Real Estate Posts

You’ve found your dream home and you’re ready to take the next step toward making it yours. After preparing and saving for your big purchase, it’s time to learn how to make an offer on a house. Offer letters are sales contracts and are legally binding, so it’s important to take this process seriously.

Find out everything you need to know about making an offer on a house with this guide. Below is a quick overview of the offer process. Feel free to click on each one to jump to everything you need to know about that step.

Steps for Making an Offer on a House:

  1. Determine you can afford the house and decide to make an offer.
  2. Talk with your real estate agent about comparable homes before making an offer.
  3. Your real estate agent compiles a written offer.
  4. The written offer is sent to the seller’s agent.
  5. The seller replies and your offer is accepted, countered, or declined.
  6. Learn how to compete with multiple buyers.
  7. The closing process begins when your offer is accepted.
  8. Remember to negotiate before finalizing if contingencies reveal flaws with the house or deal.
  9. Once your offer is accepted, you finalize the contract.

What to Know Before Making an Offer on a House

In addition to researching the process of making an offer, learn these key tips to keep in mind throughout.

  • Try to sell first and buy after. If you aren’t a first-time homebuyer, it’s a good idea to sell your current home before buying a new one. This is important if you’re using the sale of the old home to purchase the new one.
  • Scope out the local market. Your real estate agent will use information on similar houses for sale in the area to put together your offer.
  • Ask about other offers. Your agent does this for you. Sometimes the seller’s agent won’t disclose this, but this information can inform your offer.
  • Learn about the house. If there are problems with the house, you’ll want to find out and keep them in mind when you make an offer.
  • Know what the seller wants. Have your agent find out what appeals to the seller and try to include it in your offer. If the house still has a mortgage, offering an early payment can help tip the balance in your favor.
  • Act fast. For the best chance at your dream home, submit an offer quickly. Don’t wait around because someone else will likely snap it up if you hesitate.

Step 1: Determine Affordability of the House

Finding your dream house is the easy part. Figuring out if you can afford it takes a hard look at the numbers. Set a home budget beforehand and be strict about sticking to it when looking at houses. To gauge what your budget should be, a majority of lenders advise that you shouldn’t spend more than 28 percent of your monthly pre-tax income. Be sure to include your estimated monthly payment plus other costs like the down payment, HOA fees, home insurance, and property taxes in your budget.

When you go through the lending process, lenders can help you determine what is affordable. If you’re not there yet, use this home affordability calculator to see if your dream house is in your budget.

Step 2: Talk with Your Real Estate Agent

Making an informed offer is the key to giving you the best chance of getting the house you want. Speak with your real estate agent about what comparable homes in the area are going for and use this information to guide your offer.

Step 3. Compile an Offer Letter

After comparing similar houses for sale, you’ll work with your agent on your offer. There are many components to an offer letter. We discuss everything that is included, how to navigate your offer price and contingencies, and tips for making an offer they can’t refuse.

What’s Inside an Offer Letter

Offer letters are legally binding sales contracts, and it’s important to be thorough about what you include.

Typical Components of an Offer Letter:

  • Offer price: This is the amount of money you are willing to pay for the house.
  • Contingencies: Conditions that the seller must abide by if and when they accept your offer. Standard contingencies include a home inspection and appraisal. Jump down to learn more about contingencies.
  • Down payment: The amount paid for the home upfront. This can be anywhere between 3 to 20 percent when paired with a conventional loan.
  • Earnest money: This is a deposit made by the buyer to demonstrate good faith on a contract to buy a home. It’s generally a small percentage of the price and is held in escrow until the offer is closed. It’s usually applied to the down payment or closing costs once the offer is accepted.
  • Closing costs: These include all costs associated with purchasing a home. Read more on some of the common closing costs like inspection and loan origination fees.
  • Timeline: You’ll include your preferred closing date, as well as the closing date of your current home if you aren’t a first-time buyer.

How Much Should You Offer?

Figuring out how much you should offer depends on what you can afford and what kind of market you’re dealing with at the time of the purchase. Your real estate agent should guide you through making an offer, but ultimately, you are the one who decides what you’re willing to pay. A good rule of thumb is that your first offer should leave some room for negotiation, so don’t give away what you’re willing to pay right away.

