Listing and Selling Your Home in Orange County

When selling a home, there are many things you do to prepare for the listing process. Some things are more obvious than others, like fixing a broken pipe or replacing old carpet. But there are some other things you can do when selling your home that are a little less obvious, yet reap just as many rewards. Here are some home selling strategies to consider implementing when selling your home.

4 Essential Home Selling Strategies

Appeal to Millennial Buyers

According to the annual Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report from the National Association of Realtors, for the fifth year in a row Americans aged 20-37 were the largest group of home buyers at 36%. If you’re selling your home, there are some things that you can do to appeal to this generation of home buyers.

– Showcase your Smart Home technology. Millennials are big on technology and they look for it in the homes that they buy. In a recent survey by Coldwell Banker, 54% of homeowners said that they would purchase or install smart home devices if they were selling their homes.
– Show off the eco-friendly features of the home. This generation is very environmentally minded. With that in mind, you don’t have to spend a bunch of money on solar paneling to make your home more eco-friendly. Simply planting more trees around your home can help lower the cost of your air conditioning bill. The bonus is that they look great, too.
– Make your house more energy efficient by making small changes to your home like installing a programmable thermostat, adding attic insulation or plugging leaks around doors or windows. Millennials are willing to pay 2-3% more for an energy efficient home according to a recent study by the National Association of Home Builders.

Pet Proof Your Home

Pets are wonderful additions to any home. But when the time comes to sell your home, you want to make sure there aren’t any signs of your furry friend. Unfortunately, pets tend to be a turn-off for some home-buyers.

– Buyers will be walking your property, probably taking a stroll through the yard. Don’t let them step in anything unpleasant while they’re out there.
– Vacuum up pet hair. Many people have allergies so vacuuming and dusting the home to remove as much of the fur and hair as possible is helpful.
– Remove the pet toys, water bowls, leashes, litter boxes or any other pet related items.
– Remove any odor that may be present such as rugs that may have been urinated on. Unpleasant smells will deter buyers from your home.

Make Your Home Move-In Ready 

When you’re selling your home, you want to make sure that it’s as move in ready as possible. That means that you have to worry about small repairs just as much as the more obvious big repairs. Replace ripped screens, leaky faucets and mend any roof shingles that need it. If your home is on the older side, you can consider ordering a pre-inspection to see what you need to fix before the home is put on the market.

Prepare for Open Houses

Just because you work with a realtor doesn’t mean you don’t have to prepare your home for open houses. You’re going to have a lot of people coming in and out of your home so you want to protect yourself and your belongings, but you also want to invite people in. It’s a fine line. So when you’re preparing for an open house, here are some things that you can do to make your house more appealing.

– Remove all your prescription drugs from your cabinets.
– Tidy up your home. Declutter, take out the trash and have your home thoroughly cleaned before your open house. If you don’t feel like doing this yourself, hire professionals to do it.
– Organize your closets. Yes, potential buyers will rummage through your closets so make sure they are tidy so your home appears to have sufficient storage space.
– Put away all your valuable items to protect yourself from theft.
– Open the curtains and the blinds and let natural light in to make rooms appear larger than they are.

Work with an Experienced Realtor in Orange County

Selling your Orange County home is a big step. And when you decide to take that step, it’s important that you work with an experienced realtor and someone who knows that market and area you’re selling in. With more than 18 years serving Orange County, I am confident that I have the resources to make the home selling process as seamless as possible. Contact me today to get started with the listing process.