Columbia SC home selling tips are plentiful in today's housing market. No matter how many homes are on the market at any given time, those that make the best first impression are the ones that buyers remember most and are more likely to buy. In the often complex world of real estate, a home's ability to create a good first impression is called "curb appeal." Let's take a look into what comprises curb appeal and how to improve it when you're preparing to sell.

Columbia SC Home Selling Tips

For the vast majority of home buying prospects a home's first impression is how it looks from the street – either walking by or passing by in a car. For decades that was pretty much what a potential home buyer saw and based an initial decision on, until they had the opportunity to take a personal tour of the home. Today, of course, with the advent of smartphones, tablets and digital correspondence such as text messaging and emails, house hunters have much more information available to them than ever. Yet, one thing has remained constant – the first impression is still what the home looks like from the "curb," whether it's in a photograph on a real estate website or a picture taken by a smartphone and texted to one spouse from another.

Chances are, if a home has good curb appeal, the seller invested a good amount of time making sure his home "shows" well from the street. A nice, well-manicured lawn always makes for an attractive first impression and usually entices a prospective buyer to want to see more. An inviting walkway or freshly-painted front door may mean the difference in encouraging prospects to visit an open house or keep on looking.

Simply put, most real estate professionals agree, for years curb appeal was always the most important factor in a home's viewing popularity. Consider these tasks as part of your Columbia SC home selling preparation:

Clean, clean and clean some more.
A well-kept yard is often a sign of a well-kept home on the inside, too. An unkempt lawn or garden may signal the exact opposite, and scare off potential buyers. If your yard needs mowing and raking, do it now. Replace dead or struggling plants, flowers or shrubs. Clear up any unsightly woodpiles or areas where weeds have taken over such as corners near property lines, areas near outbuildings and fences, or other tight spots near trees.

Use a power washer to pressure wash your driveway, walkway, fence or other areas that need attention. Clean your windows – inside and out – you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in your home's appearance. While you're at it, inspect the window trim and consider cleaning, repairing, painting or replacing if necessary.

Use your green thumb.
Potential home buyers appreciate a home with splashes of color in their lawns and gardens. Consider these tips for making and helping plants and flowers grow better:
• Trim the shrubbery
• Weed the garden area and plant seasonal blooming flowers
• Use attractive, clean mulch
• Plant a low-maintenance ground cover to improve large, bare spots
• Use patches of sod to improve parts of the lawn that may have died

The addition of window boxes is a popular choice for providing colorful, attractive curb appeal. Don't forget to use potted plants in highly visible, high-traffic areas such as porches, walkways or entryways. A healthy, eye-catching plant or two can be a big addition to your home's entrance.

Remember, less is more.
It's been said that if you can look at the home you're selling through the eyes of the potential buyers it will help prepare it for a faster sale. Allow your prospects the opportunity to use their imagination by "seeing" their furnishings and accessories in your home's rooms. To effectively do this, it's important to store or remove excess furniture, exercise equipment, magazines, and personal items like framed photos, trophies, etc. The less clutter your prospect has to remove in their mind's eye, the better your chances of them imagining your house being theirs.

Don't forget the cosmetics.
It's always a good idea to consider making minor cosmetic improvements when preparing your house for sale. Because kitchens and bathrooms are popular selling points, give them the attention they deserve. Clean the grout and shine up the fixtures and hardware. Consider a fresh coat of paint, if needed, in some areas.

In today's Columbia SC home selling market, curb appeal is still very important. Yet, its importance is now measured sightly differently. Today's technological world allows almost every potential buyer the opportunity to form their first impression from an online photo – usually from a real estate website. Instead of spending endless hours driving through neighborhoods, today's buyers are able to scroll through dozens of interior and exterior photos of homes they are interested in. If they like what they see, of course, they may include those homes on the short list of ones they'd like to see in person. If they aren't impressed by a home's online photos, it's a pretty safe bet that home won't make the cut.

This new way of home shopping creates a new opportunity – and a new challenge – for home sellers. The home's exterior no longer is the only enticing feature that may sway a prospect from visiting. Now it's just as important to highlight your home's interior. In the digital age, web appeal has become the new curb appeal. The challenge is to photograph your home in its best condition. If the photos aren't of good quality and professionally produced, most buyers will keep on moving – or scrolling – until they find what appeals to them.

