If you're currently selling a Columbia SC home, or just considering selling, one thing you need to remember: You don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. That's why you must watch your curb appeal, and make sure you kick it up a notch to stand out in the neighborhood drive-by.
Even if your budget is limited, there are still some things you can do to increase the perceived value of your home so potential buyers aren't turned off before they even get to see the inside of your Columbia SC home…
If you want to sell your Columbia SC home, everyone knows there are some things you need to do in order to make your home stand out from the others on the market. But here are 5 things NOT to do when trying to sell Columbia SC homes, unless you're not really serious about the idea of selling in the first place.
For more tips on selling Columbia SC homes, check out our other articles and information at the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips link to your right under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
If you're selling a Columbia SC home, making minor improvements may help you get a faster sale.
Make sure your property looks good and is nicely spruced up on the outside, rather than considering larger scale renovations that may not recoup your investment.
Selling a Columbia SC Home – Best Improvements to Consider
A recent survey canvassed interior designers and real estate agents, asking them to identify the best home improvements sellers could make. According to the article in Propertywire, it was agreed that minor improvements such as redecorating walls in neutral colors, and making other minor improvements such as landscaping upgrades could be cost effective and may help achieve a faster sale.
It was also agreed that sellers should avoid taking out costly projects just before selling a Columbia SC home, as the increase in the sales price might not equal the money and time spent on remodeling the property. Instead sellers are advised to focus on improvements that will help broaden the appeal of the home while bringing it up to reasonable standards.
Buyers are expected to have an increased choice of properties on the market this year compared to last year. It's best to concentrate on improvements that will appeal to the largest number of people. Buyers tend to shy away from inheriting someone else's style and taste. Instead freshly painted rooms in neutral colors, a neat and tidy yard and a clutter free home will always give a property added appeal to the most number of people. The number one piece of advice is to make sure the home looks good from the outside, and that it has good curb appeal. A freshly painted front door combined with a clean and tidy entrance helps to give good first impressions.
When selling a Columbia SC home, although major renovations are not recommended, sellers are advised to spend a little bit of money on smaller updates. These might include renewing older style lighting fixtures, and carrying out minor kitchen and bathroom updates. This might be something as simple as just renewing out-of-date cabinet or door handles.
De-cluttering is at the top of the list of things to do when selling a Columbia SC home, as is thoroughly cleaning the home. If the property feels spacious and clean it makes it easier for potential buyers to envision living there.
Check out our other articles and tips on selling a Columbia SC home by visiting the home selling tips section of our website to your right under our Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
When selling your Columbia SC home, you need to be aware of the things that turn buyers off. Then you need to do everything you can to eliminate those turn-offs before even putting your home on the market for sale.
You will not get the price you want for your Columbia SC home if you don't get your home in move-in condition before the first potential buyer walks through the front door. Buyers today don't want "fixer-uppers" and properties that need a lot of work. They want a home that is ready to live in the day the movers unload the truck.
Don't Make These Mistakes When Selling Your Columbia SC Home
Overpricing Your Home – If you ignore your agent's advice and list your Columbia SC home at a higher price than recommended, you're going to get some negative feedback from buyers. The worst feedback, of course, is silence. That could include no showings and no offers.
The problem with overpricing your Columbia SC home is that the buyers who are qualified to buy your home won't even see it because they're shopping in a lower price range. The buyers who do it will quickly realize there are other homes in the same price range that offer more value.
Buyers are more savvy today, and they do their homework. So sellers, beware! Don't overprice your Columbia SC home!
Get Rid of Odors – Odors can come from a number of things – pets, lack of cleanliness, stale air, water damage, and more. You may not even notice it because you live with it and your nose may have become immune to it, but your real estate agent may have hinted to you that something needs to be done.
There is no buyer that will buy a Columbia SC home that smells bad unless they're investors looking for a bargain. Even so, they'll get a home inspection to find out the source of the odor. If they find anything like undisclosed water damage, or pet urine under the "new" carpet, then they will either severely discount their offer or walk away.
Find the source of any odors in your Columbia SC home and get rid of it before you put the "For Sale" sign in the yard!
Deferred Maintenance – This is a polite definition for "letting your home fall apart." With your Columbia SC home, things wear out, break and weather, and it's your job as a homeowner to keep your home repaired.
Buyers really want a Columbia SC home that's been well-maintained. They don't want to wonder what needs to be fixed next or how much it will cost. That just adds to their costs and they will in turn factor that in to the lower price they'll offer you for your home.
Clutter – In short, get rid of it! All of it! Box up your nick-knacks, photos, and other things that make it hard for a potential buyer to visualize themselves living in your home.
Too much furniture confuses the eye and makes it really hard for buyers to see the actual sizes of rooms. If they can't see what they need to know, they move on to the next Columbia SC home on their list.
Outdated Decor – The reason people are looking at your home instead of buying brand new is because of cost and location. They want your neighborhood, but that doesn't mean they want an outdated home. Just like they want a home in good repair, they want a home that looks updated, even if it's from a different era.
Harvest gold and avocado green from the seventies; soft blues and mauves from the eighties, jewel tones from the nineties, and onyx and pewter from the oughts are all colorways that can date your home. Textures like popcorn ceilings, shag or berber carpet, and flowered wallpaper can also date your home.
