Selling your own house is a valid option if you have the time and ability. Whenever people sell their homes in Washington DC, and whether or not they use a real estate agent, the sales process pretty much follows the same approach. When you use an agent, they are doing much of the legwork for you. Some sellers will take on this task themselves to save money and to control the process on their own. Many in Washington DC, sell their own homes every year saving thousands of dollars.
Staging Your Home for Sale in Washington DC
Regardless of whether you hire an agent or sell your home on your own, sellers need to prep their homes to make it more attractive. There are really two areas to focus on. First, they need to freshen up their homes. Sometimes there are repairs that need to be made. Dripping water taps, spongy deck floors, tired looking fences, leaking windows and so on. Some people will even add a new coat of paint to cover up the wear and tear of normal living.
Secondly, your home needs some level of staging. Remove the clutter, remove all personal items such as family pictures etc. and use neutral colors. The objective is to show prospective buyers what the home might look like with nothing to distract them such as personal pictures, heirlooms etc. Many seller confuse staging with decorating, but the difference is that staging involves removing personal distractions.
Posting to Online Marketplaces
The majority of people looking for homes are doing so online. They use a variety of sites such as Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, Pinterest and even Facebook to find homes that will meet their requirements. Emphasize all of the attributes of your home online. Paved driveway, quiet street, close to schools, finished basement, landscaped yard etc. Remember you want them to call to see your home. Online marketing is much more important today than it used to be. Your online information should also be formatted to be compatible with smartphones and tablets.
If you are not up to preparing this information yourself, hire a professional photographer and webmaster to spread this information across these social media engines with links to your main website.
Adjust the price to Attract More Interest We all love our homes and sometimes we look at our homes with rose colored glasses. We do not see the renovations that other people might consider. Many of us feel that the TLC we have given our homes adds a lot of value.
Selling Your Own House Requires Proper Pricing
Buyers look at a potential home much differently. They know they are going to have to spend some money. Some will be on repairs that they pick up on and some will be on renovation work to bring the home up to their personal standard. They want these issues to be reflected in the final price.
If you home shows well, you may not need to adjust the price. If your home is receiving a lot of interest but no offers, it is possible that the price is too high. If you are motivated to sell and move on to your dream home, consider lowering the price to attract more interest and offers. Time is money. You could lose the home you want to move to. If you are carrying a mortgage on both locations, every day means more interest charges.
Negotiate with Real Estate Agents who Bring a Buyer
Real estate agents in Washington DC and other locations are much more flexible than they used to be. Many are now willing to bring a buyer to a homeowner selling on their own. They will expect a finder’s fee or commission. Most owners are willing to negotiate an agents commission, especially when they bring a solid offer to them.
Everyone wins in a situation like this. You sell your home, the buyer feels protected since they are using an agent and the agent makes a little money!
Hire a Lawyer to Help Navigate the Paperwork
Always use a lawyer to make sure that all of the paperwork required by your local community is filed properly. Washington DC is no different than many other communities and cities. A local lawyer will be familiar with everything that is needed and can expedite the process once you and the buyer have settled on a price and all of the terms and conditions.
Skip Marketing and Sell to a Professional Home-Buying Company
If you get discouraged, or just do not want to deal with all of the issues, there is another option. At Dependable Homebuyers, we can make an offer for your home to enable a quick closing. Sellers taking this approach do not need to deal with the issues mentioned earlier in this post and they can focus on moving to a new location almost immediately. Call us today to set up an appointment (855) 741-4848.