So, you are thinking of selling your house in Seattle before the new year? Whether this is for tax benefits or a job relocation or something else entirely, its good to identify your goal and make a plan to meet it.
The new year is fast approaching so selling your house in Seattle may seem like a daunting process at this point. The market at this time of year usually isn’t as strong as in Spring and Summer, but the benefit of that is the competition is less stiff and the buyers are more motivated. So it will take some work – working on curb appeal, making improvements, and hiring an agent. Here, then, are our tips for selling your house before the new year in Seattle.
Get an Inspection Now
Often, you will be advised against spending money on an inspection (generally the cost for a single family home ranges from about $270 to almost $400. Condos and townhomes are on the cheaper end, bigger homes cost more) because the buyer will likely want to get another inspection done for himself prior to closing.
But this advice against inspecting your own home misses a very important point. And that is that you need to be aware of any problems ahead of time – so you can fix them before they are discovered in the buyer’s inspection. That way, if significant concerns are discovered, you can be proactive and fix them ahead of time so the house is in tip-top shape before the buyer’s inspection.
This will help speed along the negotiations with the buyer because you wont have to do as many repairs or heavily discount the price when they discover these problems after already being under contract to purchase. You can consider whether you want to share the full report with buyers before they come to the property to give them confidence in what they will find on an inspection, and let them know the steps you have taken to update the home in response to any concerns.
In the Seattle market, some buyers waive their inspection contingencies in order to make their offers stronger, but seeing a recent professional inspection will give them confidence in what they are buying. However, do make a note that if you become aware of a major flaw or “material defect” with the home – such as a foundation issue, roof leak, etc. as a result of the inspection, by law, you will have to disclose this to buyers who are looking at your home for sale.
Take Care of the Appearance Early
On the same principle as having an inspection done early on, you should also take care of the home’s appearance early in the process. Selling your house at a good price depends on it. So here are some of the things you need to do to put your best foot forward:
- Paint any dirty or strangely colored interior walls and touch up exterior paint where needed. You can clean the walls you choose not to paint, but fresh paint makes ahuge difference..
- Get the entryways in order by sweeping and cleaning, possibly installing new entry door(s), and adding adornments like seasonal decorations.
- Take care of landscaping tasks like raking leaves, trimming shrubs, and laying down new mulch.
Have a Marketing Plan
If you choose to go it alone and sell your house as a FSBO deal instead of using an agent, you’ll have to devise a marketing strategy and do a lot of marketing work.
You’ll need to use all the traditional marketing channels like listing sites, classifieds, the MLS, and even Craigslist, along with effective online marketing like creating virtual tours. If this all this sounds too far out of your area of expertise or beyond the amount of time you can invest, a qualified agent will be your best bet for selling your house. (206) 578-3438
Set the Price Judiciously
You can do the extensive research yourself, including running a comparative analysis, in order to figure the competitive market value for selling your house. Or you can let a knoweldgable and experienced agent do all this for you. Whichever way you decide to go, you absolutely do not want the price to cause your house to set too long on the market unsold, becoming what is called “stale.” People will start to wonder if something is wrong with the home if “no one else” has made an offer yet. Social proof in play.
An agent can help you price strategically – neither too high nor too low, but at the optimal spot on the possible range of prices. Getting the price right the first time around can save you a lot of money, time, and frustration. The trick is getting the price as high as possible without crossing over the line where it will drive buyers away.
Choose a Good Local Real Estate Agent When Selling Your House
If selling your house before the new year in Seattle is truly your goal, then you need the services of a local agent. With her finger on the pulse of the local market and possibly a list of interested buyers already in hand, a local agent can help you sell more quickly. When you cal us, ask about sales records and their recent listings, as well as the marketing plan for your home.
