Thinking about selling? Consider these 5 tips to Sell your Chicago Home

Are you thinking of selling a home in Chicago? Are you worried about how to get your home ready for sale? You are definitely not alone! Apart from hiring a Chicago Realtor, you can ensure an easy and successful sale by using the 5 tips in this article to better position your home for sale.

1. Call your realtor to assess your home

It may sound tempting to want to sell your home without employing a realtor, however, it is perhaps not worth it. The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously changed the home-selling business – hiring an experienced realtor can help you sell your home in this new climate while ensuring that your home is appropriately priced.

Employing the wrong realtor can mess up your sale. This is why we advise that you work with a Lakeview Realtor who is well-informed and can deliver helpful services all through the whole selling process from assessing your home to making helpful suggestions, to writing up a listing that sells, until the sale is successful.

Your realtor would frequently check the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) to know the properties on the market, and also the competitions in your area. Good realtors have sufficient local expertise to give you an edge when you are ready to sell your house.

2. Get an estimate for your home's value from your realtor

Everybody wants to sell their home at a very high price. However, listing your home at a very expensive price point can be dangerous. If you insist on sticking with such a price, it could take a long time before you get your home off the market. it is therefore essential to choose a fair price before putting your property on the market.

Talk with a Lakeview Realtor to better understand your neighborhood market and to have an idea of the current market value for your home. Your realtor should estimate your home’s value and analyze what comparable properties (comps) around you are currently selling for.

After researching comps in your area, your realtor will set a realistic and competitive price. A very effective way of easily selling your home, and fast is to set a competitive price. If you price your home too high, then it will stay longer on the market. Equally, you may just end up selling it for less over a longer time if your home is overpriced.

However, if you really need to sell your home fast, your realtor might suggest pricing your home slightly lower to generate interest and possibly create a bidding war. If by a certain date you are yet to receive any offers, you should knock down the price further.

3. Declutter your home

Potential buyers would love to picture themselves living in your home. However, they may not be able to do that if the current state of your house is a mess. Ensure you thoroughly clean your home and get rid of clutters.

Remove or hide personal effects such as family photos, ancestral items, and so on. Buyers want to visualize themselves in your home, and effects such as family reunion portraits might just quickly smash the musings of prospective buyers. Remove extra coats and shoes. Having these items out in the open might indicate a lack of storage space.

Rearrange the furniture and move out excess items so your space can look inviting and allow buyers to move freely without bumping into anything. Your home feels larger when it has more open spaces. With more space, buyers can envision different possibilities for your home.

Clear off your refrigerator. Having a clutter of postcards, receipts, and alphabet magnets on your fridge could spoil the perception of a peaceful and organized home.

Consider employing a stager to help you display the best assets in your home. This can help in impressing potential buyers and ensuring your home is sold quickly at the best price possible. Although staging is not cheap, however, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reckons that, on average, staged homes sell faster at a rate of 88% and for 20% more compared to non-staged homes.

4. Repair anything that needs to be fixed

Over time, many old homeowners become used to failing features and retrofit repairs. However, when putting your house up for sale, you may not have enough time to complete any major renovations, it, therefore, becomes essential to pay attention to quick repairs on fixing issues that could dissuade potential buyers.

You don’t need to refashion the living room or make additions before selling a house, but you should take a critical look and ponder on making cosmetic developments. For example, ensure you patch the walls where necessary and paint them. Repainting your walls in neutral colors will enable potential buyers to imagine themselves in your “blank canvas” space. Equally, a patched and unblemished wall will emphasize your care for the home. Draw up a list and fix these issues to increase your home’s perceived value and add “curb appeal.”

Other easy fixes include:

·      Tightening leaky faucets

·      Tightening handles and doorknobs

·      Fixing loose tiles

·      Touch up painting

·      Removing carpet stains

If you own an older home or you are worried about concealed surprises, you can set up a pre-sale home inspection so you can fix all repairs before potential buyers get discouraged and cancel bids. Even if you are unable to tackle all the repairs, carrying out a pre-sale inspection will help you have an estimate of the repair costs so that potential buyers will know what they are about getting themselves into.

Depending on the amount of money and time you plan to spend to get the home ready for sale, you might also consider updating fixtures, installing new cabinet hardware, purchasing new appliances, and giving the interior a fresh look.

5. Have your home professionally cleaned

When selling your home, you cannot imagine the extent to which having a clean toilet can go in enhancing your chances. Having a tidy home indicates a pride of ownership and shows that the place was properly maintained and cared for. For example, the way your entrance appears is almost as important as any area of the interior. Ensure your doormat, trim, and mailbox are in pristine condition. Clean light shades and fixtures properly. These things harbor insects and dust, and they may be unnoticed in your day-to-day living, however, shoddy housekeeping may put off investigative buyers.

Windows without spots will allow more rays of light to filter in and people also get to enjoy the view. Consider improving the airflow and the quality of air people breathe in your home by changing the furnace filter. Lastly, make sure the bathroom is spick-and-span. Aside from the prominent areas such as tiles, tub, and toilet, the old law of bathroom etiquette becomes supreme: Keep down the toilet seat!

Conclusion

Selling your Chicago home can be very demanding, especially if you’re working on a tight deadline. Luckily, whether you are in a hurry to sell fast because of a major life event (such as marriage, divorce, etc.), a new job, or financial reasons, following the tips in this article will help speed up the process and ensure you easily sell off your property. Avoid falling into mistakes you may regret by hiring a Lakeview Realtor today!