Top 5 Tips For Selling Your Home

Selling your home is no small task. We've put together our top 5 must-do's to follow when it's time to hit the market!

Homeowners and even seasoned realtors make plenty of mistakes when they put a home on the market. Without a clear strategy and detailed plan, it is easy to leave money on the table and miss out on a serious opportunity. Selling a home is likely to be the biggest sale of your entire life so it pays (literally) to learn as much as you can.

With that in mind, we have compiled 5 tips for listing your home. This isn't everything you should do, but it's a great start!

Tip #1 - Don't Start Fixing Everything

Listen, we are not encouraging the average homeowner to sell their home in a state of total disrepair. However, it is important to realize that not every repair is going to give you a good return on your investment.

Let's say you spend the national average of $8,000 for a brand new roof! After all your buddy Mike told you last summer you should replace it and any buyer with an agent will notice it's about time. You should think for a moment that perhaps spending $8,000 to fix the roof may not increase your sale price by an equal amount.

Really the key takeaway here is to think long and hard about whether or not you will get your money back on a repair. This is going to be tricky to figure out for the average joe, but if you are working with a seasoned realtor who knows their stuff, they can certainly advise on repairs.

Tip #2 - Hire A Professional Photographer

One thing you will never see for any property we list is amateur photographs or the ultimate real estate sin - cell phone pictures. Every property, no matter how expensive, needs listing photos taken by an actual professional. If your realtor suggests that they can take the photos themselves do yourself a favor and run far far away!

"For 41% of recent buyers, the first step that they took in the home buying process was to look online" – National Association of Realtors

A big chunk of buyers go straight to the internet as their very first step. The same research shows that 97% of buyers utilize the internet to search for a home in general. That means almost every single home buyer will be viewing photos of your home and it will be their first impression of your house. Have a pro take great photos and show something that will actually get the buyer's attention!

Tip #3 - Start Organizing

If you haven't already, do yourself a favor and watch Tidying Up With Marie Kondo or my personal favorite The Home Edit. You'll notice that getting rid of old junk and organizing the good junk will transform the look of your home.

The organizational mecca that is The Container Store actually has collections for each show.

Invest in some bins and start putting things away. We all let the house get a bit messy sometimes but you must realize that there is a lot of money on the line. It is hard for buyers to look past a mess, especially when their other options are looking pristine. It's good to stand out, but maybe not for this reason.

Tip #4 - Do A Deep Clean

Whether you do it yourself or hire a professional, you need to get the house clean! Don't just settle for picking up the kid's toys and sweeping dust bunnies under the rug. Give the furniture a good polish and get the dust between the blinds! A sparkling home will make a great impression on buyers and help get you serious offers.

Try to make a routine that helps keep the house clean to ease the stress. Simple steps like remembering to make the bed in the morning and putting dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher will go a long way in maintaining a presentable house. You never know when someone will want a tour. Remember, if you stay ready, you don't have to get ready.

Tip #5 - Consider Staging Your Home

There is a theme throughout these tips, and it is because making a great first impression is the most crucial aspect of selling your home. Having your home staged follows that trend, and of all the tips here it may be the most singularly transformative.

We've partnered with and recommend Simply Staged for our clients in the Portland Metro Area.

Hiring a professional stager means your house will look its absolute best. Whether they work with your current furniture or bring in their own, they'll design everything in a way that will showcase your home in the best way possible.

Bonus Tip - Hire A Good Realtor

This barely scratches the surface of how to sell your home and get the best possible offers. The best thing any homeowner can do is hire a professional realtor who will get the job done right. If you are in Oregon or Washington give us a call and get the most value for your home.