Joe & Cara Keenan’s Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home in Brentwood

While some may believe selling a house is subject entirely to the whims of the buyers, we do not believe that is entirely true. There are many things a seller can do to help sell their house faster, easier, and for a higher profit. If you are thinking about selling your Brentwood luxury home, we are here to provide you with all the home-selling tips you need in our ultimate guide.

When a buyer makes an offer, it is usually dependent upon a home inspection. If the seller is aware of an issue that may appear in an inspection, they could make the repairs beforehand, giving themselves more time to get it done. For this reason, getting a pre-listing inspection is a good idea. Typically, renovations are not a good idea for sellers, as they cost money they usually do not make back. However, visible or significant issues like a stained ceiling or faulty wiring can make the house easier to sell if fixed early. Since every house is unique, it is a good idea to consult your realtor and get their advice on what repairs would be helpful in a sale.

A house should be spotless before opening to buyers, as a dirty home can turn people off faster than many things. Many sellers prefer to hire a cleaning company, but if you are confident in your cleaning ability, you can do it yourself. Take special care in the bathrooms and kitchen and with the floors, as buyers will be paying closer attention in those rooms, and floor stains are easy to see. In addition, the home should smell fresh and inviting. Homeowners may be too used to smells to notice them, but buyers will not have this problem. Make sure there are no unpleasant odors in the house.

Decluttering is one of the most important steps to selling a house. A cluttered home will feel cramped, uncomfortable, and small, while decluttering maximizes the space. Sellers should pack away all personal items, including photos, trophies, and personal memorabilia, to give potential buyers the best opportunity to envision themselves in the home. You should also make sure the closets, drawers, and garage are clean and organized, as visitors will open them. If necessary, consider renting a storage space. Decluttering can take a long time, so it is best to start as soon as possible. Begin in rooms with minimal essentials like bonus rooms and linen cabinets.

Another fairly easy way to glamourize a room is to give it a fresh coat of paint. Nothing affects the feel of a space more than the wall color. Stained, chipped, or old paint will make the room look old and stale, while dark colors can shrink the space, and bright colors may put off potential buyers. On the other hand, light, neutral, or pastel colors make a room look bigger and brighter than it is, and a newly painted wall makes the space look new and fresh. A new coat of paint can help increase a house's value.

Another thing sellers can do to make their houses sell faster and easier is staging, which involves arranging furniture and decorating a room strategically to attract buyers. Stagers make a house appeal to as many buyers as possible, making a quick sale at a higher price more likely. It is more about the feel of a home than practicality and can make a big difference.

The outside of your home is the first thing potential buyers will see, so it is important to make a good first impression. Relatively simple updates, like mowing the lawn, weeding the garden, mulching the flower beds, trimming the bushes, and painting the front door, can make a world of difference. Make sure your front yard and garden look their best.

When buyers are searching for houses to tour, many of them look at the pictures of online listings. These pictures may be the only thing informing the buyer to look closer or move on. Because of this, good-quality pictures are essential to selling your house. Sometimes your real estate agent will be skilled in photography and can take them, but hiring a professional photographer is usually worth the cost. Realtors will be able to recommend a good photographer.

Deciding on the listing price is a strategic decision that is highly important to the sale. Ask too much, and no one will buy; ask too little, and you miss out on money. Using comparative market analysis, real estate agents help determine the best price for your home. This strategy uses houses in the area of similar size and structure to yours which have recently sold to produce an estimated good price. Whether the market is a buyer’s or seller’s market is also a contributing factor.

We always advise finding a local real estate agent when selling a house for a multitude of reasons. For one thing, realtors can get you a higher price, as houses sold without a realtor sold for, on average, $60,000 to $90,000 less than houses sold with an agent. They can also help you sell your home faster. With a great deal of experience and knowledge, realtors help sellers through the whole process and all the decision-making, from staging to photos to pricing. You do not have to go through the process of selling a house alone; you can have professional guidance and help.

If you are looking for a Brentwood real estate agent, Joe and Cara Keenan would be happy to help. Our real estate team is built on a passion for serving our customers and assisting them in accomplishing their goals. With our values of energy, inventiveness, integrity, and compassion, we have earned several accolades. Some of these awards include the Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist title, the GRI designation, and the Certified Residential Specialist designation.

Contact us about selling your Brentwood home today.