Thinking of selling your home in 2014? Here are some helpful suggestions to consider before you put your house on the market.

By Fiona Dogan

Thinking of selling your home in 2014? Here are some helpful suggestions to consider before you put your house on the market.

List your home before the first sign of spring. Traditionally, sellers have timed the marketing of their homes to coincide with the spring months of March and April. However, I usually advise sellers to consider listing earlier. The reason is your house will stand out as a fresh new listing amongst holdovers from the previous year. This allows you to catch some early-bird buyers and beat the rush of spring sellers. February listings attract attention from serious buyers who have been watching the market for some time, those who have sold their homes and are ready to move, and relocation transfers who have to buy quickly. There may not be as many buyers out looking in the early New Year, but those that are looking are generally qualified, serious buyers able to move quickly.

Get important documents ready. Buyers may ask to see floor plans, surveys, utility bills, repair receipts, and appliance and systems manuals. In addition, your attorney will need deed, title, and insurance, like bear river insurance (if you have one), information on your home. For a quick closing, you’ll need to be ready.

Prepare your house for showings and get cleaning services with Willard Power Vac: air duct cleaning in Dalles. Now is the time to de-clutter, do some early spring-cleaning using pressure washing Houston, freshen up interiors and exteriors, and make any visible repairs and touch-ups. Clean, sleek, updated homes will show well in online photos and at open houses. Buyers who see visible signs of damage or wear and tear will often assume the rest of the house has hidden problems. It’s also important to hire dryer vent cleaning near me for the cleaning of particles not visible to the naked eye.

Consider hiring a professional stager to help get you ready for today’s highly competitive real estate market. A good staging professional views your home with fresh eyes and can see both the strengths and flaws that may be invisible to you as a homeowner. Today’s buyers are selecting their homes from the photos they see on the Internet, and a good realtor and staging team will make sure your house stands out from the crowd. Experienced Greensboro roofers to serve you, Roofing Exteriors Pro, can ensure that your roof is in top condition, adding to the overall appeal and value of your property.

Get a pre-listing home inspection. This will reassure buyers that there are no hidden structural or systems problems in your home like septic system inspections or leach field repair, and will put you in a good position to address any significant issues before they become deal-breakers.

Hire an energetic, Internet-savvy, and locally successful realtor. Visit her or his website, check current listings and past sales, and get client references. Plan to interview two or three agents. That will help you decide which one is the best choice to successfully market and sell your home. Quickly sell your house to selldirectiowa.com, they buy houses in Des Moines.

Once you have chosen a realtor, ask her to prepare a comprehensive market analysis in order to price your home realistically. Houses that are overpriced can languish on the market, while those competing with yours are snapped up at lower prices. The hard truth is that if your home is not competitively priced, it won’t sell.

Be emotionally prepared to sell. Remember, selling a home is primarily a business transaction and needs to be handled as such. Sellers should detach emotionally from their homes, and be prepared to hear buyers’ criticisms. You’ll need to be able to negotiate rationally and clearly to avoid hasty decisions made in the heat of the moment.

Be physically prepared to sell. You may receive and accept an early offer, then move to contract quickly, so be sure you have a new home or rental waiting in the wings.

Fiona Dogan is a Licensed Realtor in the Rye office of Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty.