If you're considering selling your Columbia SC home, you've probably seen all the hoopla about sellers getting multiple offers on their home and are wondering, "can this really happen?"
The short answer is, yes, it most certainly does happen, but not to sellers of a typical Columbia SC home who don't take the time and effort to prepare properly.
Steps for Getting Multiple Offers on a Columbia SC Home
Spruce Up. Your house probably could use some spring cleaning, regardless of the time of year you are putting your Columbia SC home on the market: repainting the inside, repainting the front steps, power washing the outside, and cutting the bushes back.
Get someone who is not so attached to the house as you are to stop by and take a look at it from a prospective buyers viewpoint. Have them tell you what is a turn off to them and fix it!
Use A Seasoned Real Estate Agent. Don't get emotional when three offers come in. Let your real estate agent be the unbiased person to explain which of the multiple offers are in your best interest. The higher priced offer may not be the best offer if it's loaded with contingencies. A cash offer for a lower price might be the best deal for you to accept. Someone not so attached to the Columbia SC home is better able to advise you when you have multiple offers to think about.
Build up excitement. Consider putting out the word in the neighborhood that you're going to be putting your house on the market ahead of actually doing it. Have your chosen real estate agent start spreading the word before actually putting a sign in the yard. Consider listing your Columbia SC home on a Monday or Tuesday and not allowing anyone to actually see the home until Friday to generate some added excitement about the home.
With Columbia SC home inventory being lower than usual, your chances of getting multiple offers are high, IF your home stands out. Don't just put the home on the market without making proper preparations first.
The idea of selling your Columbia SC home and moving to a new property – whether it's bigger, smaller, newer or simply in a different area altogether – can be an exciting one. However it also brings with it a wide range of costs to bare. Selling your Columbia SC home can be a lot more expensive than you think.
Here we have focused on the main areas you need to be aware of in terms of cost. Being aware of them means you can prepare for them in advance, instead of being surprised by a cost you hadn't even considered.
Fees for Selling Your Columbia SC Home
Fees (aka: commission) are usually charged as a percentage of the sale price of your home. They are usually around five to seven per cent. So if your home sells for $250,000 and your real estate company charges 5%, you can expect to pay them $12,500. However if you sell for $250,000 and your real estate company charges 7%, this fee would go up to $17,500. Find out what fees you will be charged and work out a ballpark figure accordingly, based on the asking price for your home.
Legal Fees for Selling Your Columbia SC Home
Selling your Columbia SC home means you will incur legal fees. The good news is these fees are generally lower than they would be if you were buying a house (although of course if you are moving you will incur these on your new property too). However they can still amount to several hundred dollars, so you should make sure you allocate funds to cover these fees, also known as "closing costs."
Moving Costs When Selling Your Columbia SC Home
Moving costs can vary depending on the distance you'll have to travel to get from your old home to your new one, as well as the amount of furniture and boxes that need to be moved.
Different firms charge different amounts so you should shop around to get some quotes. Be prepared to spend anything from several hundred dollars for a local move, to thousands of dollars, depending on the amount of furniture and boxes you're moving and the distance to your new home. If you're planning to make the move yourself (with a little help from some friends), check on the cost of renting a truck from your old home to your new one.
Add to the cost of the move the time you'll need to take off from work to actually move. This needs to be factored into the costs for your move. In some cases you will need to take more than one day off, depending on what needs to be done and how far you are moving.
Costs To Fix Up Your Home
Not all properties are in ideal selling condition. If your house could do with some TLC, you may wish to invest some money in bringing it up to a reasonable standard before putting it on the market. This is optional, but if you don't invest some money in doing this you will be far less likely to get the selling price you're asking. Furthermore it may take a lot longer to sell your home than it would if it was in better condition.
As you can see there are many costs involved in selling your Columbia SC home. You will have additional costs incurred with buying a new home too, so it makes sense to jot everything down to get a rough figure so nothing comes as a surprise. You may not have much control over the fees and costs incurred with selling your Columbia SC home, but you can at least prepare for them ahead of time.
Hoping to sell your Columbia SC home this spring? You need to lay some groundwork now!
Spring is the most popular season for home sales, but now is the time to make a few late New Year’s resolutions to assure you’re ready for the Spring rush.
Many Columbia SC area real estate agents say 2013 is as good a time as ever to sell, with the housing market slowly recovering from its crash, though it’s still far below the peak.
Why is Spring Such a Popular Time to List Your Columbia SC Home?
Spring is a popular time to list a Columbia SC home for a number of reasons. In the past, corporate executives got their bonus checks in January and began to house hunt, while others received tax refunds. And a spring purchase gives buyers time for the kids to settle down over the summer before heading to a new school in the Fall.
One downside to spring selling is the increase in competition, which can be avoided by listing your home a little earlier, like now.
In reality, the spring market doesn’t actually begin in the spring, it begins right after the holidays. So you’ve already gotten behind by waiting until February to think about selling your Columbia SC home.
Find an agent that’s right for you to help you market your home. As a seller, it’s key for you to interview several agents and ask questions. Ask about the agent’s negotiating skills, experience, and handling situations like bidding wars. Ask for references from some of his or her past clients.
Once you’ve found an agent, it’s time to consider setting your asking price. As a homeowner, you need to be realistic about the asking price. It takes more than an appropriate price tag on a Columbia SC home to sell it — houses need to be ready to be shown.
Walk through every room with your radar out in full force making sure everything is free of clutter, looks bright, smells good, and is well-organized. Don’t overlook little things like replacing burned out light bulbs. Don’t forget the outside. Your yard probably needs a little sprucing up, adding some spring flowers and cleaning out any debris and leaves that may have collected over the winter months.
Consider a pre-sale home inspection. These shortened inspections are for people who are looking to sell and are not as costly or thorough as a final full inspection. Prices will vary based on the size of your Columbia SC home.
Getting a pre-sale home inspection tends to soften the worry of potential buyers looking at your home. What’s important is to make sure your house complies with what’s in a standard real estate contract, like having a working furnace or heat pump, proper plumbing and a sound roof with no leaks.
For more tips on selling your Columbia SC home, click over to the Columbia SC Home Selling Tips section of our website under the Columbia SC Real Estate Categories list to your right.