Preparing Your Home For The Spring 2021 Market

After whirlwind local real estate sales in 2020, clients have been calling me with questions about how best to prepare their homes for the spring 2021 market. My recommendations include everything from criteria for choosing a realtor to home improvements that get the biggest bang for the buck.

 

Here’s what I recommend if you’d like to sell your home this spring:

 

• List your home early in the spring

  
  • January, February, and March are perfect months to list your home if you’d like to minimize your competition, shorten the time to an offer, and maximize your sale price

• Enlist the services of a top real estate agent with expert knowledge in local, regional, and national markets to ensure she or he has a thorough understanding of your area and its pros and cons, including:
  • School ranking
  • Accessibility to public transportation and metropolitan centers
  • Accessibility to town centers offering a variety of amenities, including restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, retail shops, and cultural activities
  • Reliable, trusted healthcare options nearby
  • Outdoor activities that appeal to people of all ages
  • Property tax rates

• Ensure the realtor you choose prioritizes data, including comparable saleswith a thorough market analysis of your home to determine an asking price
  • A seasoned realtor knows how to price your home realistically with consideration for its overall condition as well as updates and characteristics that may make it uniquely appealing 
    
    to buyers
  • A real estate expert should have skills and tools for targeting local, regional, and national buyers for your home
  • Outstanding realtors continually follow the local, regional, and national markets to stay on top of what current buyers want
    
     

If you’re unsure how to find an effective realtor,

ask friends and neighbors in your area who they recommend.

Once you’ve got a good recommendation, 

check online reviews to read other clients’ experiences 

with the agent.

Call the realtor and discuss your plans

to see if she or he is a good fit for your real estate goals.

 

Keep the following questions handy for speaking with a realtor. Make notes on answers you get and add questions as you think of them.

 

Questions for Your Realtor

 

• What are your qualifications?

• How many years’ experience do you have in home sales?
• How many listings did you acquire last year?
• How many sales did you close last year?
• In which neighborhoods, towns, and counties do you specialize?
• How do you determine an asking price?
• How long do you estimate it will take to sell my home in the spring 2021 market?
• If my home doesn’t sell quickly, what steps might you recommend 
to increase its appeal to potential buyers?
• How will you approach marketing my home?
• With whom will I be working primarily — you, an associate, or your team?
• Will you be responsive to my calls and texts / questions?
• Do you have special hours for calls / texts?
• How much will it cost me to sell my home?
• What are your recommendations for improvements that will help sell my home quickly?
• Can you recommend repair people for updates needed to market my home?
• Can you provide references from previous sellers?

After you have identified a realtor who can successfully market your home, distinguish it among its competitors by:

• Enhancing your home’s curb appeal
  
  • Add a fresh coat of paint to your front door and polish door knobs, handles, knockers, and mail slots
  • Ensure your front and back yards are clean and appealing by mulching beds, removing or replacing overgrown bushes, planting fresh flowers and keeping the lawn freshly cut and free of leaves and other debris
  • Clean the gutters
  • Place fresh doormats at all entryways
  • Remove excess decorations, including wreaths, yard art, 
    
    and empty pots / potted plants from your front and back entryways — the key to curb appeal is keeping it simple!
  • Wash windows and skylights inside and out
  • Power wash your driveway, front and back walkways, deck(s), and steps
  • Power wash siding and touch up exterior paint
  • Clear the driveway and walkways of snow or other obstacles

Imagine you are a potential buyer.

 

Carefully examine the interior and exterior of your home

with fresh and critical eyes.

 

Simplify!

Remember less is always more

when preparing your home for sale.

• Enhancing your home’s interior appeal
  
  • Declutter countertops and surfaces, including kitchen counters, tables, and bookshelves in every room
  • Remove outdated draperies, interior shutters, and shades 
to maximize natural light
  • Replace nonworking bulbs in all interior and exterior lighting fixtures
  • Remove personal items such as family photos, sports equipment, 
and memorabilia
  • Paint rooms with neutral colors to extend its appeal to a variety of buyers
  • Polish hardwood floors and replace cracked tiles and worn or tired carpeting
  • Make beds and put laundry and toys away each day
  • Organize your closets
  • Dust everything regularly
  • Remove all dead or ailing plants
  • Remove outdated seasonal and holiday decorations
  • Install fresh HVAC filters and ensure your heat and air conditioning systems are working properly
  • Organize your mud room, laundry room, garage, and basement and remove unnecessary belongings
  • Remove all animal smells and replace animal-stained carpeting
  • Remove garbage from the kitchen and garage 
    
    to avoid unwanted odors
    
     

I am an award-winning realtor

with more than 20 years’ experience selling homes quickly

and at the right price.

 

If you have questions about selling your home this spring,

let’s chat today.

 

I can guide you through each step of the home sales process

to help ensure you achieve your real estate goals.

201-532-0788