Make your home beautiful
Obviously, the first step in listing your house should be getting your home in order, so you can take pictures and have showings. Nothing makes an impression quite like a tidy, clean, fresh house. And cleanliness shines through, even in listing pictures. As they say, “a picture’s worth a thousand words.” Let’s consider the most important things to focus on.
General cleaning
Sometimes, it’s easy to feel like your life is taking you over. And you just don’t have to time for in-depth cleaning. But practice makes perfect, so the more often you practice your cleaning system, the faster things will get fresh and sparkly. Having a weekly and daily cleaning routine is a helpful thing when you’re having house showings. And not only for house showings, but when it comes time to take pictures for your house listing, it’s important to have a clean house.
Do a general house clean once a week, and then spruce up daily. That way, even the most unexpected visitor won’t catch you in a dirty house. For ideas on how to clean your house efficiently, check out this article from Nationwide.
Your kitchen
We often refer to the kitchen as the heart of the home. And that’s because the kitchen is an important place. Folks flock to the kitchen like no place else. Among other things, good food makes a good family. This means the kitchen should be in good order.
If your kitchen is suffering from an outdated look, a new coat of paint on the walls or some subway tiles are simple ways to update your kitchen. A deep clean in your kitchen is also important. You’d probably be surprised the way grease can coat the counters and sides of appliances. Because the kitchen is important to most people, it’s the first picture they look for in a home listing. So make sure it’s looking it’s best!
Updating vs modernizing
As people scour the market for a home for sale, one thing that throws them off is an outdated house. They don’t want to see lime green and orange in a bathroom, as I’m sure you don’t either. When you’re listing a home for sale by owner, it’s important to know how to find a solution to the problem of an outdated house. But does an outdated house mean you need to make it completely modern?
To put it simply, no. Not everyone likes a modern style house. So, instead of making your home modern, make it timeless. That way, it can easily be made modern, farmhouse-country, or anything in between by the buyers. Read this excellent article on making a timeless atmosphere in your home. And if you need to paint walls, neutral colors always make for a simple and beautiful fix.
Pricing your home
When listing a home for sale by owner, there comes a time when you need to price your house. But as you’re deciding on a price, you have to make sure you’re not listing too high or too low.
While there are so many things to factor in, a great way to get an idea for how much to list for is to explore the local housing market. Figure out how much homes just like yours are being sold, and go from there. The location generally makes a difference in the selling price, so be sure to factor that in as well. For an all-inclusive article on pricing, visit the For Sale By Owner website.
Marketing/advertising your home
Honestly, there’s not really a wrong or right way to advertise. The most important thing is that you get your name and house out in public. Word of mouth advertising, listing houses online, and numerous others are great ways to attract more buyers. Get ideas from friends who have sold, and research online for more fantastic ideas.
Final tips on listing a home for sale by owner
When it comes down to it, everyone has a different opinion on how listing a home for sale by owner should work. And in the end, you have to do what works for you. Not everyone can do the same thing and have it work. Just make sure you’re doing exactly what you need to do to have the best experience possible. And if you need more inspiration, check out the following article on how to sell your house without a realtor.