When trying to sell your Columbia SC home, you need for it to look its best. Just like when you visit a store and all the goods are arranged on the shelves and display units to make the best possible impression, the same rules apply to you when trying to sell your Columbia SC home. You want your home to look its very best, which is why you should consider a professional stager to help.
Home stagers are usually brought in before a Columbia SC home is ever listed for sale, but they may also be able to help with a home that isn't getting much interest. There are different levels of home staging services available, from simple verbal consultation and suggestions, to complete staging services where rooms are completely rearranged.
If a home stager makes significant changes, ask your agent to take new pictures of your home, since the bulk of home buyers start their search on the Internet these days.
Get more tips and articles pertaining to selling a Columbia SC home in the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of our site below Columbia SC Real Estate Categories in the column to your right.
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Staging your Columbia SC home for sale can pay off big. On average, redecorating and remodeling a home can bring three times the return on investment at closing.
Staging Your Columbia SC Home Integral to Selling
Staging your Columbia SC home is a science more than an art, and has become an integral part of selling homes. Unlike interior design, staging is done not to suit the current homeowners' tastes, but to make the home appealing to a wide range of prospective buyers.
Bringing out the positive features of the property and improving its show quality should be the lone goal when staging your Columbia SC home. You want to show the buyer the potential the home has for them.
Three Tips For Staging Your Columbia SC Home to Sell
1. Update carpets, wall paint and countertops.
Remodeling is costly, but replacing the carpets, putting on a fresh coat of paint and upgrading the countertops can really make a difference in selling a home. Carpet should be low-profile, sleek and don't take over the space; light, neutral paint colors; and light-colored quartzite or Carerra marble countertops that are more durable and dense than dark granite countertops.
Today's buyers don't generally want fixer-uppers, they want move-in ready.
2. Declutter. Less is more.
Consider using a few focal point pieces to bring buyers' eyes to the space, but not detract from it. In particular, buyers pay close attention to the kitchen and master suite, which are often cluttered with nick-knacks. Declutter the kitchen and create a spa-like atmosphere in the master bedroom and bathroom. That means: removing unused appliances from kitchen countertops, getting rid of decorative pillows from the bed and putting clean white towels in the bathroom.
3. Homes need a lived-in look.
Vacant homes often take longer to sell because buyers think the homeowner is desperate to sell.
Getting a so-called "home manager" to live on the property to give it a lived-in look can help reduce the chance of getting low-ball offers. Even when staging your Columbia SC home, the changes should feel organic. Homes shouldn't have that staged look. They should look like someone lives there.
Get more information as it pertains to staging your Columbia SC home in our section on Columbia SC Home Selling Tips to your right under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
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If you're selling your Columbia SC home, part of the staging process is removing valuables and anything that could be harmful before you start showing your home. Buyers do not need the distractions and unfortunately, not everyone is honest.
Preparations for Selling Your Columbia SC Home
Prepare for selling your Columbia SC home by putting away and locking up valuables like money, jewelry, silverware and collectibles. This makes the home show better and buyers won't become fixated on the things in the home instead of the home itself. Your Columbia SC home will sell faster and not linger on the market when it is is in prime selling condition.
Potentially harmful items like guns, ammunition, knives and prescription drugs are items that can tempt a less than honest person. They could also tempt a child that may be along for the ride and none of us wants a child to get hurt. Even something innocent like aspirin or cough syrup could cause physical harm in the wrong hands. To be safe, put it away and totally out of sight when selling your Columbia SC home.
Alcoholic beverages should not be left out either. It's easy enough to put them away in a cabinet so they will not be a distraction. Liquor sitting out shouts at the buyers that the seller really likes to drink. Nothing should stand in the way of a buyer thinking about the house instead of wondering about the seller's personal living habits.
By removing these items before selling your Columbia SC home, the home is in the spotlight, not the valuables, firearms or prescriptions. Think smart and make your Columbia SC home show ready with all valuables and harmful items locked up and safely put away.
Get more tips and articles pertaining to selling your Columbia SC home 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 on Facebook and Twitter. Follow us there for more tips on selling your Columbia SC home.
With nine out of 10 home buyers now using the Internet at some point during their search, it's no wonder that "Web Appeal" has been called the new curb appeal for helping you sell your Columbia SC house. That puts a premium on the photos that you use in your online property listing.
