Selling a house can be a tad bit daunting and even overwhelming under any circumstance. Selling a house just isn’t a small task. It involves time, planning, work, and patience.
The job of selling a house can be especially overwhelming, stressful, and frustrating for homeowners who are selling for the first time. But the selling process can be more manageable, or even enjoyable with a little planning and preparation.
Here’s what you need to know when selling a house for the first time in Roseburg.
Make Necessary Repairs
The first thing you’ll want to do when selling a house is to do a walk-around and, with a critical eye, note needed repairs and maintenance. It is important to make these repairs before showing your home so you don’t turn off potential buyers.
Your house needs to be in “show-ready” condition before hitting the market. Ask yourself if it’s in good shape and looking it’s absolute best before pounding the sign in the yard.
Some minor fix-its are easily done by the homeowner, but many should be completed by a qualified professional or good handyman.
The consensus among industry pros is that you hire a professional to make those needed repairs.
So, where do you start? The easiest way to start is to start a list of projects and repairs for your handyman to take care of. They typically like to work off of a punch list so they can get things done quickly with no confusion.
Some of the most common repairs made prior to putting a home on the market include:
- Treat the roof for moss and clean the gutters
- Touch-up paint on walls and trim
- Scraping and painting flaking paint on the exterior
- Patching up any unsightly holes in walls
- Upgrading light and plumbing fixtures
- Replacing burnt-out lightbulbs
- Updating plugs and adding USB plug-ins
- Pressure washing decks, patios, driveways, walkways, gutters, and exterior of the home
- Regrouting dirty tile.
This is not an exhaustive list but it will give you a place to start. If you need pointers or suggestions, contact me here.
Staging the House
Next, you’ll need to stage the house! Unfortunately, this is a step often neglected by those selling a house for the first time in Roseburg. I understand that it’s another step but it is one you should consider taking because staged homes typically sell more quickly and at a better price.
Eighty-two percent of buyers’ agents said staging made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home.
NAR
Although there are times when it’s nice to have a totally vacant home, it is true that staging a home tends to enable buyers to more easily visualize their furniture and belongings inside the home and imagine how they might best use the space.
Don’t forget step 1 to staging, though… and that is decluttering and depersonalizing the home thoroughly. This means getting rid of the majority of your picture frames, extra knick-knacks, and anything that makes the home look smaller or “busier” than it actually is.
Remember, when staging a home for the market, less is more.
Don’t Skimp On The Listing Photos and Video
The presentation is one of the most important aspects of selling a house. One of the ways to build an awesome presentation is by getting top-notch, professional listing photos and videos.
Great listing photos and video tours are more important today than they’ve ever been because so many buyers do most of their house hunting online.
It’s no surprise that most home buyers start their search for a house online, which means your listing photos and videos will be the first thing they see. In fact, in a recent publication, NAR reported that after the pandemic, 97% of homebuyers used the internet in their home search.
Honestly, the quality of your listing photos and video could be the difference between a home listing with no action and a home with multiple or top-dollar offers. We see in markets with high buyer saturation, that we can get multiple bids from homebuyers, some of who haven’t even seen the property.
Although I love shooting my own photos, your best bet is to hire a professional real estate photographer to take your listing photos. I still shoot my own walk-through videos because it allows me to be authentic and explain the home in a way as though the buyers are right there with me.
Not all agents include professional listing photos in their package of service. You have probably seen some pretty shoddy listing pictures online. To discover more about this, and my professional photography package for Roseburg OR area listings, contact me here or call 541-643-1131.
Price The Home Correctly
The number 1 most important thing when selling a house for the first time, the second time, or the tenth time in Roseburg OR is to price the home correctly. Price it too low, you lose money, price it too high and the home doesn’t sell.
The key is to price the home according to the market. Getting the price right is critical and often difficult for those who are selling for the first time.
Historically, homes sell for 95-97% of the list price.
Troy
Get help pricing your home. (no obligation)
You want to avoid overpricing the home so you’re not forced to make one or more price cuts while it’s on the market.
Price cuts can sometimes signal to buyers that something might be wrong with the home or that the seller is overly motivated to sell.
Listing the home too high will most likely:
- Prolong the amount of time it takes to sell the property
- Net the seller less at closing than they would have if they price correctly on day 1
To price your house correctly, you can have a Roseburg agent perform a comparative market analysis. This will allow you to know what very similar homes in your neighborhood have recently sold for.
For pricing assistance and a total market overview, give me a call at 541-643-1131.
Be Prepared for Closing
The final step in selling a house is closing. This is the celebration table, but you need to be prepared for closing day and what you’ll encounter at the closing table, things like information and a small mountain of paperwork.
Once you and your buyer get through the home inspections, lender red tape, appraisal, and other verifications, and financing is secured, you’ll soon find yourself with a handful of closing documents to sign.
Closing documents can be a little overwhelming too, but your agent and escrow officer should help you through it. Just make sure you do your homework beforehand, and ask your real estate agent questions so that you know exactly what you’re signing. Your agent should get you a summary of all the documents before closing.
Now that you’ve signed your closing documents, you will probably be asked (and sometimes expected) to hand over all keys to the new buyers. I would caution you to wait until your agent or the escrow company notifies you that the deed has been recorded.
Most of my home-selling clients leave extra keys, remotes, devices that control home systems, warranties, and manuals in the home in a pre-agreed-upon area for the buyer.
Hire an Experienced Roseburg Agent
One of the best things you can do when selling a house for the first time in Roseburg is to ask for help. Whether you choose to list your property with me or not, I’m always here to help and am willing to get you pointed in the right direction.
If you do choose to list your property, you should expect your agent to guide you through the whole process and negotiate the best deal possible. I have over 28 years of experience and the expertise to assist you in whatever capacity you need. So if you’re selling a house for the first time in Roseburg, contact us today at 541-643-1131 or shoot me an email at troyschuyler@kw.com.