Making an Offer in a Buyer’s Market

In a buyer’s market, you have more power to negotiate because there is more supply than demand. With the bargaining advantage on your side, you can feel more comfortable making an offer below the asking price. If you do offer below asking price, negotiation is a typical response.

When offering less, it’s also important to be respectful of the seller. Offending them with an outrageously low offer could result in them rejecting and you losing your dream house.

Making an Offer in a Seller’s Market

A seller’s market is when the housing demand exceeds the supply. In this situation, you will not have the bargaining advantage, and you will be competing with others for attractive properties. If you can afford it, exceeding the seller’s asking price can help you stand out among other offers. Remember to keep your budget in mind when negotiating and don’t offer an amount you can’t afford.

Contingencies

Contingencies are conditions of the purchase that get outlined in your offer and must be met for the sale to go through. If they aren’t met, based on the contingency, either the buyer or seller can cancel the sale. About 74 percent of buyers include contingencies in their offers, so let’s discuss the standard ones below.

Home Inspection Contingency
A home inspection contingency exercises your right to have the property inspected before closing the sale. If the inspection reveals problems with the house like faulty plumbing or a compromised structure, there is room to remedy any issues before you close. You can negotiate for a lower price, ask the seller to make repairs, or even back out of the offer.

It’s not advisable to forego a home inspection contingency to make your offer more attractive. This could cause you to pay more for a damaged property and could cause financial problems down the line if you find out there are major issues with the house that are costly to fix. Home inspections prior to closing are always recommended.

Home Appraisal Contingency
A home appraisal contingency verifies that the price you are paying is fair compared to the home’s market value. In the event that the house you are buying is appraised as lower than the selling price, you are able to negotiate with the seller or cancel the contract. This is recommended to prevent you from paying more than you should for a house.

Home Sale Contingency
In case you need to sell your current home in order to finance a new one, you can make a home sale contingency. This contingency stipulates that the current house must be sold before the new purchase can close.

Home sale contingencies aren’t attractive for sellers, as they cause delays and discourage other offers. A clause can be attached to this contingency by sellers to include a sell-by date. If your house hasn’t sold by the date in the clause, the seller is legally able to move on with other offers.

Financing/Mortgage Contingency
A financing or mortgage contingency allows the buyer time to secure financing from a lender. For buyers, this provides insurance that they can cancel the sale and recover their earnest money in case their financing options fall through.

This contingency is usually given a specific timeline, and the buyer can end the contract before time expires. If the buyer has not secured a mortgage and fails to cancel the contract before the allotted time is up, they will still be obligated to purchase the property.

Tips For Making an Offer They Can’t Refuse

When making an offer on a house, remember to appeal to the seller by using these tips to make an offer they can’t refuse.

  • Make an offer in cash. If you have the savings and can afford to make an offer in cash, you can forego the financing contingency. This means less delay in the sale, and it can also help you compete with higher offers with more contingencies.
  • Propose a short closing period. If you’re willing to move quickly, offering a short closing period can appeal to a seller who needs to sell fast.
  • Pay some of their closing costs. All sellers will have closing costs when the sale goes through. Paying off some of those costs can help sweeten the deal for them.
  • Offer up more earnest money. More earnest money shows you’re serious about the home. It’s also more money in the seller’s pocket upfront.
  • Write a personal letter. Homes are very personal and sellers may be emotionally attached to them. Make an emotional appeal by writing a personal letter to tell them the home will be in good hands.

Step 4. Submit Your Offer

Once you have decided on an offer, your real estate agent will write up a purchase and sale agreement. You will sign this agreement and then they will submit it to the seller’s agent. This agreement is legally binding if the seller agrees.

Step 5. Review Seller’s Reply

A seller can reply in a couple of ways. They can accept, counter or decline. Let’s walk through what to do with any of these three responses and what to do when there’s another buyer.

What to Do When They Accept

Congratulations — they’ve accepted your offer! You can now move on to Step 7 of the offer process. As long as all contingencies are met, you are buying a house.

