How to Sell Your Home Quickly and Profitably
“Joe, I’d like to see you in my office for a minute,” said Mr. Harrington, Joe’s boss. Without hesitation, Joe ambled into Harrington’s office. As he looked around the room, memories of the principal’s office in his elementary school flooded his mind.
“Joe, you’ve been with our company for five years now and we really think you have lots of potential. We’d like to offer you a promotion to District Manager of our Phoenix, Arizona office. We need you out there in three weeks. The promotion will increase your salary by $20K per year.”
Joe sat back in his chair. He was stunned. Harrington told him that the company would pay for his move but could not buy his house.
“Mr. Harrington, I’m honored to accept the promotion and will put my home on the market as soon as possible!” exclaimed Joe.
Even though he had a family with young children, Joe knew he needed to take this career opportunity to get ahead.
When you must sell your home due to a job transfer, it’s important to focus on what changes and improvements will get you the best offer in the least amount of time. You will get your best offer during the first few weeks your home is on the market.
The National Association of Realtors’ research shows that it takes a home buyer only eight seconds to determine if a house is a place he’d like to call home. That means curb appeal is of the utmost importance if you expect to get home buyers inside your home. You need to prepare or stage your home to appeal to a large home buyer population.
Preparing the Exterior of Your Home
Inspect your roof, shingles, and gutters to see if they are in good shape and not lying against the house or on the ground.
Ensure your house paint doesn’t look faded or chipped. If it does, have the exterior painted. If it appears in good condition, you might think about putting a fresh coat of paint on the trim and shutters to create a more appealing look. Your front door can “pop” the exterior of your home. If possible, paint it a color that complements your main house color. Use a satin or semi-gloss finish to make it noticeable. If the hardware on the door is old and worn, replace it. If your door is wood, have it stained and coated with a glossy polyurethane finish.
Replace an outdated lighting fixture and worn house numbers that are near the front door. You don’t want to give the impression that your home is dated.
If your mailbox is dented or rusty, get a new one.
Clean out your flower beds of any dead plants and shrubs and plant colorful flowers where possible. Mulch the beds, too.
Preparing the Interior of Your Home
Kitchens can make or break a real estate deal. If you don’t have the money to update yours, get new appliances, and countertops. Paint the cabinets and get new door hardware.
Updated bathrooms are also high on home buyers’ wish lists. If money is tight, paint the room, clean the grout, and replace the shower curtain. Hang new fluffy towels.
Replace any faded, worn, or outdated carpeting. Have carpets in good condition and professionally cleaned? If your home has wood, laminate, or vinyl flooring in good condition, make sure it is clean.
Ensure all plumbing, appliances, and lighting fixtures are working.
Make your rooms look larger by removing excess items and furniture so your home has a good traffic flow, too.
Declutter closets so buyers can see how much storage space they will have.
Replace any heavy, dated, drapery with a lighter type of window treatment so rooms will look light and bright.
Ensure that pets are out of the way. If you can take your pet with you when your home is being shown, do so.
Make sure your home is always clean, neat, and odor-free. Vacuuming floors daily is a good idea.
Real Estate Mogul, Barbara Corcoran, takes you on a house tour and gives you additional tips to pass any buyer’s scrutiny
Making your Jacksonville, Florida home outshine its competition is critical for a quick and profitable home sale. Why not schedule a home staging consultation to learn how we can help you sell your home quickly and profitably in this competitive real estate market?
Interiors Revitalized is a full-service home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm located in Jacksonville Florida. In addition to Jacksonville, we serve the St. Johns, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Fernandina Beach areas. Contact us today at 904.625.2214 to discuss your home staging or interior design project. We’ll make that first offer your best offer!
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