Summary – The Columbia SC home market is tough, and if you ignore these tips for selling your home, you're going to be in for a rude awakening when your Columbia SC home is not only not selling, but getting very few showings.
For more tips on selling your Columbia SC home, check out our other articles and information at the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips link to your right under Columbia SC Real Estate Categories.
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7 Things Columbia SC Home Sellers Should Do Before Hiring an Agent
Columbia SC home sellers who are thinking about selling their home need to do everything they can to make their agent's job easier, which will benefit them during the process of selling their home.
Last month, we devoted our entire Columbia SC real estate newsletter to helping homebuyers not overpay for their home.
This month, we're devoting our entire newsletter to helping Columbia SC home sellers with seven things they need to do before hiring a real estate agent.
1 – Research Home Values In Your Neighborhood
Most Columbia SC home sellers have an idea of what their home should list for, but the savviest sellers check comparable home values before meeting with a listing agent.
Your goal should be for you and your agent to be on the same page in terms of the value. Sometimes you'll find conditions will be in your favor, and sometimes you may be disappointed with the current market, (but) regardless of what you discover, your research will help you and your agent create a realistic plan for selling your home.
Look at recent comparable sales in your neighborhood. Columbia SC home sellers can find that information through online real estate sites like ours. Sellers need to be realistic, using homes with comparable square footage, the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and a similar level of amenities. It's also important for sellers to consider their home's condition relative to the comps.
2 – Check the Mortgage
Before meeting a listing agent, Columbia SC home sellers should pull their loan documents and find out exactly what they own on their mortgage.
Knowing your loan amount upfront will help your real estate agent know what strategy to take with your home. If the amount you owe is more than the market value, then you're underwater. Selling as a short sale is totally different than an equity sale.
Even if your home is in the black, it's important to work with precise dollar amounts to help get a better estimate of what you stand to make from the sale. Depending on what your agent thinks you can get in the current market, that information might also make the difference between listing and waiting it out.
3 – Learn About Any Liens Or Disputes
The more Columbia SC home sellers can tell their real estate agent in advance about any liens and other issues that could hold up a sale, the better.
If you know about any issues like liens or property disputes, deal with them before you put the house on the market.
Think about any tax issues, disputes you may have had with contractors or other problems that could have allowed a creditor to put a lien on your house. Be upfront about disputes with neighbors, especially if they pertain to your property lines. It's easier to settle those matters before listing your home. And if you're selling a property that belonged to a deceased relative, make sure your house has a clean title before contacting a real estate agent.
4 – Clean Up Everywhere
This should be obvious, but a lot of people don't seem to get it. You want your real estate agent to walk into a clean home. Some Columbia SC home sellers miss this.
Think of it as making a great first impression. If your real estate agent believes your home is winner, they will market it at a higher value. If they think it's a dump, they'll be more likely to express those feelings and they may want you to give your home away.
So what are Columbia SC home sellers supposed to do? It's important to clean the home as if you're having your in-laws over for dinner. You wouldn't have papers piled all over the place if your in-laws were coming over. Clean up the place and put things away so they are not visible to buyers looking at your home.
Don't limit your cleaning to inside the home.
Curb appeal is criticial. You want your real estate agent to have a mental picture of your home being a winner, so if the lawn needs to be mowed or the bushes need to be trimmed, do it!
5 – Hold Off on Improvements
You may be thinking about making some improvements to your home before you put the for sale sign in the yard. Our advice… hold off until you've hired your agent.
What you think will be a great return on the investment may not be what's in demand by buyers in your market, and your real estate expert will be able to advise you on this.
The danger is, if you make the wrong upgrades before hiring your agent, and then your agent advises you to do something different, you've already spent the cash and there's not much they can do about it.
Columbia SC home sellers are always tempted to go overboard, but you shouldn't because you're moving. If you run those decisions by an agent first, they'll help you stick to what's necessary and keep you from making choices that are specific to your tastes, which might not appeal to the local buyers they may already be working with.
6 – Note Upgrades You Have Made
If you take our advice in the previous section and hold off on upgrades and improvements until after you've hired an agent, you're going to be ahead of the game. But if you have made improvements already, be sure to have details on these upgrades to show your agent.
These improvements can range from major expenditures such as additions, to smaller investments such as new carpet or flooring. But knowing about these updates can help your agent price your home correctly and market it effectively to buyers.
But while listing agents want to know about the improvements, they don't need to know what you spent. The cost of updates is not as important as the fact they have been made. Real estate professionals will know what value is added to the home with the upgrades, and in many cases it's more than the initial investment.
7 – Set Your Schedule
Columbia SC home sellers need to give some thought to their schedules before listing their home with an agent. That will help maximize the potential time your property could be shown to prospective buyers. Your agent should make recommendations for ideal showing times given market conditions, but the key is to be ready for the potential change in routine, if needed.
In many cases, sellers may have to make some small adjustments to their lives during the sales process. Your "at home" schedule may need to be changed slightly to accommodate showings so you're not at home when potential buyers are there to see your place. And if you have pets, you should be prepared to have the animal out of the house for showing, especially for open houses.
It comes down to scheduling and planning, but your real estate agent needs to know your level of flexibility in order to make the most of the buyer's schedules.
Keep these 7 tips for Columbia SC home sellers in mind before you even think about listing your home for sale.