home makes a first impression on potential buyers. Of course, with that being said, some first impressions are good ones and some are bad. Here's how to keep your home in the first category.
Start with the so-called "curb appeal" of your Austin home. These are the things buyers will see when they pull up to the curb in front of your house. Keep your lawn mowed, manicured and well watered (in spring and summer). A healthy, neatly trimmed lawn can do wonders for boosting curb appeal, and for helping you sell your Austin home quickly!
Give your home's exterior a close inspection, with an eye on the paint. Is the paint chipped, faded or otherwise shabby? If so, get to painting. This is one of those small investments that can make a big difference, and it will improve your home's first-impression potential even more.
2. Make the Entryway Inviting
You may have noticed we are working our way through the home like a buyer would. We started with the curb appeal, since that's the first thing buyers will see. Now we are continuing inside the home as a buyer would, with a brief stop at the home's entrance.
An entryway should be clean and inviting. Make sure the front door has a fresh coat of paint. Get rid of all those cobwebs, the dead bugs inside the porch light -- you know, all those things you meant to do for so long. Does your home have vinyl siding on it? If so make sure it's clean, especially around the home's entryway. When it comes to vinyl siding, you'd be amazed what a sponge and a bucket of car wash solution can do.
3. Fix Those "Small" Problems
Small problems with a home may not seem like a big deal, when they are considered in isolation. But lots of small things can accumulate in a buyer's mind, giving them a bad overall impression of your Austin home. By small things, I'm referring to faucets that drip, toilets that run, cabinet doors that stick, holes in walls, burned out light bulbs, etc. Sure, the "big stuff" like square footage and kitchen layout are the real keys to selling your Austin home ... but don't ignore the small stuff!
4. Don't Forget Safety
It's easy to focus entirely on the cosmetic aspects when prepping your Austin home for the market. But you also have to think about safety. After all, you'll be having strangers walk through your home on a regular basis -- people who are not familiar with the home's layout. So you are responsible for the safety of these people.
Start by doing a safety walk-through of the entire house. Look for trip hazards such as loose rugs and electrical cords. With children in mind, keep sharp items out of sight, and keep heavy items where they can't be pulled off shelves or counters. When people come to view the home, offer plenty of light.
5. Maximize the Space in Your Home
You can make the rooms in your home seem larger by removing clutter, scaling back on the number of furniture items, and arranging furniture in a way that increases the flow of the space. When furniture is too large for a room, or if there are simply too many pieces in the space, it makes the room seem much smaller.
Removing clutter is another way to open up a room. When shelves and tables are overcrowded with pictures, statues and other knickknacks, the walls seem to close in on the space. This is obviously not something you want, so pack away all of those personal effects. It's okay to leave a well-placed vase, decorative bowl or a neutral piece of artwork, but use these things sparingly. Everything else should be packed up and moved aside.
6. Brighten Up the Kitchen and Bathrooms
If you've ever watched one of the real estate programs on television, you've probably heard the expression about kitchens and bathrooms. You will have a much easier time selling your Austin home if you spend a little extra time preparing the kitchen and bathrooms. These are big selling points because they are important areas for buyers.
Start with the basics - cleaning. Your kitchen and bath areas should sparkle with cleanliness. Organize them well and remove clutter. In this context, "clutter" includes coffee makers and pots and pans (in the kitchen), and toiletries and hair dryers (in the bathrooms).
If your fixtures are outdated, consider replacing them for some added appeal. Sink fixtures can be updated for a small amount of money, but it can go a long way helping you sell your Austin home. The same goes for bathroom tile, cabinet knobs, mirrors and light fixtures.
7. Consider Your Pets
When selling a home in Austin, pets can interfere in two ways. For one thing, their very presence might scare some people (especially true with dogs). Secondly, their scent can turn off buyers (especially true for cats). So if you have pets, remove them from the home when potential buyers come to view it. Do some extra cleaning to eliminate pet odors as well, even if it means you have to bring in a professional cleaner.
Questions About Selling in Austin?
Do you have questions about selling a home in the Austin area? If so, I'd be happy to speak with you. As a veteran real estate professional, I've been on both sides of the home selling process. So I've learned a lot about what the "average buyer" is looking for in a home ? as well as what they don't want to see in a home. This gives me a valuable insight that you can use to help sell your own home in Austin. So please with any questions you have about home selling.