What to Do When They Counter

The seller might not have liked your offer exactly how it was written and they can counter. It’s then up to you to accept that offer or to start negotiating by countering again. You are also free to back out of the offer if you aren’t happy with the seller’s counteroffer.

If you do end up negotiating, it’s normal for there to be a back and forth of counteroffers. You are both working to come to an agreement on price, timeline, and contingencies, and this takes time.

What to Do When They Decline

Unfortunately, if the seller declines, you won’t be buying that particular house for what you offered. If there is room in your budget, you could attempt to make a more attractive offer. About 45 percent of buyers end up making multiple offers during the buying process. However, not every budget allows for a better offer.

A declined offer is a disappointing outcome, but it’s important to be respectful of the seller’s decision. Take the time to talk to your real estate agent and learn about what can be done differently when the next opportunity comes around.

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Selling your home is probably the biggest sale you’ll make in your life. There are, of course, the emotional parts of the sale. You need to say goodbye to a place that’s housed you, kept you warm, maybe even where your child had their first steps. But beyond emotions, selling a home is an extremely in-depth process—and one in which there’s a lot of money on the line. 

Feeling a bit stressed? Fear not; we’re here to help. Read on for the ultimate guide to selling your house. We’ll discuss the home selling and buying process, chat tips and tricks, and tell you what not to do when selling your home. 

Use the links below to jump to a section of your choosing: 

  • Timeline for Selling Your Home
  • 1. Find a Real Estate Agent
  • 2. Determine Your Home’s Value
  • 3. Set up a Presale Home Inspection
  • 4. Stage Your House for Potential Buyers
  • 5. Show Your Home
  • 6. Negotiate Price
  • 7. Settle Contracts 
  • The Total Cost of Selling Your Home 
  • Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Timeline for Selling Your Home

There are a lot of steps that go into selling your home and a number of moving parts to keep track of. Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of selling your home, let’s discuss an overall timeline for selling your home and when you should aim to complete each step. 

6+ Months Before Listing Your Home

  • Find a real estate agent: Ask for recommendations, interview prospective agents, and find the right choice for you 
  • Make a list of pre-sale tasks: This includes any necessary repairs and minor renovations you may want to complete before listing your home.
  • Set a list price: You’ll want to revisit this number down the line, but it’s a good idea to get a picture of what your home might sell for ahead of time. 

3 Months Before Listing Your Home 

  • Complete repairs and minor renovations: Getting your house in tip-top shape prior to showings can help increase its selling price 
  • Get a home inspection: An inspector can warn you of any issues with your home. You can then decide if you’d like to repair them ahead of time, or if you want to account for them in your home’s list price. 
  • Pack non-essential items: This way, you can get them out of the way for showings. 

1 Month Before Listing Your Home 

  • Thoroughly clean: Nothing deters a prospective buyer like a dirty home! Give your home a good thorough cleaning. 
  • Stage: Time to make your home look its best! Create a warm and inviting space that will appeal to all types of buyers. 
  • Photograph: Work with your agent to get beautiful, well-lit pictures for advertising. 
  • Revisit your list price: Take a look at your list price one more time. Have there been fluctuations in the market? If so, adjust your list price accordingly. 

1. Find a Real Estate Agent

The very first step in selling your home is finding a real estate agent. The real estate world is jam packed with agents who will jump at the opportunity to sell your home. Some advice: don’t go with just any real estate agent. If you want a successful home sale, you need to find a strong real estate agent. Here’s what to look for in a realtor: 

Ask for Recommendations in Your Area

The first thing sellers tend to do when seeking a real estate agent is to ask for recommendations from friends and family. Who sold their home? How did it go? Would they work with them again? 

Recommendations are, of course, useful, but they aren’t the end-all of the search for a real estate agent. It’s not just important to find a good real estate agent, but it’s important to find one who is intimately familiar with your area. So much of an agent’s job is knowing the specific market that you’re in and being adept at navigating that market. Favor the advice of trusted neighbors over that of friends and family who live far away. 

