Are you facing a change that’s making you consider selling your home? It’s a terrific time — a seller’s market — right now. Middle Tennessee has low inventory, so I’m confident your home will garner interest and a good price. Let me prepare a comparative market analysis (a “comp”) for you. Comps reveal what nearby similar homes sold for, how long they were on the market, and what you can reasonably expect to get for your home. But preparing for a successful sale does take some skills. Let me explain.
You’ll need to begin the process of physical and mental detachment from where you’ve lived in, and loved, for years. Let’s get even more specific. You’ve lived here, so you know how you must pull back hard on the front door latch so it will pop open. If you’re smiling, you can understand the first lesson of successful selling: detaching yourself personally and psychologically. When your home goes on the market, it needs to appeal to a wide variety of potential owners.
Getting the house ready to sell is obviously an important lesson. Location is important, but that’s just one element. The condition of your home more often makes – or breaks – a deal. You’ll need to address some issues you may have, ummm, swept under the rug for a while. If, for instance, there is an annoying leak under the bathroom sink, you need to get that repaired. The issues that may have been frustrations or inconveniences to you might be a dealbreaker for a potential buyer. Every serious buyer will request a home inspection. Need some professional help with those repairs? Just ask us for a list of approved vendors in and around Nashville. And why not consider a few inexpensive improvements to give your home a fresher feel, like an updated light fixture or a more neutral shade in your child’s pink bedroom?
Next, depersonalize (that’s part of detaching). Pack away the children’s art projects and your tennis trophies. Remove all clothes from the closets that are not being worn this season. Remove all the wedding photos from the walls; in fact, leave only one or two items on any wall. Declutter the entire house (yep, the garage, too!).
Let’s now turn our attention outside. Does the house look warm and inviting from the outside? Is the street address visible? Does the porch light work? Is the walkway nicely done – and are there attractive plants or flowers, the yard mowed, the leaves raked, or the snow cleared? Many potential buyers will do a “drive by” and decide whether or not they want to explore the inside; making the house attractive from the outside, the “curb appeal,” is absolutely vital.
You’ve updated. You’ve decluttered. And you’ve cleaned top to bottom. But before you open the house to visiting buyers, also make sure the house smells perfectly clean. Clean the cat litter box every day, and spray disinfectant an hour before the first showing appointment.
Your Realtor serves you, so you should discuss details like your personal timeline, how offers will be presented to you, what steps occur after an offer is received, which items stay with the house (typically, major kitchen appliances, blinds, etc.) and which are personal property. To summarize, selling is really all about detaching. And one more word? Moving will also be an emotional experience for your children — and for your pet — as well. Please don’t overlook their needs.
Wilson Group Real Estate is located at 4100 Hillsboro Circle, Nashville, TN 37215. Our office phone number is 615.436.3031. Sharon: TN License # 325136. Becky: TN License # 274742.