10 Things You Need to Do Before Selling Your House in Temecula

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10 Things You Need to Do Before Selling Your House in Temecula

I always get this question from sellers, so I put together my top “10 Things You Need to Do Before Selling Your House in Temecula.” With a little effort, you will not only sell your home much quicker but also for a higher dollar amount. Little things equal thousands of dollars on the back end of your sale. Follow these 10 steps, and you will be well on your way to a successful real estate transaction and minimize your stress levels.

At the end of every one of our blog posts, we have a home page search. It comes straight from the local MLS. If you have any desire to purchase a home in the Temecula area, this home search is a great first step.

Curb Appeal

Yes, even in real estate, first impressions are very important. Having a buyer pull up and love the front of your home is very important. On more than one occasion, I have had buyers not want to even see the inside of a home because the front yard looked terrible. Some very simple things you can do to improve your curb appeal are making sure the grass is cut, painting your front door, power washing your home and garage door, and planting some flowers or trees on the walkway leading up to the front door. This doesn’t take much money but makes all the difference in the world to prospective buyers.

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Paint in a Neutral Color

Make sure all rooms in the home are a neutral color. Everyone has their own taste, so bright green bedrooms might not be a good idea. I know it’s a simple fix, but many buyers can’t see past an ugly-colored bedroom in their minds. If you’ve had roof issues in the past and they were repaired, make sure you paint over any water stains on the ceiling. Buyers don’t need to instantly presume you have a leaky roof.

Shampoo your carpets

This is one of the easiest things to do that will make your home look and smell better. I always tell sellers that if they are going to do anything at all to their house, they should paint and carpet it. If you can make these two things look fresh and new, incoming buyers will feel the home has been well taken care of.

Declutter

Many sellers have stuff everywhere. Do not overwhelm visitors to your home. If you have things everywhere on kitchen counters, bedside tables, and coffee tables, some buyers are going to feel stressed out and won’t be able to imagine their belongings or lifestyle in that space. Get a box or 10 and start packing all the stuff on the counters away and putting it in the garage for when you move.

How to Get Rid of Pet Odor

If you have pets and you think they don’t smell, have a friend or relative come over and give you an honest answer. Many buyers who do not have pets will not get past the smell. They will worry then, after the close of escrow, that the smell is going to stay even if they change out the carpet and paint. When I walk into a home and smell urine or a heavy pet odor, 60% or more of buyers are moving on.

Get an Appraisal

Sellers believe their home is worth more than it is, while buyers believe it is worth less. Eliminate all of this worry by getting an appraisal before you list. $300 is a small price to pay to have peace of mind and understand where the list price should be on your home. You can also use it as a marketing tool by having your agent write in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that an appraisal has been done and that the price is below the appraised value. Put your house on the market for $100 below what it appraised for, and buyers are going to flock to it.

Repair the Minor Issues

Leaky faucets, loose door handles, small holes in the drywall, and door and cabinet hinges If a buyer initially likes your home, they will stay for a while. During that time, they’re going to start picking your house and mind apart. What am I going to have to do once I move in? If they start seeing the things I mentioned above, it’s going to add up in their minds, which will result in a lower offer on your home. Spend a few weeks before listing your home doing all of the minor repairs. It will make a big difference not only for showings but also when the inspector comes through during escrow. 6 years ago, I was thinking about

Make a list of everything that makes your house awesome!

There are a few reasons you do this. Number one, you know your house better than anybody. Just to give you a few examples, if you spent money on a new heater, a new AC unit, or a new roof, these are all things that the agent needs to know so they can highlight them in the actual listing. You are going to be in competition with your neighborhood, and if you can highlight and show how your home is superior to others, it will get shown first.

Another reason why it’s so important to have an upgrade list is for the appraiser. Contrary to what people think, appraisers do not want to blow up deals. If you can give them a reason to bring the value in at the contract price, that’s what they want to do. It also helps if you put a dollar amount and itemize each improvement in your home on a sheet of paper that can be handed to the appraiser.

Deep Cleaning

I won’t get into too much detail on this because it’s pretty self-explanatory, but do a deep cleaning of your home. You can do it yourself or hire somebody to do it for you. Watch the blinds, window sills, under the coffee table, etc. Buyers notice a clean, well-maintained home.

Picking the right agent

This could be a blog post in itself, but make sure that you do your research and pick an agent that knows how to market properly, understands the area, and has experience in regards to negotiating deals. Since I’ve been negotiating contracts for the past ten years, I can say with certainty that sellers often make me offers on my home that range from $5,000 to $10,000. Could I have done this 10 years ago? Absolutely not. I’ve just learned how to negotiate and talk on the phone to prospective buyers’ agents.

In regards to marketing, you need to get your home in front of buyers that want to live in that area and are qualified to do so. With social media and target marketing today, you can specifically market to home buyers that are looking for homes in your area. An ad spends of a few hundred dollars will get your home in front of hundreds of buyers who want your neighborhood, city, or town.

Thank you for reading our blog. We are a local husband-and-wife real estate brokerage (Greenleaf Real Estate) and appraisal company. If you have any questions regarding real estate in or around the Temecula area, please don’t hesitate to call us. We have some great VIP programs for both buyers and sellers. We will represent you with honesty and integrity while saving you money. Please fill out the form below, and we will contact you ASAP.

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