Military home sellers: it's a wild ride out there now, isn’t it? Depending on where you’re located, the selling trends vary. Some locales are slowing, thanks to higher interest rates, and yet others are still on a selling tear since the pandemic years because of low housing inventory.
So, how do you prepare to conquer these contrasting buying trends? One of the best tips for selling your house is to go back to basics and implement tried-and-true marketing techniques like spectacular curb appeal and even more spectacular listing pictures.
Both draw the best buyers to your property and set up the potential for maximizing profit. And if you focus on prepping for "move-in ready" conditions at all points of your home sale preparations, you’ll be ahead of your competition.
Plan Your Home Sale Months in Advance
It takes more than a few days to get your home in the ideal selling condition, so give yourself multiple months to pull it all together. You’ll need time to vet a real estate agent, start home repairs, and complete your marketing plan. If you’re planning a for sale by owner (FSBO), add extra time to learn about the process in your city and state.
However, chances are high that you might not have the luxury of a long home sale process, thanks to short-notice PCS orders. In this case, you’ll need an array of real estate and property professionals to help you get the job done. Start with an experienced real estate agent; they should have a list of trusted professionals they can lean on when time is short.
3 Top Tips for Selling Your House
1. Maximize Curb Appeal
Real estate agents cannot stress enough the importance of outstanding curb appeal. It's literally the first thing buyers see when they view your home online and when they do a drive-by. If your home lacks curb appeal, you lose a large pool of buyers prepared to pay the asking price or more.
2. Plan for Interior Updates
If your home doesn’t meet your local market’s definition of move-in ready, you won’t attract the best buyers. In fact, you may only appeal to bargain hunters searching for "as is" deals. As you’re mulling the home selling timeline, budget for updates and upgrades that will bring the best offer.
3. Invest in Marketing Photography
Your photographs are everything. In many cases these days, professional photography is required to attract home buyers. Your agent should have referrals. However, if your property is located in an area where DIY photos do the trick, you’ll need to update your skills and get familiar with your phone/camera’s capabilities.
But before getting into the details, let's address a perennially popular question to help you get your plans in motion.
Should I Repaint My House Before Selling?
Should I repaint my house before selling? It's one of the most popular questions sellers ask. The answer is, most likely, yes. However, your market will dictate the details (DIY vs. professional painting, for example), but across the board, painting is one of the most cost-effective upgrades. Expect a 2% to 5% home value increase when refreshing interior and exterior paint.
If your property’s paint is in great shape, you may get by without an update, but you’ll need to be exceptionally discerning when evaluating its condition. Remember, most buyers today are expecting turnkey condition, including neutral paint colors, for the elevated prices they’re paying.
Signs that you need to invest in repainting your house:
- Peeling, flaking, or cracking paint
- Faded or discolored paint
- Outdated or personalized colors that buyers won’t look past
When you’re planning a painting project, don’t forget to insert plenty of time for repairs, like rotten exterior wood and drywall patching inside.
Photo by Andy Dean Photography via Canva.com
Top Curb Appeal Tips
Your home may or may not need expensive improvements, but every house needs a thorough exterior cleaning.
- Determine if you need costly home improvements like a new roof, garage door, or siding. New windows and an appealing front door are also in-demand features.
- Remove any debris and old junk from the yards.
- Repair damage to siding, gutters, and other structural elements. Don’t forget about driveways and sidewalks.
- If needed, hire a professional landscape crew to cut the grass, weed, and trim bushes and trees. You may also need to freshen flower beds and mulch. Professional crews usually move a lot faster and more efficiently than homeowners have time for.
- Tackle smaller projects, such as pressure washing the porches, adding potted flowers, and updating porch elements like house numbers, mailbox, and light fixtures over a weekend.
Must-Do Interior Projects
There’s no such thing as a too clean house when it comes to home selling. Prepping the interior might include renting storage space to temporarily house extra furniture to make the property feel larger or securing a dumpster to purge the place of junk and clutter.
- After an intense declutter and purging session, consider hiring professional home cleaners to wipe away years of dust and grime. Request a thorough move-out cleaning, emphasizing the need for spotlessness from the ceiling to the floor.
- If you clean your home yourself, invest in professional tools and products to mimic a professional clean. Buyers will inspect every inch of the house.
- Are your finishes updated? New countertops and fixtures could bump your home value up.
- Seriously consider removing carpeting and upgrading to hardwood or luxury vinyl flooring.
- Professional home staging is a powerful marketing tool. Investigate if it's a service that will boost your chances of entertaining full asking prices, especially if your house is empty.
Do you know the most important updates and repairs to make before selling your home?
Prioritize Home Listing Photos
Other than a spotless home, the most essential photography element is lighting. The more natural lighting you can capture in photos, the more interested your buyers will be in visiting the space. Do not post dark images.
- Decide if you need a professional photographer, which might include drone photography.
- If you take your own photos, acquaint yourself with features related to real estate photography, like HDR mode or the use of a wide lens.
- Learn when and where shadows lie in your home during the day to take clear photos.
- Focus on capturing the property’s best features, like outdoor living space or an impressive chef’s kitchen.
- Photography angles make a difference. Landscape orientation is almost always best.
Your home’s digital first impression is everything to home buyers. This is not an area of the home selling where you can cut corners and expect attractive offers. If you plan the process and spend wisely, interior and exterior appeal photographed in the best light will net you the best outcomes.
Find even more home selling tips in our FREE guide below:
