Selling a "dated" home: tips and tricks for a successful sale

Selling a “dated” home: tips & tricks for a successful sale

It’s no secret that today’s home buyers are searching online for their next home; over 90% of them are doing it, and they’re devoting hours upon hours of time, filtering through the hundreds of listings and falling in love with their favorites. Your pictures matter, more now than ever before. You must be able to capture a buyer’s attention within a few clicks of her mouse or you’ll be overlooked. But what can you do if the home you’re selling is in less than picture-perfect shape?

Home buyers today, for the most part, are looking for properties that are in turn-key, move-in ready condition. To them, this means that they shouldn’t have to paint, replace carpeting, install appliances, or hang new light fixtures. Therefore, in order for a someone to successfully sell their home for top dollar in a short amount of time, all of these areas need to be addressed prior to listing the home for sale.

When my teammates or I meet with a new seller, we pay for a home stager/interior designer to come in and prepare thorough room by room checklists for home enhancements which will help to sell the property. Improvements generally include painting (she gives suggestions for trendy modern neutral colors), furniture re-arranging, new window treatments, light fixtures, wall art & accessories. After the improvements are made, we have our professional photographer take a multitude of photos to use in our listing materials, virtual tours, YouTube videos, Pinterest boards, and all of our internet marketing. Doing all this work up front highlights the home’s features and allows the buyers to envision themselves in the space. You’ll sell more quickly and for a higher price.

Knowing which improvements to make and how to spend your pre-listing budget will take much of the hassle out of the process. Contact us today to get your move on track!

Here’s what our clients have been saying:

“Kyra & her team will sell your home! We were on the market with another Realtor for more than a year and had no luck. After switching to Kyra and following her recommendations, we had a contract within a month. Kyra & her team go the extra mile for their clients, and we heartily recommend them!” - Mike, Oak Park seller