3 Ways to Get the Best Shots to Sell Your Columbia SC House:
Use the Right Camera – You might think your smart phone takes great pictures, but online home buyers aren't likely to agree. An advanced camera is best for real estate photography because its larger sensor takes clear pictures even in low-light home interiors. That can pay big dividends. In a December 2013 study by online real estate brokerage Redfin, homes listed between $200,000 and $1 million that were shot with DSLR cameras sold for $3,400 to $11,200 more than those photographed with basic point-and-shoot cameras.
Tell the Whole Story – Buyers pay more attention to photos than the actual property description in the listing, so it's important to provide every visual detail. Include photos of each room, as well as the exterior and yard. And take close-ups of interesting features, such as a stone fireplace or high-end appliance. Natural light is always best, so you may need several days to capture every shot when getting the best photos to help sell your Columbia SC house.
Time it Right – It's best to debut a listing on Thursday or Friday, ahead of the weekend open houses. Make sure you have all of the pieces in place before going live because listings get 4.5 times more traffic in the first week than they do a month later. Some sellers (and agents, too) make the mistake of debuting a listing without the photos, thinking they'll upload them later. By that time, many would-be buyers will have moved on.
Find more articles to help you sell your Columbia SC house under our Columbia SC Home Selling Tips to your right under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories. We also post tips on Facebook and Twitter. Follow us there for daily tips as well.
Thinking of putting your Columbia SC house on the market? Well, the spring home selling season is finally here, so now is the time to get your Columbia SC house in order if you plan to sell.
A home can be ready to list in as little as a month, especially if it's in good shape and you're working with a competent real estate agent. But it's often better to give yourself a little more cushion. Here's a rough timeline which may already have you behind if you're just getting started on this process, including advice gleaned from a recent survey of 303 real estate professionals conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.
Timeline for Getting Your Columbia SC House Ready to Sell
Two Months Out
Find a real estate agent. This is arguably the most important decision you'll make in the whole process of selling your Columbia SC house. You want to find an agent who is credible and trustworthy and with whom you have good rapport. It pays to speak with a few professionals, ideally using word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family. Before signing a listing agreement, be clear on the agent's commission.
Six Weeks Out
Handle any large repairs or upgrades. Pay close attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, which are the two rooms that most sell a Columbia SC house. Spending about $2,200 on a new suite of appliances—the dishwasher, range, and refrigerator—could fetch you an extra $6,000.
In the bathroom, consider replacing corroded fixtures as well as the vanity counter-top, which can be fairly inexpensive given its small size. Applying a fresh coat of paint in high-traffic parts of your Columbia SC house, including the front door, is also a good use of time and money
One Month Out
Get rid of clutter. Nothing turns away buyers faster than a messy Columbia SC house. You want them to be able to imagine themselves in your home, which will be impossible if your stuff is piled everywhere. Storage is a big selling point, so free up the closets and kitchen cabinets. This is also the time to pack up family photos, which can be another distraction for would-be buyers. These measures can add about 5 percent to a home's asking price, which works out to $10,000 on the average property.
Two Weeks Out
Photograph your home. In the era of online real estate, this step is crucial. If you're working with a top-quality real estate agent, they'll hopefully pony up for professional photographer—and maybe even a stager too. If they try to tell you their smart phone camera can do the job, don't believe them. An advanced digital camera is essential, because its large sensor will take clear pictures even in low-light interiors. Be sure to photograph every room in the home, as well as the exterior and yard.
One Week Out
Do a deep clean. Ahead of the first open house, you need to thoroughly wipe down every surface in your Columbia SC house, as well as vacuum and dust every corner. Do your best to air out the property by opening windows. And avoid cooking any smelly dishes in the final days leading up to the open house.
One to Two Days Out
Get your Columbia SC house listed online. Traffic to real estate websites tends to spike just before the weekend. Aim to post your listing on Thursday or Friday. Make sure you have the pieces in place before posting, especially the visuals. Some sellers debut their listing without the photos, thinking they can upload them later. But by that time, much of the traffic will have moved on.
Get more information about tips for selling your Columbia SC house in our section on Columbia SC Home Selling Tips to your right under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
Remember, we post tips daily to Twitter, and also on our Facebook Page. We'd love you to check us out there too.