There comes a time in most every homeowner’s life when they’re ready to sell their home. Make no mistake, it can be a challenging undertaking for some. Often there are financial, emotional and even social consequences to consider. As a result, many homeowners struggle with fears once they contemplate entering the Metro Columbia SC home selling market.
Facing Columbia SC Home Selling Fears
Here are five popular fears expressed by homeowners — and tips on how to overcome them.
My Home Isn’t Selling
Probably the greatest Columbia SC home selling fear is that a home would remain unsold for an extended period of time. It can be especially stressful if the sellers have contracted to buy another home contingent on the sale of their current one. However, know this: most homes, if priced correctly and in good condition, will eventually sell in normal market conditions. Overcome this fear by contacting a real estate professional as far in advance as possible. Work with the agent to develop a marketing plan for your home. Depending on the market or neighborhood, it could take several months to sell your home.
My Home Requires Work Before it Will Sell
Some homeowners entering the Columbia SC home selling arena for the first time are fearful of their home’s condition or appearance. They are also afraid it will cost too much to make necessary repairs or maintenance. Often they fail to realize the interest level of prospective buyers will be highest if the home is in good condition and enjoys optimum curb appeal. More importantly, the better the home’s condition the higher the potential offer. To overcome this Columbia SC home selling fear of spending too much money to put your home on the market, consider this: rely on your real estate agent for advice on which improvements (fresh paint, landscape additions, etc.) may provide you with the “best bang for your buck.”
I Won’t Sell my Home by a Certain Deadline
Another prevalent Columbia SC home selling fear is that a home won’t sell by a specific time frame. Many homeowners may want or need to sell prior to the start of a new school year or before the holidays arrive. To address this situation, it’s important to examine the most recent comparable sales and list the home at or lower than that price range. Again, engage a real estate professional to assist you in pricing the home to sell at a fair and competitive price for quick results.
My Real Estate Agent Wants me to Reduce my Home’s Sales Price
Generally speaking, real estate professionals are extremely knowledgeable about the Columbia SC home selling market. Let’s face it, homeowners often feel their property is worth more than other homes in the neighborhood for a variety of reasons — most of which are emotion-driven. The best way to overcome the fear of selling a home for less than it’s worth is to discuss it with your agent. Get on the same page. Trust the agent’s experience and judgment. Simply put, allow your agent to do their job.
Having Strangers in my Home is Unsettling
Once a homeowner has decided to enter the Columbia SC home selling environment they’ve invited prospects to come tour their home. However, many people struggle with that aspect of the process. One solution to the fear is to “de-personalize” the home so it will feel less intrusive. Remove personal items such as photographs, trophies or awards. Store smaller collectibles, “breakables” or valuables in a safe place. Doing this will provide better peace of mind and may help alleviate this particular Columbia SC home selling fear.
Find more helpful Columbia SC home selling tips in our Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of articles just below Columbia SC Real Estate Categories to your right. We also post tips daily on Twitter and our Facebook Page… follow us there as well.
It’s important to note a few critical Columbia SC home selling tips when getting ready to put your house on the market. Real estate experts say home staging can be extremely important in the appeal to prospective buyers. Keep these suggestions in mind for the best results:
Proven Columbia SC Home Selling Recommendations
Think of Your Home as a Movie Set
Look at your home as if you were directing a motion picture. Try to envision your home’s rooms from another person’s perspective. Put away all excess items including excess personal possessions such as family photos, knick-knacks and collectibles. Remember, less is more when it comes to successful Columbia SC home selling. Your furnishings can remain, but make sure they complement the room without overpowering it with too much color or by taking up too much space. Try repositioning the furniture and experimenting with what looks best "through the movie camera’s lens." The trick is, after all, to make the rooms in your home appear as large and clutter-free as possible. In addition, it may help to add a few subtle accessories like a few candles, fresh flowers or a few sofa pillows.
Keep it Clean.
As the old adage goes, "you only get one chance to make a good first impression." Put your home’s best foot forward by making sure it’s as clean as possible. Look for dust traps and clean spaces that sometimes are overlooked, such as window sills, storage cabinets, laundry rooms and other places that may be more closely inspected by home buyers. Consider hiring a cleaning company. It’s always a good idea to "have another pair of eyes" looking at your home objectively — just as a prospective purchaser will.
Pay attention to outside details. Clean porch light fixtures and pressure wash brick, siding, decks or porches if they need it. Spruce up the landscaping by removing or cutting back dead or unsightly shrubbery. Trim the hedges and weed the flower gardens. A nice job of edging will also give your home optimum curb appeal and ultimately improve your Columbia SC home selling efforts.
Make it Inviting.
The key to making your property stand out above the others on the market is to create a connection between a potential buyer’s imagination and your home. If a prospect can envision themselves living in your home they are more likely to build an interest in it that may lead to an offer. Keep your rooms well lit — preferably with natural lighting — by opening blinds or curtains. Proper lighting creates an inviting appeal to the mind's eye.
