Let's List--Putting Your Home on the Market

Our focus for this post is to continue giving our tips to educate our readers who are preparing to buy or sell in this new year. We hope you found the Buyer Tips helpful, and today we have some great information for sellers!

It can be a stressful process once you decide to put your home on the market, and it is our job as agents to go over the whole process with you and put your mind at ease. Rest assured you're in good hands and we will be with you every step of the way throughout the process. We want you to feel confident that we will sell your home and get you a fair market price for it.

There are a few things we can do to prepare you and your home for this new adventure. Below are some of The Murphy Team's favorite tips!

1. Price the home right. We can price your home at any price--literally. However, to price it right we need to consider a few things. First we will prepare a Comparative Market Analysis, which gives us factual information on the sales of homes in your area that are comparable to yours in square footage, age, amenities, etc. This gives us a very good look into what the market is doing and is a valuable tool in determining your home's price.Then we need to actually walk through your home. Have you extensively renovated? Added space? That can affect how we price the home. We want to be both realistic to attract buyers and get the price you need for your investment.

2. Prepare the home. We will go through this topic in a lot more detail at the listing appointment, but here are a few of the basics we recommend. 

• Cut the clutter. Clear out extra knick knacks and furniture. (We can help with this.)
• Organize and clean out closets (half-empty closets look bigger!)
• Remove much of the "home" in the house (pare down family photos, collections, etc.)
• Clean, clean, clean!! Get in all those nooks and crannies a discerning buyer will see.
•  Basic staging--this is something we will discuss when we meet. Each home is different and we  want to show yours off in the best way possible.
• Amp up your curb appeal. Clean up landscaping and make sure your home is ready to make a great impression when buyers pull up for a visit.

These preparation steps are so important because we will be taking photos of your home right away to put in the listing. These pictures are the first impression for buyers, and we want to knock their socks off!

3. Always be ready to show. Once we get the house listed, your home really should be show-ready at all times. Yes, this is some extra work, but we promise it will pay off! Sometimes we only get 30 minutes or an hour notice for a showing, and we want your home to have every showing possible. We also want you to get excited when we call to set up a showing rather than stressed.

4. Make plans for your furry friends. We want your home to appear neutral and move-in ready while buyers are walking through. We can't have your sweet family dog following them around or getting territorial when new people are in the house. Be ready to take your dog or cat with you or have someone take them for a play date during showings.

5. Be patient and communicate with your agent. The average home in this area is on the market for 90 days. This process will take time, and we may need to make adjustments along the way. One thing The Murphy Team can promise you is that, as our seller, we will regularly touch base with you regarding our marketing plan, online presence, market activity, and feedback. We pride ourselves on being competitive in this market, and we are prepared to answer your questions and lead you through this exciting process.

If you'd like more information or have questions about your home in particular, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We'd love to chat or meet with you. Email us at andrea.murphy@era.com or chelsea.phillips@era.com anytime!

Have wonderful week!