Treat the First Meeting Like an Interview 

Have you figured it out by now? What you’re looking for in a real estate agent is experience. You want an attentive and responsible real estate agent with a proven track record of selling homes in your area. There’s no better way to learn about a real estate agent’s experience than to ask. 

Treat the first meeting with your prospective agent like an interview. Ask questions like: 

  • How many homes did you sell over the past year? 
  • How many homes did you list last year? 
  • How many homes have you sold in my area? 
  • How close to asking do your homes typically sell for? 

Learn How They’ll Market Your Home

When it comes down to it, a real estate agent’s job is marketing. If you want your home to sell in good time and at a good price, you need a real estate agent who is adept at marketing. Ask your prospective agent how they intend to market your home, what types of materials they use both online and off, and how much they intend to spend on marketing. 

Be Wary of Agents Who Promise a Price 

If an agent ever tries to tell you exactly how much your home will sell for, they’re not the agent for you. A real estate agent simply cannot guarantee, or even pinpoint, a selling price—unless they plan on purchasing it themselves. 

An honest real estate agent may give you a price range that you could expect your home to sell for and back it up with comparable sales in your area. An agent who attempts to tell you an exact number is not a trustworthy one. Don’t work with them. 

Key Takeaways 

  • Ask for recommendations on realtors who specialize in your area. 
  • Treat the first meeting with a realtor like an interview.
  • Ask detailed questions about how a real estate agent may market your home.  
  • Be wary of agents who promise a selling price. 

2. Determine Your Home’s Value

Now that you’ve secured your real estate agent, it’s time to pick a list price for your home. Determining the selling price for your home is perhaps one of the hardest steps in selling your home. 

To you, your home can feel like a living breathing thing. It’s a place where you’ve grown, made memories, and so much more. If you have any sentimental attachment to your home or have put considerable work to your home, you may overvalue it. 

To a buyer, your home’s value is so much more objective. A buyer sees your home in its current state. They do not know what it looked like before, how much work you’ve put into it, or how wonderful it’s been for you and your family. They’re much more focused on the physical features of your home. How many square feet? How many bedrooms? Will it need renovations? What are similar homes in your area priced like?

If you want to pick a competitive price for your home, the first thing to do is to ask your agent for a competitive market analysis. This report will give you a clear picture of how your home compares to similar homes in your market and show you what those homes sold for. You can then work with your agent to pick a price that’s both competitive and feels right for you. 

3. Set up a Presale Home Inspection

Home inspections are a common tool that buyers use to check on the health of their prospective purchase. As a seller, you can almost guarantee that any prospective buyer will call in a home inspector. Our advice is to beat them to it and call one in first. 

You may be thinking that’s crazy; why pay for an inspection yourself when the buyer is going to do one anyway? 

Our answer is this: here’s a common trope in home buying and selling. A buyer puts an offer in on a prospective home. Before they make any more moves, they send a home inspector in to look for any concerns. The home inspector finds a massive red flag. The buyer pulls out. The deal is off. 

Rather than risk an unpleasant surprise, bring a home inspector in yourself prior to listing. The home inspector will inform you of any serious issues with your home. You now have the upper hand. You can choose to repair the issue, or work the cost of the repair into the price of your home. Prospective buyers will see you as a trustworthy seller and will be more likely to go through with the purchase of your home. 

4. Stage Your House for Potential Buyers

There’s no way around it: staging your home can feel intimidating, but it’s essential for a successful sale of your home. Staging is especially important if your home is at a relatively low price point; it’s not terribly common in less expensive homes and can make yours really stand out. 

By smartly staging your home, you can create an inviting and appealing space that highlights your home’s best features while drawing attention away from those that are less desirable. Use the following tips to do so. 

Declutter

Clutter is the number one enemy of a successful home staging. Clutter makes spaces look small and cramped. Pare down to just the essentials in each room to make the space look liveable, while remaining open. Learn more about the pros and cons of downsizing. 

Opt for Neutrals 

No matter your particular taste, you want to opt for a neutral style when staging your home. Paint the rooms off-white or beige, choose neutrally colored furniture, and avoid any overly-stylized pieces. Neutral styling keeps your house looking homey, while leaving space for buyers to picture their own items in your home. 

