As nature wakes up after a long winter, so does the housing market. In true 2020 fashion, the 2020 spring market was just starting to roll when COVID-19 changed everything. Even so, the housing market soared! Let’s dive into 5 Spring Home Selling Tips to make your 2021 sale a success!
What is Driving the Market?
This year, more than ever, people are really feeling the crunch of a home space that no longer functions. Are you working from home in a common space? Wouldn’t an office be nice? As someone who worked from the kitchen until we could convert a bedroom… the answer is YES! An office is a savior!
Are you hosting less and don’t feel like maintaining your square footage? A smaller home with a less square footage to clean and property to care for could provide freedom! Less time cleaning equals more time doing whatever lights you up!
Whatever your reason, you won’t be alone in the need to break free! Spring is the perfect time to sell your home! As we hit March/April, the market will be coming out of hibernation and it is a more practical time to move in our valley. So, take advantage of all the enthusiasm and get it listed (hint hint: with me! I come baring donuts).
[ curb appeal matters! ]
Just like a first impression on a first date, most buyers will know how they feel about a home within minutes of setting foot on the property and inside the home.
Consider trimming back overgrown trees and shrubs, lay new mulch, and plant a few new flowers to add a pop of color!
[ do pre-inspection repairs ]
If you know a home inspector is going to find something wrong with your house, go ahead and fix it first. This proactive mindset could save you hundreds down the line.
Ever noticed how some homes go from pending to back on the market? While there are a number of reasons why this may happen, one cause can be that the home didn’t appraise as high as the offer price. Uh oh! Let’s say a buyer offers $400K but the appraisal comes back at $380K. If the buyer is using a lender, the lender will only lend up to the appraised value. When this happens, the buyer would need to make up the difference between offer price and appraisal or walk away. A proactive mindset can help ease burdens down the line.
[ pare down possessions ]
Be prepared to do one of two things: go through your possession with a discerning eye or splurge for a storage unit.
“If you have dark corners in the house, get rid of clutter in those areas, paint them a light color and reflect the color with lighting.”
Have fur family or human puppies (yes – I mean kids!), clean the carpets and open the windows to air out the house. Clean or get rid of your drapes if they carry a pet odor.
While a dirty cluttered house may sell in this market, it likely won’t insight the same “need to have” reaction you want to elicit in every buyer who views your home. See these great tips to declutter a house at The Point2 blog.
[ the price is right! or is it… ]
Even though prices are rising, sellers need to be reasonable and compare their homes to similar properties that have recently sold.
“The share of home buyers who used the internet to search for a home increased to an all-time high of 97% [in 2020].”
The National Association of REALTORS
If you price too low, they’ll think something is wrong with your home. If you price it too high and have to lower your price, it will hurt you more than if you price it right the first time.
The other danger of overpricing is that appraisers are cautious. They may not value your home as high as the sales price (even if you find a buyer willing to pay asking price).
Thinking you want to save a buck or two and go for sale by owner? Not so fast! You may very well loose more money than you save…
FSBOs typically sell for less than the selling price of other homes; FSBO homes sold at a median of $217,900 last year (up from last year). This is significantly lower than the median of agent-assisted homes at $242,300.
National Association of REALTORS
[ hire a marketing magician ]
“You need to market in the year you live in!”
GaryVee
The year we live in is 2021. Your buyers are spending exorbitant amounts of time online, consuming photo and video content. They want it all and they want it now!
Hiring a marketing machine (~cough cough~ hi there 👋) who navigates the online world with ease and can translate those specifications to you in an easy to understand manor is a must! 97% of homebuyers searching online first. Stand out in the market by getting your home in front of the right eyes at the right time!
My background is in social media page management, social media ad funnels, lead generation funnels, and graphic creation. Are you researching what your real estate agent can do? Are they marketing in 2021 or 1991? Simply take a look at their social media pages and the answer will be apparent.
Back to the good stuff! First time home buyers came out in force in 2020 making up 31% of all homes purchase [1]. These same buyers grew up as technology grew. They are going to be looking at the quality of your properties photographs, checking social media, looking for virtual tours, and comparing to every other home in their price range online.
Ready to list but not sure where to start? Let’s connect! I would love to discuss your goals, answer questions, and help make selling simple.
Coming soon!
Related – Ready for more advice for getting your home ready to sell in any season? Read on!
5 Tips for Fall Home Sellers 
5 Tips for Winter Home Sellers 5 Tips for Spring Home Sellers 
5 Tips for Summer Home Sellers