A Guide for Home Sellers
Some amazing Ocala, Fl homes are listed for sale. Are you planning to sell yours? Then learn to complete and get results! We break down advice into three sections.
Common mistakes to avoid when listing Ocala homes for sale:
- Deciding to sell without considering your broader financial situation.
- Not properly preparing your home to be shown.
- Ignoring needed repairs, while making unnecessary repairs and improvements.
- Not hiring the right agent, one who is qualified, has your best interests at heart and presents a marketing plan and an approach to selling that makes you comfortable.
- Limiting showings: The fewer people see your home, the longer it may take to receive an acceptable offer.
- Underestimating closing costs.
- Setting an unrealistic selling price: The first week or two that a listing is on the market offer the best opportunity to sell at optimum price. Once all interested buyers have become aware of a listing, selling momentum begins to decline. If no offers are presented, the potential for a quick sale fades. The longer a property sits on the market, the more the “W.W.W.I” syndrome (what’s wrong with it) begins to impact the listing. As a result, price reductions may follow to stimulate interest.
- Only considering the highest offer and not giving proper weight to buyer qualifications and offer terms.
- Not seeking your realtor’s expert advice before launching projects: The infographic below demonstrates that the improvements that add most to your home’s value are not necessarily the most expensive ones. Therefore, you would be wise to learn what helps most before tackling upgrades and improvements.
Preparing Ocala Fl homes for sale:
To be sure, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression. However, a little foresight and a small investment may significantly increase your chance of selling quickly and at a good price. Therefore, putting both into action is well worth the effort. Here are a few simple steps you can take to prepare your home for sale:
(1) Clean your home thoroughly & make it sparkle:
Prepare your home to impress and wow. Consider hiring a home cleaning company to make your home sparkle. Make sure to have your windows thoroughly washed inside and out. A panoramic view obscured by dirt and dust often disappoints.
Recaulk sinks, tubs and windows. Dust every corner and crevice. Make mirrors shine. Then, to maintain the sparkle, vacuum daily, clean hardwood and ceramic floors as needed, dust furniture, and keep the bathrooms and kitchen spotless. Additionally, as a final touch, take steps to make your bathrooms more appealing. For example, consider adding a vase of fresh flowers, hanging fresh guest towels and keeping toilet lids closed.
Also make sure to air out your home to make it smell fresh and clean. The night before a showing, avoid cooking particularly odorous foods such as fish, garlic or cabbage. Cooking smells can linger. If you have pets, monitor litter boxes or any other areas they effect. However, not all smells have a negative impact. For example, having cookies baking during a showing can entice and make a home feel inviting.
Extra Sparkle
- Pay special attention to mildewed grout in the kitchen and bathrooms.
- Prioritize cleaning your kitchen appliances. Make them look almost new.
- Replace AC filters and spray your AC returns with a disinfectant like Lysol. AC companies tell me that a little disinfectant circulates throughout your ductwork quickly, killing germs and eliminating odors they cause. As a result of such steps, your home will be fresher smelling, cleaner and more inviting.
(2) Make minor repairs and improvements:
- Touch up interior paint, especially visible water stains.
- Repair cracked window glass as necessary.
- Make needed plumbing and electrical repairs. Leaky faucets make a poor impression.
- Restore your roof to functional condition if leaks exist.
- Pressure clean your roof as necessary to remove mold and mildew.
- Make exterior repairs, like replacing rotted fascia boards.
- Have your landscaping serviced and your driveway and walks pressure cleaned to maximize curb appeal.
- Consider taking the next step and making your home a certified resale. Ask us how the certified resale program works.
(3) Organize Bedroom Closets and Storage Cabinets
Buyers will be curious about storage spaces and will want to check closets and cabinets. It is important to ensure these are organized, as clutter can convey a negative impression.
When a buyer sees everything organized down to the last detail, he or she may conclude that you take care of your possessions and likely home as well. In kitchen cabinets, alphabetize spice jars, neatly stack dishes, and turn the coffee cup handles so they’re facing the same way. In closets, make sure shirts are buttoned and hang them together, line shoes up neatly and so on.
(4) Stage your home:
Did you know that on average, for every dollar you spend staging your home your sales price increases by six dollars? Since staging adds great value, it has an important role to play in preparing your home to list. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Declutter your home to make every room look neat and organized.
- Remove personal effects like photographs. Doing so helps potential buyers to visualize themselves living in your home.
- Ask your realtor for advice. Put his or her experience to work for you.
- Consider seeking the advice of a professional home stager. You would be surprised how small suggestions from an expert can translate into dollars in offers.
- Showtime: Whenever possible, have all lights in the house on before potential buyers arrive for a showing. In daylight showings, draw curtains and blinds open as well. Your home shows best when it appears bright and airy.
The Final Step
To complete the staging effect, tour your home and linger in the doorway of each room. Imagine how the room will look to a buyer. Arranged and rearrange pieces of furniture until the room achieves maximum visual appeal. Make sure window coverings hang evenly. Having cleaned, repaired, organized and staged, look for final touches that will enhance your home’s wow factor.
Other important considerations
Of course, creating an impact is vital, so you must have high quality photos and/or video taken. These media should then be presented in an innovative marketing campaign to draw maximum attention to your property. Since the marketing effort begins with the presentation of your home on the MLS, we always make a special effort to highlight your home’s most desirable features there.
Because every Realtor exposed to your home has contact with dozens and often hundreds of potential buyers, a marketing campaign must include the introduction of your home to the Realtor community. We are members of a network of over 750,000 real estate sales professionals world wide and can reach out to all of them in a matter of hours. Therefore, we have maximum flexibility to tailor the outreach that would be most beneficial for your home. We will put you in the best position to successfully compete with other Ocala, FL homes for sale.