So, what should you do if you're planning to sell? Real estate experts offer this Columbia SC home selling tip: spend the time necessary to have your home's interior ready to photograph in order to put its best foot forward. That will increase your "web appeal" which, in turn, will increase the chances that your home will stand out enough to make a prospect's "must see" list. While it may require a greater investment of time from most dedicated sellers, in a competitive market full of real estate websites and online information it could mean the difference in selling faster – or not at all.

The Columbia SC home selling arena can be an unsavory and downright scary place sometimes. Especially if you discover your home has issues that could have been avoided before you bought it. While most home sellers and their agents are respectable and above-board, there are those who aren't. Here are four problems some sellers often try to hide from unsuspecting buyers.

Hidden Problems in Columbia SC Home Selling

Pests
Judging a book by its cover is often dangerous. Sometimes a house which appears to be well-maintained can be hiding pests such as carpenter ants, cockroaches and termites that can do damage –– extensive damage. Experts say damages to a home by these and other wood-boring insects can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. One pest control company reports a home that cost $1 million to repair. To head off the headache and heartache, it's best to have a pest inspection before you close on your home. While it's possible a homeowner offering his house in the Columbia SC home selling arena may not be aware the problem exists, it's unlikely. So, get an inspection by a reputable pest control firm for peace of mind.

Water or structural damage
A leaky roof or a problem with a home's foundation can lead to a large outlay of cash to repair. Prior to making an offer on a home you want to buy, do your own personal inspection. Walk through the property and be on the lookout for abnormal foundation cracks, undue settlement issues, unsightly mold or musty odors. Inspect the walls and ceilings for dark spots, damages or recently repaired or repainted areas. That could be a sign there's a problem and the seller tried to repair or otherwise cover it up. Naturally, should you decide to make an offer on the home, you should have a thorough home inspection performed by a licensed home inspector.

Emotional defects
Depending on where you live, sellers aren't required by law to disclose "emotional defects" associated with their home. Emotional defects are events that may have occurred in the house or on the property such as a murder, a death, a suicide or an alleged haunting. If that's important to you and if your state doesn't require disclosure, visit a website such as DiedinHouse.com to search the home's history. It may answer questions about houses on the Columbia SC home selling market.

Aging, energy inefficient home systems
Often the seller may not know the age of the home's HVAC systems or water heater. If that's the case, just ask your home inspection company for assistance. If the seller is trying to hide the age of the systems — or any problems that may accompany them, a home inspector will probably be able to determine the truth.

Lastly, common sense dictates that if you want more information on a home, just inquire about it from the neighbors. They usually have knowledge that may be informative and helpful, especially if you suspect any issues with a house in the Columbia SC home selling marketplace.

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Columbia SC home selling needn’t be a lengthy process. Pricing your home correctly will help it will sell quickly and at a good return on your investment. The best method to use to establish a price is to look at recent sales of similar homes in your market. This research along with the expertise of a knowledgeable real estate agent will prepare you for a successful sale. Although we never work for sellers or list property for sale and always represent home buyers only, we know and can find the very best listing agents anywhere to help you with selling your home. Consider these Columbia SC home selling tips.

6 Columbia SC Home Selling Tips

Look at recent comparable sales. In a changing real estate market, look for comparable sales occurring in the past three months. Sales much older than that may mean a contract was signed months earlier than the sale was closed. Generally, a sale that’s over six months old probably isn’t a good indicator of current market conditions.

Recognize that finishes and fixtures make a difference. Buyers today look for newer or renovated homes with neutral paint colors. They consistently sell faster and more often than older-looking homes that haven't been updated. Take that into consideration when comparing your home to renovated ones. If it doesn't meet the same standards, it probably won’t sell for as much. Consider renovations or upgrades. The difference in the sales price of a renovated home and one sold "as is" will be substantial. It will likely cost less to do the remodeling.

All homes are different. Just because your home is the same square footage and has the same number of bedrooms and baths as a home that just sold doesn’t necessarily mean your home will sell for the same amount. The floor plan, age, functionality and lot size will have an impact on what your home should sell for. Buyers are looking for livable floor plans and what designers call “flow.” A home with an open kitchen/living area with three bedrooms and two or three baths is more attractive than a home that’s chopped up, doesn’t flow well and has fewer bedrooms and baths.

