Don’t Call Me When You Want to Sell Your House…

…call me 2-3 months before you want to sell.

Scheduling a yard sale is something that can be done last-minute: check a few days prior to see what Saturday’s weather is going to be, and give it a go if the forecast is clear and dry. Selling your house, however, requires more planning, as the “yard sale” type of approach will very likely work against you. Preparing a home for a successful and easy sale can take some time, so starting early is always the best idea.

When you start to think about selling, give me a call right away. Your house is very likely your most valuable asset, and you will want to get the very best price that the market will bear. Just like selling your car, where a car that is detailed and in good repair will always sell faster, easier, and for more money than one that’s not.

Selling your house is very similar, except that it’s physically much larger, and has more variables that come into play. Do we refinish the existing hardwood floors or replace them? If we replace them, what type of flooring do we choose? Should the whole house be painted, or just certain rooms? Do we need to do some landscaping? What about thinning out certain rooms or areas? I have even had one seller ask – 32 months before putting their house on the market – if they should put in a walk up basement egress.

You are probably several steps ahead of me at this point knowing that the list of “must do” and “should do” items can become pretty long. My goal when meeting with sellers is to figure out the delicate balance of spending money that will then get us the “biggest bang for the buck.” Often times there are some “should do” items that don’t cost much money and just require some time and elbow grease.

Are you thinking of selling in 2017? If so, give me a call so we can discuss your plans and timeline. We can also schedule a time for me to stop by and walk your house with you. I’m a big believer that more time is always better then less when it comes to something this important.

Keep in mind that yard sale presentation will not get you retail pricing.