Selling a home is an emotional process. Especially when it comes time to sell your first home, it can be hard to see it objectively. Yet objectivity is exactly what first time Arizona home sellers need in order to get a house in shape to compete in today’s market. We’ve put together our best advice for getting an Arizona home ready to sell.
We’ve all heard advice about decluttering, but it can be hard to know exactly what that means. It’s easy to be blind to issues in our usual environments. Take some time to look at real estate listings of homes similar to yours. Notice how many books are on the shelves, how many pictures are on the walls, what’s on the kitchen counters. Now go on a “tour” of your own house. How do your rooms compare? Get to work packing up your belongings to help make the house look bigger.
When your real estate agent comes to look at your house for the first time, listen to their suggestions for what to change up. It’s based on their years of experience and recent feedback from buyers. Most sellers can expect to deep clean, declutter, repaint and possibly put in new floors. Beyond that, consult your agent. The cost of major improvements often do not translate into an exact increase in price. Less expensive improvements, like a new front door or landscaping, often give a bigger return on investment.
The single biggest mistake first time Arizona home sellers make is not pricing their house right from the start. Because it’s yours, you will tend to value it more highly than anyone else. However, this is a time when you must put your emotions aside and be guided by the expertise of your realtor. Homes that are overpriced at the beginning often spend more time on the market and end up selling for significantly less.
In the end, while a home has lots of emotional value, home selling is just as much a business transaction as any other. Get yourself in a business mindset to help make the process as straightforward as possible.
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