Welcome spring….cleaning?
After the business of the holidays and the dreariness of the winter many homeowners choose to take advantage of the low inventory in February and March and list their homes before April and May comes along-and we think it is a great idea! Now, that doesn’t mean you should just run right out and sign your paperwork and stick a sign in your yard. This is also the most competitive time of the year when it comes to selling your home. So if you have been considering making a move, you might want to take a few weeks to get your home and your family ready.
So far this spring we are noticing that overall inventory is low (for the moment) and with an uptick in prices and even better, a downturn in days on the market-it really is a GREAT time to list your home.
We are even seeing multiple offers and contracts over list price here in the Athens area!
We don’t expect you to go it alone though. We are happy to discuss ways to improve your home and make it ‘show ready’. That is just part of the pre-listing appointment. Having a second set of eyes on your home makes all the difference, I mean you ask someone to help you choose a tie or a dress, right? See! Here are some easy things you can get started with right away.
Clean and Declutter
Sounds simple, right? Well we aren’t just talking about your regular Saturday clean, we mean the ‘my mother in law is coming for Christmas’ kind of clean. You know the one…clean the oven, the top of the fridge, dust the fan blades, the baseboards. THAT clean. Better yet, treat yo’ self, and hire someone to t do it for you. As for the decluttering, you might be on your own but it isn’t that hard when you break it down. Start by walking into your home from the front door and look at each room with fresh eyes, like you are seeing it from the first time. What things clutter your vision? Can you walk through each room easily? Are they light and the walls simply decorated? If not, remove 1-2 pieces of furniture, 3-5 photos of of the wall, and open the curtains and blinds. Better? See! Do this for each room of the house. It makes a world of difference. Need help? Take a look at these tips on our Pinterest page!
Fix it, Paint it, Touch it Up
We all have those projects that never got finished or those things we have been meaning to do. Well, if you haven’t done them yet, now is the time. If you started but have yet to finish-putting your home on the market is a great motivator for putting on those final touches or making little updates that can have a big impact. That room you added that still needs trim or switchplate covers? Go get ‘em. That ceiling fan you put up that hangs crooked-get ‘er done. The kids room with all the dings and scratches on the walls-give it a fresh coat. Buyers don’t want to see a honey-do list when they look at your home, so let’s get those things taken care of! This article is a great place to start getting ideas on what things you should be taking care of before you list.
Now That’s a Keeper
Now is also the perfect time to look around your home and decide what stays and what goes with you. Many homeowners have incorporated family heirlooms, vintage fixtures or custom curtains and draperies into their design. If they are not going to convey with the home, you should make note of that now and replace them if at all possible before you list. What about the washer/dryer? Your outdoor patio set? Your golf cart? These things may not be needed in your new home, so do they stay with the old house? Should you sell them now? Use them as incentives? All great things to consider and discuss with us before you list. Realtor.com does a great job of laying out out the ‘should it stay or go’ dilemma in this blog post, but keep in mind each home and each market is a little bit different.
There are dozens of ways you can prepare your home so that it is ‘show ready’ and we have a list of tips that we will go over at your prelisting appointment, so don’t panic. We have been doing this for a good while now and we know what it takes! Our mission is to make sure that your home hits the market priced competitively and showing beautifully, so that it SELLS.
Have questions? No problem! Drop us a line, we would love to chat!