Ready To Sell? Harcourts The Garner Group
Prepares Sellers to Sell Their Home in Central Oregon With This Step-by-Step Checklist.
Selling a home–likely one of the most valuable things that you own, and the literal and figurative location of your heart and soul–can be one of the most important financial transactions of your life. Preparing both yourself and your home in advance of listing it can make a remarkable difference in both the emotional and financial impact of your transaction. In this post, we’ll walk you through some of the things you can do in advance of listing your home to make sure you’re as prepared as possible for the journey ahead.
Hiring the Right Agent
First and foremost, you’ll need to find an agent that is the right fit for the job. Harcourts The Garner Group is an agency comprised of over 50 full time agents–and only full time agents–that was founded in 2001. Known for its relentless pursuit of what is right, the company is deeply rooted in the belief that home and family are of the utmost importance and is guided by the age-old adage of “pay your mortgage first”--prioritizing financial security and connection to their community. The Garner Group leadership team has a combined 100+ years of experience, consistently ranking in the top three for residential real estate production within the Harcourts franchise of over 43 North American offices.
Regarding your agent, the following important points should be considered:
1. Have clear expectations regarding your needs. Communicate these needs from the beginning of the relationship to avoid misunderstandings or surprises.
2. Make sure you get along with the agent. You don’t need to be best friends, but ultimately there should be a rapport that allows for a successful business relationship. You should feel comfortable asking any kind of questions and presenting concerns.
3. A good realtor will know how to price your house correctly to attract buyers. Your agent should know who your target audience is, have a recommended strategy for giving your home curb appeal and present a plan to market your house using multiple platforms.
4. Experience matters. Selling a home can be a very emotional experience. Hiring a seasoned, local agent to sell your home provides you with the level-headedness needed for objective advice, especially when it comes to evaluating offers and negotiating with buyers and their agents. A seasoned agent is tightly networked with other agents and understands how they work.
Preparing Your Home
When it comes to a house, people really do judge a book by its cover. There are a number of things you can do to improve curb appeal and give potential buyers a great first impression when they pull up to your home and walk through the threshold for the first time.
1. The front porch: invest in fresh paint or stain for the front door, freshen up landscaping or fill flower pots around the front door.
2. Clear, clean and declutter: not only is a fresh and clean space appealing, it appears bigger. A fresh space that appears to have room for a new owner’s belongings is going to be more attractive and easier for buyers to imagine than one filled with things that buyers have to see past. Since no space is off limits, this means you’ll have to spend time going into closets, pantries and other spaces to clear out and organize all of your belongings.
3. Depersonalize the space: creating a blank canvas effect can help buyers imagine themselves and their loved ones in your space, so while you won’t need to take down large gallery walls of family photos, for instance, it is helpful to create white space on table tops, clear out any bold art or photos that are easily stored away during the listing period so as to create a feeling of neutrality for buyers.
4. Make small repairs: loose handles and scuff marks can turn a buyer off, even if they are small items that don’t speak to the overall value of your home. Go through your home and create a punch list of things that can be spruced up. Wipe down baseboards, use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on stubborn stains, or a simple solution of powdered Tide and water with a rag to wipe off sticky fingerprints on your walls. Use paint to touch up scuffs made over the years near door jambs and areas of high traffic, tighten up loose doorknobs, repair broken window screens and try to see your house through someone else’s more critical eye.
5. Add some plants: green is good! Plants are welcoming and fresh, adding an element of cleanliness and warmth to a home.
6. Ask your agent to help you: your agent knows what sells a house, and sometimes a reorientation of furniture, removal of items or even staging might make a big difference or first impression for buyers. Be open to the advice of your agent, as personal as your home and your items are to you, it might be the difference between a quick transaction and a longer time on the market.
Ready to list with us? Give us a call at either of our locations in Bend or Redmond today:
Bend
2762 NW Crossing Dr.
541-383-4360
Redmond
444 NW 6th St.
541-383-4360