5 Things to Prioritize When Selling Your Home
If you are selling your home in Kona, Hawaii, you are entering a competitive market. Though the severity of the present housing shortage will continue to decline in 2018, demand for housing in popular tourist and retirement destinations like Kona remains high. You want your home to rank among the finest homes for sale Kona has to offer. But how do you ensure that your property is desirable, and how do you market it effectively? Further, how do you ensure you get a good price on your home? If you prioritize these five elements of home sale, your home is bound to stand among the top homes for sale Kona can offer.
Choosing Your Agent
Selecting an adept real estate agent is one of the most vital decisions you will make when selling your home. While you do want to choose an agent with a lot of experience, career length and success rate should not be the sole factors to influence your selection process. If you want your home to be one of the best homes for sale Kona features, you must choose an agent that is not only successful, but also amiable and well informed.
Good agents keep up on national real estate statistics and are therefore able to navigate supply and demand effectively. However, housing markets differ drastically from each other, even when in close proximity. You want a real estate agent capable of analyzing general fluctuations in demand, supply, and pricing, but it is particularly imperative that you find an agent well versed in buyers’ preferences and pricing patterns in your unique local market. Your best bet is to select an agent that has swiftly and successfully made a previous sale on a similar property in your area. These agents will know how to identify the right buyers and market your property to them effectively.
Credentials and prior successes may cast some agents in a deceivingly flattering light. In the world of real estate, people skills are just as important as knowledge and experience. You want to find an agent that interacts positively with prospective buyers and maintains a friendly disposition. Furthermore, you don’t want to choose an agent solely concerned with making a commission. Instead, choose an agent that you feel you can cultivate a genuine relationship with.
Of course, if you sell to a real estate investment company like Craft Realty, you can sell your home fast without hiring an agent and paying a pricey commission. Though investors tend to purchase homes below market value, the amount you save in time, agent commissions, repairs, and other hidden fees typically compensates for the discrepancy between market value and price.
Equipping Your Agent
Even if you’ve found a top-notch real estate agent, they wont be able to market your home effectively if you can’t provide them with detailed information on the properties’ infrastructure and amenities. You will likely have to collect a series of documents and other pieces of information to help your agent determine what needs to be altered before showing and what a realistic selling price might be. These documents include roof age and warranty; outstanding mortgage balance; certificates of compliance; hot water heater, central air, and furnace ages and instruction manuals; dates of prior remodels, renovations, installations, and the like; and more.
You will also benefit from conducting a pre-listing home inspection. Your agent can better ascertain necessary pre-showing alterations once he or she knows what areas of the home need work. Repairs and alterations not only add value to your home, permitting you to list it at a higher selling price; they also allow you to confidently assure potential buyers that your home is in top condition.
Choosing Your Price
Ascertaining a fair price for a property is often more difficult than sellers expect. A lot of factors can influence the value of your property—age, condition of appliances, aesthetics, location, exterior appearance, and more. Thankfully, if you’re working with an agent, he or she should be able to handle the bulk of price calculation.
It is important to price your property fairly—both for your buyers and for yourself. Don’t feel as if you need to list your property below market value to encourage a quick sale; the right buyer will accept a fair price. Keeping that in mind, you should never hesitate to respectfully decline a low-ball offer.
Conversely, you also don’t want to list your property above market value. Doing so may deter prospective buyers, extending the selling process. Furthermore, the longer your property stays on the market, the more reason to believe there is something wrong with it. The only way to ensure your property ranks among the the greatest homes for sale Kona possesses and to achieve a fair offer is to list your property at a fair, market value price. If your agent encourages you to do otherwise, you may need to re-evaluate your choice of agents.
Showing Your Property
You want your property to be in top-notch condition before you show it, for a property in pristine condition listed at a fair price will practically sell itself. Of course, deep cleaning prior to a showing is absolutely essential. All floors, walls, and surfaces should be clean and free of mold. If walls or floors are in bad condition, consider painting, laying out rugs, or re-arranging your furniture. If your carpets or surfaces are heavily stained, you might want to hire a cleaning service to do a more comprehensive job.
Most people neglect one of the most basic elements of preparing a house for showing: smell. A beautiful home that smells musty or moldy simply will not sell. A deep cleaning may help address the source of any odors, but it is a good idea to use a light, fresh-smelling spray before showing your home. Refrain from cooking the day prior to showing your home, open the windows to let in some fresh air.
Finally, you want your home to be well lit for your showing. Natural light has an energy and mood-boosting effect, and may therefore help to create a positive impression on your potential buyers. Illuminating a space also makes it appear more spacious and clean. Make sure all blinds and curtains are open and that your windows are clean and clear. You may also want to replace old light bulbs.
Closing the Deal
You might assume that the most logical way to conduct a deal is to accept your highest offer, but this simply isn’t so. It is absolutely crucial that you critically evaluate the contingencies of the offer before deciding to close. Should the highest bid be attached to an undesirable closing date, loan type, or down payment, it is not truly your best offer.
Look carefully through the pre-qualification letter and contract with the help of your agent. He or she can help you determine whether the buyer’s contingencies will negate the benefit of their higher offer. More often than not, the offer conducive to quick and simple closure is your best one. Just remember to ensure the offer is within your expected price range.