Ready. Set. Sell. A Game Plan for St. Louis Home Sellers
The process for first-time St. Louis home sellers can seem somewhat daunting. With so many moving parts and so much at stake, it can quickly become paralyzing.
That is why we have collected the following tips to help St. Louis home sellers create a game plan when selling. By understanding what to be prepared for, St. Louis home sellers will give themselves a chance to be successful.
Buyers Are Nosy
When hosting an open house, St. Louis home sellers will quickly realize just how quickly potential buyers are. They will open every drawer, check in every closest and think to look in places you might have completely forgotten about.
Knowing this is important for two reasons: one, to understand the importance of cleaning and organizing and two, to protect yourself and any valuables you might have around the home. When it comes to cleaning and organizing, St. Louis home sellers can use this as an opportunity to get a head start on packing. By getting things into boxes (or donating or taking to the dump) you are both clearing out the home and making it easier to move.
And when it comes to your valuables, just be smart. While it might be easy to trust that they will be safe, you are inviting strangers into your home. This calls for awareness and common sense.
Collect Your Paperwork
Selling a home requires mountains of paperwork – some of it new and some of it old. When you are cleaning your home, be sure to be on the lookout for paperwork that relates to any warranties, remodeling invoices, mortgage notices, etc. Being “informed St. Louis home sellers” goes a long way with buyers who are looking for as much info about the home as possible.
Collecting this information will also be helpful when it comes time to complete the seller’s disclosure form. While you can always select “I don’t know,” it always looks better to have the actual information on hand to backup and verify your claims.
Pro Staging and Photos
St. Louis home sellers want to use every tool available to them. And two of the most powerful tools are home staging and professional-grade photos.
Once your home has been cleaned and de-cluttered, it can be in your best interest to bring in a home stager for a consultation. The stager will walk through the home and make suggestions as to how the layout should look. If it is within your budget, you can also hire the stager to do the work. Homes that are staged have been shown to sell both faster and for more money.
Once the home has been staged, it is important to then get quality photos. Keep in mind that buyers will first encounter your house via its online listing. That means if it does not pass the eye-test, there will be no reason for the buyers to want to follow up and see it in person.
When it comes to selling your St. Louis home, you need to need to know what to prepare for. The more work you can do up front, and the more you understand about the current St. Louis market, the better the position you will be in for a smooth, successful sale.