Are you getting ready to sell your house in Philadelphia or South New Jersey?

Buying and selling homes is a time full of dreaming and excitement.

New house. New lifestyle. New neighbors.

But the idea of moving on can also tug on our emotional strings. When selling a home, many of us find it challenging to stay focused on the fact that this is a business transaction and set aside our sentimental attachment to a property.

This is a place we have called our safe haven, built memories, and exerted countless hours into maintaining.

If you aren’t mentally prepared for the home selling process, you could experience unnecessary stress. Your real estate agent will walk you through their services, the selling process, their marketing strategy, and prepare you for what to expect along the way.

THREE KEY POINTS

to remember when listing a home for sale.

1. IT TAKES Time to prepare your home for sale!

   You should not list your property in the multiple listing server until it is ‘show-ready’. This means that although you may still live there, the home should look as though you are filming an episode of a home search TV show! Do normal people live this way? Of course not! But that’s the mindset a seller needs to sell a house at top value.

   Think minimal! Box up, donate, or get rid of anything that you do not need and use on a daily basis. This should be at least 30% of what you currently have. You should have NO piles of clutter anywhere. Surfaces should be practically empty. Clean as much as possible to eliminate dust, dirt, and odors!

   Your real estate agent will point out items that will likely catch a home buyers eye during their initial walk through of the property. Take notes and address the issues before listing your property.

2. Quality photography is key!

   As you likely know, Homebuyers begin their search by browsing photos on websites. Most of these buyers are using mobile devices when swiping through images. If a property’s thumbnail image doesn’t jump off the screen, they will simply move on and may never schedule a showing!

   Therefore, your property photos are absolutely critical when selling your home. The right photography equipment, your ‘show-ready’ home, and a trained photographic eye will make a huge difference in the property marketing efforts. My easiest sales have been those where my client made a hard and honest effort into preparing their property before my photographer steps in the door.

3. Selling a home does not stop once the sign is up!

   Your Realtor will be your guide through the process. They will make sure the necessary documentation is in order, the public listing is professionally drafted, and you are equipped with the tools to compete in today’s market.

   However, as a seller, you will need to be an active participant in maintaining the property’s ‘show-ready’ appearance and making your home available for potential buyers. This can be tiring!

   Expectation Check! Be prepared that there will be buyers who will not fall in love with the home as you did. Be prepared that some buyers will need to cancel last minute after you spent hours cleaning. Be prepared that some buyer’s agents may forget to notify your agent that they are cancelling and just are no-shows!

   The process can be frustrating at times, but be prepared up front that you are selling a product in a marketplace and need to continuously make a strong effort to maintain the property so it’s ready for when The One walks through the door!

Read More about Selling Your Home in today’s digital market!

Emily Woods, REALTOR

Serving Philadelphia and South New Jersey

ewoodsrealestate@gmail.com