Are you ready to list your home with a Montclair real estate agent? Unlike many other parts of the United States, Montclair is currently experiencing a buyer’s market, where there are more homes listed for sale than there are prospective buyers. While this may make it a bit more difficult to sell your home for the price you want, it’s certainly not impossible. Follow these tips to increase your chances of success when listing homes for sale in Montclair.
1. Deep Clean
Before you list your home and have photos or video taken for the listing, you’ll need to give it a deep, thorough clean. Most of those who are selling Montclair real estate find that hiring a company that specializes in cleaning homes for sale is the best way to achieve this goal. Not only will you free yourself up to do other tasks related to selling your home, but the job will also get done more thoroughly by those who are experienced in cleaning and who have the right tools to get the job done right.
2. Stage It
Prospective buyers of homes for sale in Montclair need to be able to visualize themselves living in the house they end up purchasing. That’s difficult for them to do if your home is cluttered with personal mementos, pet supplies, hobby materials, and pictures of your family that fill the wall space. Buyers are also turned away by rooms that are serving a dual purpose, like a home office that also serves as a storage space.
One of the best ways to help buyers develop an instant connection to your home is to have it professionally staged. A stager will remove, rearrange, or add furniture and décor to help our home be as appealing as possible to your ideal buyer. The stager will also ensure that each room has a designated purpose.
Not comfortable having a stager come into your home? You can achieve similar results by having your house virtually staged. This involves using a computer program to virtually add or remove furniture and décor, and the results can be used in listing images, as well as virtual tours. Virtual staging is less expensive than traditional staging, and the possibilities of what our home can look like are greater.
3. Market it Online
The majority of potential homebuyers in this market find the homes for sale in Montclair they are interested in online. To appeal to these buyers, you need to have an effective online marketing campaign that includes the use of landing pages, social media posts, and Facebook and Instagram ads. These strategies require high-quality images of your home, a virtual tour, and a full description of your home on the listing.
Marketing your home online takes knowledge, skill, and time, so unless you have a background in online marketing, this is a task best left to a Montclair real estate agent who has their own marketing team.
4. Focus on Curb Appeal
Whether potential buyers are first viewing your home online or in person, the first area they are likely to see is the exterior. You’ll want to make a lasting impression with the outside of your home to get buyers. Owners of homes for sale in Montclair that have put time and effort into their curb appeal benefit from more interest in their listings and, subsequently, higher offers.
The first order of business when it comes to curb appeal is ensuring your lawn and bushes are neatly trimmed and manicured. Not sure how else to increase the curb appeal of your home? Try one of these easy tips:
◾ Upgrade house numbers, mailboxes, and porch light fixtures.
◾ Paint or replace the front door.
◾ Install walkway lighting.
◾ Add colorful plants or flowers to the porch or lining the walkway.
◾ Remove any clutter, such as kids’ toys or gardening equipment.
◾ Powerwash the exterior of your home.
◾ Add some quality outdoor furniture to the front porch.
5. Price it Right
Pricing your home correctly can be a tricky process. Too high, and you’ll lose a large chunk of potential buyers. Too low, and you’ll leave money on the table when you sell. The best way to price your home is to work with a Montclair real estate agent who is familiar with the current market and who can perform a comparative market analysis. This is a tool that evaluates what similar homes in the area have recently sold for and helps estimate fair market value.
6. Perform Some Upgrades
Before you list your home, have your real estate agent investigate other homes for sale in Montclair for comparison purposes. Do the other homes in your price range have upgrades that your house doesn’t? If so, you may need to invest some time and money into projects before you put your home on the market. For example, if other homes have master baths with walk-in showers and yours doesn’t, investing in a bathroom remodel would likely be a good use of your money
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Not sure which upgrades you should focus on to get the most return on your investment? Here are some of the best projects and their average return on investment at resale:
◾ Minor bathroom remodel: 102%
◾ Landscaping: 100%
◾ Minor kitchen remodel that includes refacing cabinets and drawers, a new oven and cooktop, and upgraded flooring and counters: 98.5%
◾ Exterior improvements like painting or adding vinyl siding: 95.5%
◾ Attic bedroom conversion: 93.5%
◾Major bathroom remodel including new tub, toilet, sinks, and faucets, upgraded lighting, new floors, and added tile: 93.2%
◾Major kitchen remodel, including an upgrade of appliances, new flooring, upgraded cabinets and countertops, an installed island, and space conversion: 91%
◾ Adding a deck, patio, or porch: 90.3%
Selling your home in a buyer’s market presents some challenges, but it’s still very possible to sell your home quickly and for the price you want when you follow these easy tips. Ready to prepare your house for listing? Reach out to an experienced Montclair real estate agent like those on the McGurl team to partner with a pro and increase your chances of success.
