Houston Realtor Guy

There are several ways to sell your home, including selling it yourself, hiring a real estate agent and selling it at auction. And, all three of these methods have both advantages and drawbacks. The way you choose to sell your home depends on your individual situation.

If you’re in a rush to sell your home and move, then you might want to consider auctioning it. It generally takes about a month for the auction house to be able to advertise it and get everything set up for a auction, so you can get your money fairly quick. But, currently there are only about 1% of the homes in the U.S. that are sold at auction.

You might not see your desired price at the auctions end, but as a safety measure you can opt for a minimum bid auction. Most auction houses prefer absolute sales, which means that your house is guaranteed to sell no matter what the final bid is. If you decide to go with an auction, make sure you express your feelings and terms to the auction house.

If you decide to hire a real estate agent, keep in mind that they will charge a 6% fee of what your home sellsfor. This amount can sometimes be negotiable, but usually the agent won’t barter on the amount. There are lot’s of advantages to hiring a real estate agent though and it may be worth the fee.

An agent can of course reach more potential buyers than you normally can. They will handle all of the phone calls concerning your home and are suppose to take care of the tedious paperwork for you. They will also meet with buyers at your home to give them a tour and you don’t even have to be home!

If you’re not in a big rush to sell your home you might consider selling it yourself and skip paying out any commissions. You can advertise your home in the local papers, place signs in your yard and even hang signs throughout the town.   

To get a good asking price for your home you should have it appraised. An appraisal normally cost a few hundred dollars, but it’s well worth it. Getting an appraised value of your home will give you a better idea of how much to ask. It could prevent you from selling your home to cheaply.

Setting a price for your home can be very scary, too low and you’ve lost money, too high and you might not be able to sell at all. If you’re selling your home yourself you can do a little research to get an idea of what kind of price tag to put on your home.

Supply and demand have a great deal to do with the value of your home. If you live in an area that is quickly growing, then you might just be able to get more out of your home than it’s actually worth. At the very least good location will get you top dollar.

While you might not be looking to buy in your surrounding neighborhood, you should still check out all of the homes for sale. Try to look at homes that are similar in size, age and style to yours to get an idea of what other’s are asking. The size of the property should also be similar to yours.

Usually you’ll only want to compare the homes that are within a half mile radius of your property. The value of real estate can be very fickle, sometimes a home that is just on the other side of the street can vary by thousands of dollars in value. 

Research the selling prices of at least three comparable homes if you can. If your area is a buyers market, meaning there are lot’s of homes for sale. Price your home near the average selling price of the other homes. If you are living in a sellers market area, which simply means there are more potential buyers than sellers, you might just get a better than expected price for your home.

A balanced market is one that has similar supply and demand. In this market state you’re more likely to get closer to your homes actual value. If you don’t have to move at a certain time, you might just want to hold out until the market is more in your favor.

If you’ve decided it’s time to move or you have to relocate for your job, then you’re probably going to need to sell your home. There are a few really simple things that you can do to help ensure that you get more money out of your home.

It’s said that within the first eight seconds, potential buyers will decide if they want to purchase your home or not. If this is true, it means that before they even get out of their cars, they’ve decided whether they want to buy your home.

Give the door and trimming a fresh coat of paint and fertilize the lawn so it’s vibrant and lush. Even something as simple as potted plants and a wreath added to the door can go a long way in your home giving a good first impression.

The main reason someone purchases a home is location, the next reason is lighting. Make sure all of the windows are clean, hang light colored drapery, add extra lights to the rooms. Just simply using higher wattage bulbs can brighten up even a dark home.

Everyone has clutter, but it can really hurt the sell of a home. Don’t have bathrobes or other clothing items hanging on closet doors, get everything off closet floors and don’t leave too many what-nots sitting around.

Lot’s of people love pets, but they’re not the best things to have around when your entertaining potential buyers. Get a pet sitter, remove any items such as beds that can smell and open the windows to let some fresh air in. You can also drip a little vanilla on the oven door and let it warm up.

Women especially pay a lot of attention to the kitchen, so this is one room you might want to go the extra mile! Replace outdated cabinet handles, wax the floor and clear off the counters. And, while it might be expensive, any old or broken appliances can make a difference between a bid and an uninterested buyer.

Make sure the bathroom is completely clean and all your personal items are out of sight. Lay out a new bar of soap, hang new towels and a new shower curtain. Little things can mean a lot to total strangers that are scrutinizing your home.