You know that when you’re ready to sell your house, there’s a lot to do before listing. The problem is, though, that all those pre-listing tasks can just go on and on. So you have to know what to take care of and what to leave alone. It all begins with understanding your own motivations and goals, and then the rest of it simply consists in looking at things from a buyer’s perspective. So if you really are ready to sell your house in Oxnard, here are 5 things to consider first.
1. Know Why You’re Selling
Knowing exactly why you’re doing something always makes it go better. Always. So, first, in getting ready to sell your house in Oxnard, take some time to carefully and honestly examine your motivations. Maybe you’ll find on reflection that you’re really not ready to sell, and had you gone forward with the sale, you might have come out on the short end of the stick. A good way to proceed here is to compile a double-columned “Pros” and “Cons” list. Do this first before you do anything else.
2. Prepare It Properly
Now, if you find that you truly are ready to sell your house in Oxnard, the next step is to prepare it for listing. The first thing to do, of course, is to declutter and deep clean. Next, you will need to make some repairs and upgrades, but not all repairs/upgrades are worth it. Some just won’t return anything on the investment in the form of a bigger sale price. Still, kitchen and bathroom upgrades and renovations usually do yield a good ROI. These rooms are important to buyers, and they will notice what you’ve done in these rooms. (To learn more about the important repairs and upgrades to make, contact a qualified agent at 805-232-8503.)
3. Stage It Judiciously
Staging, more art than science, involves arranging and adorning your home such that buyers find it appealing and can envision themselves living there. You will need to arrange furniture so that rooms seem both cozy and roomier. Adding artwork, pillows, and throw rugs also help to achieve the desired psychological effect. And don’t forget to stage your outdoor living spaces as well. Your best bet, though, is to hire a professional stager who knows exactly what to do to make buyers want to live in your home.
4. Price It Right
It is often said among real estate professionals that getting the price right is a major component of effective marketing and an effective tool to help sell your house in Oxnard. Obviously, you don’t want to either overprice or underprice because the result will be the same: your house will languish unsold on the market for months and months. Instead, lean on your agent’s expertise for strategic pricing, which involves pricing in the right range, avoiding century pricing, and negotiating a better price. Of course, all that comes after your agent has performed a comparative analysis to determine fair market value.
5. Call Local Real Estate Agents
As we’ve suggested throughout, hiring a good real estate agent is critical to selling your house in Oxnard. And even better is to hire a local agent who thoroughly understands local market conditions. The standard advice is that you should talk to at least three local agents before making a selection. And your agent should not only be willing to provide guidance throughout the whole process (with staging tips, for example) but also be willing to provide you comparative market analysis so that you can be informed about pricing matters.