Put Personal Items Away 

Your house is probably full of personal keepsakes, whether it’s family photos, kids’ artwork, and more. When staging your home, it’s a good idea to put these away. Remember that the goal is to create a space your prospective buyers can see themselves in. The more items that are specific to your family, the less they’ll be able to see theirs. 

Don’t Forget the Outside

When staging a home, it’s common to focus on the inside and completely forget about curb appeal. Remember: first impressions are everything! The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Spruce up your home with a good power washing, repaint anything that’s shabby or faded, and pick out new plants for your planter boxes and flowerbeds. 

Key Takeaways 

  • Declutter your home to make the space feel bigger and highlight its best features. 
  • Opt for neutral colors and furniture; anything especially stylized should be put away. 
  • Similarly, put away any personal items like family photos or kids’ artwork. 
  • Don’t forget to clean and spruce up the outside of your home. 

5. Show Your Home

It’s showtime! Once your agent has listed your home, the real fun begins. They’ll take care of getting buyers into your home; your job is simply to survive the showings. Here’s how. 

Maintain the Cleanliness

Your home has already been deep cleaned and decluttered. Your first job, throughout the length of your showings, is to maintain your home’s cleanliness. Neaten up your home before every showing, make sure high-traffic places like the kitchen and bathroom are spick and span, and put away personal items like pet things, shoes, and more. 

Ramp Up the Lighting 

Though it might feel a bit odd, it’s a good idea to turn on every light in your home prior to a showing, in addition to opening up all of the curtains and blinds. A well-lit home is not only more inviting, but it allows prospective buyers to clearly see your home. 

Set the Mood 

Another effective way to make your home feel warm and inviting is to set the mood. Turn on some calming music, light a fire, and put out a nice bottle of wine. If you have a jacuzzi or water feature, get them bubbling. The idea is to create a space that feels simply irresistible. 

Add a Personal Touch

It’s best for you not to be there during showings. You want buyers to feel comfortable exploring your home, and often a lingering homeowner can make a visitor feel intrusive. That said, it’s always nice to add a personal touch in the form of a thank you note and some snacks or treats. After all, you want buyers to feel good about doing business with you!

Key Takeaways 

  • Do a last minute clean and tidy up before every showing. 
  • Open blinds and curtains and turn on all the lights. 
  • Set the mood with music, a fire, and a bottle of wine. 
  • Leave a note and a treat for prospective buyers. 

You know what they say: there’s no place like home! What Dorothy didn’t tell you is that there’s also no sale like the sale of your home. 

Selling your home is probably the biggest sale you’ll make in your life. There are, of course, the emotional parts of the sale. You need to say goodbye to a place that’s housed you, kept you warm, maybe even where your child had their first steps. But beyond emotions, selling a home is an extremely in-depth process—and one in which there’s a lot of money on the line. 

Feeling a bit stressed? Fear not; we’re here to help. Read on for the ultimate guide to selling your house. We’ll discuss the home selling and buying process, chat tips and tricks, and tell you what not to do when selling your home. 

Use the links below to jump to a section of your choosing: 

  • Timeline for Selling Your Home
  • 1. Find a Real Estate Agent
  • 2. Determine Your Home’s Value
  • 3. Set up a Presale Home Inspection
  • 4. Stage Your House for Potential Buyers
  • 5. Show Your Home
  • 6. Negotiate Price
  • 7. Settle Contracts 
  • The Total Cost of Selling Your Home 
  • Common Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your Home

Timeline for Selling Your Home

There are a lot of steps that go into selling your home and a number of moving parts to keep track of. Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of selling your home, let’s discuss an overall timeline for selling your home and when you should aim to complete each step. 

6+ Months Before Listing Your Home

  • Find a real estate agent: Ask for recommendations, interview prospective agents, and find the right choice for you 
  • Make a list of pre-sale tasks: This includes any necessary repairs and minor renovations you may want to complete before listing your home.
  • Set a list price: You’ll want to revisit this number down the line, but it’s a good idea to get a picture of what your home might sell for ahead of time. 