Pay attention to the little things, they may affect price. When you’re weighing comparable sales, make sure they are really comparable. A home close to yours may not be in the same school district or on the same tax map, affecting the value one way or the other. A smaller home that sold for, say, 20% more could have been on a larger lot — or double lot — that may have been divided, making it more attractive to a buyer. Pay attention to prices that are too high or too low. With a little more research and with the help of your agent you may determine those homes are not true comparable.

Visit homes for sale. Checking out the competition in your market will help you greatly. Go to open houses and take sales tours. Ask questions to determine how the homes compare to yours. If you’re planning to list your home in April, visit homes for sale in January or February. They will likely be under contract or closed when your home hits the market. If they are still for sale, chances are they were overpriced.

Your agent is a valuable resource. The sooner you add a qualified real estate agent to your team, the better. Good agents show properties on a regular basis and are intimately knowledgeable about the local real estate market. They can also explain pitfalls to avoid and offer tips to stage your home to show best and ultimately sell quicker and for the highest price.

Remember, selling your home is ultimately your responsibility. Follow these Columbia SC home selling tips. Use your agent for his or her expertise, but do you own independent research. You’ll be more confident in the process and happier with the outcome.

So, you’ve decided to sell your home? Before you do, consider these Columbia SC home selling tips for the best results.

Follow These 4 Columbia SC Home Selling Tips

Choose the right real estate agent. Of course, you can try to sell your home yourself, but most people seek the aid of a professional. Once you choose a capable and knowledgeable real estate agent, you will enter into a listing agreement with their brokerage firm. The agreement usually requires you to give your agent 3-6 months to sell your home. During that time, if the home sells you will pay the agency a commission for their efforts.

Be prepared to sell. In this information-rich and high-tech real estate market, first impressions are important. So, if your home isn’t in the best condition — especially if it’s priced too high — it may be on the market longer than you want. And a house that’s quickly identified as having been for sale for a long period of time automatically sends red flags to prospective purchasers as having problems. If you’re serious about selling, commit to a price range with the listing agent and be ready to accept a contract in that range. This could very well be one of the most important home selling tips we can offer you here.

Create a relationship with your agent. While the real estate brokerage firm is important, more important is the agent charged with selling your home. He or she will be your point person. Make sure you and your agent are on the same page with respect to sales price, projected sales time frame, move date and other components during your Columbia SC  home selling process. It will make for a smoother, less stressful experience.

Move quickly when you receive an offer. Many times in a bustling real estate market, when you get a serious offer, you need to act quickly. When you accept the offer and escape the contract, the countdown to closing — the ultimate goal — begins. Sellers often underestimate how long the home selling process can take. And once your home is under contract with a buyer, it can take several weeks before financing is approved and the actual closing occurs. Be prepared to move quickly in the event your purchaser is paying cash or is pre-approved for financing. You certainly don’t want to lose a potential sale because you weren’t ready to move. The bottom line: expect the unexpected. Have a plan and know what your next move will be regardless of whether the closing will occur a month or more, or if it will be in a week.

Follow the above Columbia SC home selling tips and you just may turn the "newbie" label into a savvy experienced home seller!

Find more tips to help you sell your home by hopping over to our Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of articles just below the Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right.

Real estate agents are experts at Columbia SC home selling. If you’re in the market for a home, it’s always best to work with a professional. Here are five important reasons to work with a real estate professional.

Columbia SC Home Selling: Why Use an Agent?

A real estate agent is a licensed professional — trained and dedicated to the legal principles of the profession in the state in which the license is issued.

An experienced, knowledgeable real estate agent is equipped to navigate the Columbia SC home selling journey. Often their experience and personal relationships make them invaluable in keeping sellers focused on the end result — selling your home to the most qualified buyer at the best price.

Real estate agents know the market and can offer price guidance. An agent worth his or her salt can discuss market conditions that will ultimately affect the Columbia SC home selling process. They know the average square footage costs of comparable homes, what’s sold and for how much, and how long various homes stayed on the market.

A good real estate agent is a savvy negotiator working on behalf of the client to achieve the highest level of satisfaction. The most successful agents are those that rely on referrals from satisfied clients. As such, doing a good job for their Columbia SC home selling clients may produce future prospects.

Real estate agents are promoters. An effective real estate professional formulates and implements an overall marketing plan for the sale of your home. By ensuring that potential buyers are pre-qualified and are serious prospects, your real estate agent can reduce the number of “tire-kickers” or less-qualified purchasers that may consume time during the Columbia SC home selling process.

In today’s home selling market, using the services of an experienced real estate professional can be one of the smartest moves you can make.

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