Define Rooms in Your Home.
One last Columbia SC home selling idea is to make sure the rooms in your home communicate their purpose. Quite simply, if you have a spare bedroom that has become a storage room, return it to its original purpose. If you have a home office, keep it as organized and presentable as possible. That will assist prospects in being able to see themselves using such a space for their bill-paying, working from home office, or other activities.
For more articles pertaining to Columbia SC home selling, check out the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of our site to your right below Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
Remember, we also post tips daily on Twitter and Facebook. Check us out there too.
A Columbia SC home that's priced correctly and has an overall general appeal should sell within 30-45 days in a good housing market. That's the consensus among most real estate agents and industry experts. When a sale doesn't occur in that timeframe, some home sellers and real estate agents can get discouraged, frustrated and antsy. It makes matters even worse when homes in your neighborhood with less time on the market sell quicker than yours!
What to do to Sell Your Columbia SC Home
A typical scenario goes like this: The real estate agent may recommend a price reduction. The home seller senses the agent wants to make a quicker sale. Within the first few weeks of the house being on the market there exists a discord between seller and real estate agent. Agents know from experience — the longer your Columbia SC home stays on the market without much movement — it loses momentum, newness and interest. It's soon replaced with dozens of others that may be more attractive simply because they are new listings. Plus, prospective purchasers will adopt a mindset that a particular house is undesirable if it's on the market for awhile.
Consider these ideas to spur more offers on your Columbia SC home:
Real estate professionals agree that location, condition and price are the key elements in why some homes sell faster than others. Because the location can't be changed, let's focus on the other elements.
A Columbia SC home that's been on the market for several months with few showings or offers is a candidate for reassessing its condition and its asking price.
As a seller, you could be getting feedback from potential buyers and/or their agents about certain features of your home. If it's something that can be changed or improved, consider taking your home off the market and performing the work that is necessary to help the house "show" better. Many times it could be minor flaws or cosmetic blemishes that can be rectified easily and relatively inexpensively.
If the home's condition isn't an issue, or if the seller is unwilling to take the time or spend the money to make necessary changes, the remaining option may be to reduce the asking price. Hopefully, you and your real estate agent discussed the sales price at great length prior to listing your home. However, market conditions change and some homes move faster than others — and for a variety of reasons.
So, it's probably a good idea to reassess where you and your real estate agent are in your relationship. If you're not thinking the same way on the sales price, strategy, staging and timing, something has to give. Changing real estate agents can sometimes be the only remedy to a frustrating situation.
If you're thinking of selling your Columbia SC home or if you're contemplating hiring a new agent, meet with him or her and discuss your plans and needs. A good agent will listen to what you want, and a smart client will listen to the trusted real estate professional.
Understanding your options in the real estate market is important to ensure your home will sell — even if it takes a little longer than you anticipated. You don't want to price your home too low and leave money on the table. But, if the home is priced too high and you aren't open to reasonable or competitive market offers, it could be on the market for an extended period of time.
Of course, every situation is unique so it's important to select a real estate agent that will work with you to sell your home as soon as possible and for the best price the current market will bear.
See more articles pertaining to Columbia SC home selling in the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of our site below Columbia SC Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.
Remember, we also post tips daily on Twitter and Facebook. Check us out there too.
You may have read about auctions as a unique way of selling certain homes in the Columbia SC real estate market. Some creative home sellers have employed this option as an alternative to a traditional listing.
A Closer Look at Columbia SC Real Estate Auctions
There are basically two different types of auctions: "with reserve" and "without reserve." An auction without reserve is also referred to as an absolute auction. An absolute auction is one in which the property seller has not established a reserve, or minimum price, and will accept and agree to the highest bid. A reserve auction implies there is a minimum price threshold that the seller has no obligation to accept. For example, on a home the seller feels should fetch, say, $500,000, he may refuse any and all bids less than the $500,000 reserve.
Auctioning real estate does, however, have certain challenges and an auction may not be the right fit for all properties. Three major factors must be examined before selecting an auction as the best method to sell a property: the home being offered for sale, the seller's situations and desire to sell in a non-traditional manner, and the condition of the real estate market.
- Unique Columbia SC real estate that is difficult to appraise may be good prospects for an auction. Often large estates comprised of substantial acreage in addition to a huge house are candidates for auctions.
- The seller needs to be committed to the concept of an auction and be prepared to act swiftly to accept the highest bidder in the case of an absolute auction.
- The Columbia SC real estate market should have a healthy demand for comparable homes even if the inventory is scarce. And when conditions exist that characterize the real estate market as a “seller’s market,” that’s usually a good sign that an auction may be a good idea. Many experts suggest that a home that hasn't sold after a substantial time on the market may be a prospective candidate for an auction.
When a home is scheduled for auction, sellers often enjoy higher prices fueled by competing bids between buyers who are both motivated to buy and bid with the serious intention of being prepared to act quickly.