3 Months Before Listing Your Home 

  • Complete repairs and minor renovations: Getting your house in tip-top shape prior to showings can help increase its selling price 
  • Get a home inspection: An inspector can warn you of any issues with your home. You can then decide if you’d like to repair them ahead of time, or if you want to account for them in your home’s list price. 
  • Pack non-essential items: This way, you can get them out of the way for showings. 

1 Month Before Listing Your Home 

  • Thoroughly clean: Nothing deters a prospective buyer like a dirty home! Give your home a good thorough cleaning. 
  • Stage: Time to make your home look its best! Create a warm and inviting space that will appeal to all types of buyers. 
  • Photograph: Work with your agent to get beautiful, well-lit pictures for advertising. 
  • Revisit your list price: Take a look at your list price one more time. Have there been fluctuations in the market? If so, adjust your list price accordingly. 

1. Find a Real Estate Agent

The very first step in selling your home is finding a real estate agent. The real estate world is jam packed with agents who will jump at the opportunity to sell your home. Some advice: don’t go with just any real estate agent. If you want a successful home sale, you need to find a strong real estate agent. Here’s what to look for in a realtor: We buy houses in East Orange

Ask for Recommendations in Your Area

The first thing sellers tend to do when seeking a real estate agent is to ask for recommendations from friends and family. Who sold their home? How did it go? Would they work with them again? 

Recommendations are, of course, useful, but they aren’t the end-all of the search for a real estate agent. It’s not just important to find a good real estate agent, but it’s important to find one who is intimately familiar with your area. So much of an agent’s job is knowing the specific market that you’re in and being adept at navigating that market. Favor the advice of trusted neighbors over that of friends and family who live far away. 

Treat the First Meeting Like an Interview 

Have you figured it out by now? What you’re looking for in a real estate agent is experience. You want an attentive and responsible real estate agent with a proven track record of selling homes in your area. There’s no better way to learn about a real estate agent’s experience than to ask. 

Treat the first meeting with your prospective agent like an interview. Ask questions like: 

  • How many homes did you sell over the past year? 
  • How many homes did you list last year? 
  • How many homes have you sold in my area? 
  • How close to asking do your homes typically sell for? 

Learn How They’ll Market Your Home

When it comes down to it, a real estate agent’s job is marketing. If you want your home to sell in good time and at a good price, you need a real estate agent who is adept at marketing. Ask your prospective agent how they intend to market your home, what types of materials they use both online and off, and how much they intend to spend on marketing. 

Be Wary of Agents Who Promise a Price 

If an agent ever tries to tell you exactly how much your home will sell for, they’re not the agent for you. A real estate agent simply cannot guarantee, or even pinpoint, a selling price—unless they plan on purchasing it themselves. 

An honest real estate agent may give you a price range that you could expect your home to sell for and back it up with comparable sales in your area. An agent who attempts to tell you an exact number is not a trustworthy one. Don’t work with them. 

Key Takeaways 

  • Ask for recommendations on realtors who specialize in your area. 
  • Treat the first meeting with a realtor like an interview.
  • Ask detailed questions about how a real estate agent may market your home.  
  • Be wary of agents who promise a selling price. 

2. Determine Your Home’s Value

Now that you’ve secured your real estate agent, it’s time to pick a list price for your home. Determining the selling price for your home is perhaps one of the hardest steps in selling your home. 

To you, your home can feel like a living breathing thing. It’s a place where you’ve grown, made memories, and so much more. If you have any sentimental attachment to your home or have put considerable work to your home, you may overvalue it. 

To a buyer, your home’s value is so much more objective. A buyer sees your home in its current state. They do not know what it looked like before, how much work you’ve put into it, or how wonderful it’s been for you and your family. They’re much more focused on the physical features of your home. How many square feet? How many bedrooms? Will it need renovations? What are similar homes in your area priced like?

If you want to pick a competitive price for your home, the first thing to do is to ask your agent for a competitive market analysis. This report will give you a clear picture of how your home compares to similar homes in your market and show you what those homes sold for. You can then work with your agent to pick a price that’s both competitive and feels right for you. 

3. Set up a Presale Home Inspection

Home inspections are a common tool that buyers use to check on the health of their prospective purchase. As a seller, you can almost guarantee that any prospective buyer will call in a home inspector. Our advice is to beat them to it and call one in first. 

You may be thinking that’s crazy; why pay for an inspection yourself when the buyer is going to do one anyway? 

Our answer is this: here’s a common trope in home buying and selling. A buyer puts an offer in on a prospective home. Before they make any more moves, they send a home inspector in to look for any concerns. The home inspector finds a massive red flag. The buyer pulls out. The deal is off. 

Rather than risk an unpleasant surprise, bring a home inspector in yourself prior to listing. The home inspector will inform you of any serious issues with your home. You now have the upper hand. You can choose to repair the issue, or work the cost of the repair into the price of your home. Prospective buyers will see you as a trustworthy seller and will be more likely to go through with the purchase of your home. 

4. Stage Your House for Potential Buyers

There’s no way around it: staging your home can feel intimidating, but it’s essential for a successful sale of your home. Staging is especially important if your home is at a relatively low price point; it’s not terribly common in less expensive homes and can make yours really stand out. 

By smartly staging your home, you can create an inviting and appealing space that highlights your home’s best features while drawing attention away from those that are less desirable. Use the following tips to do so. 

Declutter

Clutter is the number one enemy of a successful home staging. Clutter makes spaces look small and cramped. Pare down to just the essentials in each room to make the space look liveable, while remaining open. Learn more about the pros and cons of downsizing. 

Opt for Neutrals 

No matter your particular taste, you want to opt for a neutral style when staging your home. Paint the rooms off-white or beige, choose neutrally colored furniture, and avoid any overly-stylized pieces. Neutral styling keeps your house looking homey, while leaving space for buyers to picture their own items in your home. 

Put Personal Items Away 

Your house is probably full of personal keepsakes, whether it’s family photos, kids’ artwork, and more. When staging your home, it’s a good idea to put these away. Remember that the goal is to create a space your prospective buyers can see themselves in. The more items that are specific to your family, the less they’ll be able to see theirs. 

Don’t Forget the Outside

When staging a home, it’s common to focus on the inside and completely forget about curb appeal. Remember: first impressions are everything! The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Spruce up your home with a good power washing, repaint anything that’s shabby or faded, and pick out new plants for your planter boxes and flowerbeds. 

Key Takeaways 

  • Declutter your home to make the space feel bigger and highlight its best features. 
  • Opt for neutral colors and furniture; anything especially stylized should be put away. 
  • Similarly, put away any personal items like family photos or kids’ artwork. 
  • Don’t forget to clean and spruce up the outside of your home. 

5. Show Your Home

It’s showtime! Once your agent has listed your home, the real fun begins. They’ll take care of getting buyers into your home; your job is simply to survive the showings. Here’s how. 

Maintain the Cleanliness

Your home has already been deep cleaned and decluttered. Your first job, throughout the length of your showings, is to maintain your home’s cleanliness. Neaten up your home before every showing, make sure high-traffic places like the kitchen and bathroom are spick and span, and put away personal items like pet things, shoes, and more. 

Ramp Up the Lighting 

Though it might feel a bit odd, it’s a good idea to turn on every light in your home prior to a showing, in addition to opening up all of the curtains and blinds. A well-lit home is not only more inviting, but it allows prospective buyers to clearly see your home. 

Set the Mood 

Another effective way to make your home feel warm and inviting is to set the mood. Turn on some calming music, light a fire, and put out a nice bottle of wine. If you have a jacuzzi or water feature, get them bubbling. The idea is to create a space that feels simply irresistible. 

Add a Personal Touch

It’s best for you not to be there during showings. You want buyers to feel comfortable exploring your home, and often a lingering homeowner can make a visitor feel intrusive. That said, it’s always nice to add a personal touch in the form of a thank you note and some snacks or treats. After all, you want buyers to feel good about doing business with you!

Key Takeaways 

  • Do a last minute clean and tidy up before every showing. 
  • Open blinds and curtains and turn on all the lights. 
  • Set the mood with music, a fire, and a bottle of wine. 
  • Leave a note and a treat for prospective buyers. 

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