On the downside, there are several potential pitfalls that sellers need to consider:
- The seller must pay for the cost to advertise the property in the Columbia SC real estate market even if it isn't sold.
- In the case of a reserve auction, there are no guarantees that the auction will generate a price that meets the reserve.
- There is always a risk that the advertising and promotional activities won’t deliver a sufficient number of bidders.
From the buyer’s perspective, financing — if the purchase isn't a cash transaction — is required to be arranged beforehand. Typically, auctions do not accept bids that are contingent on financing.
Buyers may also experience some prospective problems in the auction process:
- Of course, they may be outbid and may lose their chance to purchase the property.
- They may incur the expense of property inspections or even appraisal estimates before the auction date, with no guarantee they will be the successful bidder.
- They may have to pay required or desired repairs of improvements if they are the winning bidder.
In summary, if you’re intrigued by the idea of auctioning your home for sale, it could possibly be something to consider. An auction could potentially reduce the time your property would be on the Columbia SC real estate market. Experts recommend visiting other auctions to see how they are conducted. Consult a real estate agent and interview professional auctioneers. Armed with a little knowledge and preparation, you will be better equipped to determine if an auction is the best way to sell your home in the Columbia SC real estate market.
Get more tips for selling a home in the Columbia SC real estate market by finding us on Facebook and following us on Twitter.
If you’re contemplating selling your Columbia SC home, there are several steps you can take that may help sell it faster than simply lowering the sales price. Here are a few tips that may pique interest from prospective purchasers and maintain your asking price.
Columbia SC Home Selling Tips:
Be Different Than Others in Your Neighborhood
Remember, one of your first jobs is to make your home as appealing to as many potential homebuyers as possible. To do that, you may have to make your home memorable compared to others in your same neighborhood. Home improvements such as upscale windows, a new roof, or new landscaping may not only help differentiate your Columbia SC home from the rest of the pack, but they could add value to your home and even increase your asking price.
But, be careful and show restraint. Not every improvement will pay for itself. Some "improvements” are expected by potential home purchasers. For example, adding a bathroom to a three-bedroom, one-bath home may not increase the value, because those homes are “expected” to have at least two bathrooms. So, before you commit to any improvement you think may enhance your property, consult a Columbia SC home expert to find out the cost versus the reward.
De-Clutter Your House and Yard
Real estate agents say that it’s vitally important to present your home in as pristine a condition as possible. Even though prospects expect your home to have a ”lived-in” look, they want to imagine themselves, their furniture and decor in your home. So it’s probably best to remove excess furniture to create the illusion of larger rooms, as well as storing personal items like “knick-knacks,” trophies and family photographs or portraits. You may also consider hiring a professional Columbia SC home stager to set up your home for the best first impression possible. De-clutter your yard, too. Bikes, toys and yard maintenance equipment should be stored in the garage, tool shed, or temporarily removed during the home-showing process.
Be Prepared to Deal
Offering concessions to prospective purchasers may be an excellent way to move your home faster than others. Things like offering to pay some or even all closing costs will let homebuyers know you’re serious and ready to make a deal. Whenever you can, however, be prepared to figure such concessions into the asking price. Another attractive feature to home shoppers is for you to consider a quicker closing date. Making your Columbia SC home available for a new family to move in sooner may separate you from other properties and lead to a quicker sale.
Create Optimum Curb Appeal
Your home’s curb appeal is more than just a popular real estate phrase. Prospective purchasers often size up a home based solely on what it looks like from their car. A home that doesn’t give a good first impression is probably a home that won’t get a second look. Simple things such as a fresh coat of paint on the trim or shutters and a well maintained lawn, flower garden and shrubbery will go a long way in the eyes of the prospective buyer.
Prepare Your Home for a Smooth Move-in
In addition to curb appeal, aesthetics and de-cluttering, it’s also important that everything be in working order. If you have electrical, plumbing or heating and air conditioning issues, address them before you list your home. Even if you disclose those problems it may dissuade Columbia SC home buyers. They may write your home off as just being too much trouble or too expensive to make it “move-in ready.”
The Price is Right
So, you’ve done all the things suggested and now you’re ready to sell. One last — vital — thing… make sure your price is right! If you’re too high for the market or neighborhood, your home will be ignored. Price it too low and you’ll leave money on the table. It’s best to talk to a real estate agent before you list your Columbia SC home. They can provide comparable sales for your neighborhood. That will assist you in knowing where to start, what to ask for and what to be prepared to sell it for. Remember, all you want is the best price for the value of your home and its improvements — don’t get greedy, that will prolong the time your home is on the market. And “don’t give away the farm,” either. Consider paying for an appraisal in advance to assist with a sales price if you’re unsure of where to start.
To get more Columbia SC home selling tips, check out our other articles over in the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
We also offer tips on a daily basis on Twitter and our Facebook Page. Some of which may deal with Columbia SC home selling tips. Check us out there as well.