Tips to Get Top Dollar for Your Older Home in Today's Market

It seems that everywhere you turn there are companies who advertise buying ugly houses. These messages offer to quickly buy any house, regardless of the condition. The problem is that their offers are often significantly below market value. If you’re a seller whose home needs some attention, you might think these companies are your only option. Some of the offers sound attractive; quick sale, all cash, no commissions, and no fees. But before you do anything, it’s worth your time to call me for a second opinion.

5 Tips to get Top Dollar for Your Older Home

1. Call a Realtor for Free Advice – I will not charge you anything to simply come look at your home and give you a fair market valuation of your home. As well as provide you with a list of comparable homes that have sold in our neighborhood. It is important to know how much your home is worth before making any decision. Taking your home to the open market can present an opportunity for a multiple offer bidding situation selling your home above the original listing price.

2. Your House Might Not Be that Ugly – You may be surprised to find that your home is quite marketable. A few years ago, a 1950s mid-century modern home would have been considered a tear-down. Now, these ranch homes command top dollar and are in very short supply. Major renovations may not be an option, but the bones are good. Give potential buyers or investors a warm welcoming. Sprucing up the curb appeal of your home goes a long way. Invest in a great landscaper to trim away overgrown shrubs, trees etc. Let there be a clear view from the street to your home for those buyers/investors who are canvasing the neighborhood.

3. When renovating is an option – If your home does have some issues, take advantage of the resource, RealVitalize, which can provide you with repair/upgrade services performed prior to listing and paid at closing. By using this program you will be given a customized renovation/repair plan and receive competitive quotes for the job. The total cost is paid at closing freeing up cash to move, get a new storage facility, or keep in your pocket for closing costs. If time is of the essence to sell, this may not be the best option as this option can be timely but definitely beneficial in selling your home faster and for more money.

4. Deep Clean and Declutter - You have spent years in your home living and building a very nice nest egg. In this market you may be competing with newer and more modern homes, but in real estate everything is location, location, location. Older homes in well established neighborhoods are appealing to today's buyer. If there is no time or money for renovations the most important thing you can do to get top dollar for your home is to declutter and deep clean. Higher a professional cleaning company who really knows how to get a home ready to sell. We accumulate a lot of things over the years. Giving a buyer a blank canvas or minimalized space to explore allows for the true uniqueness of the home to be seen.

5. Explore the Cash Offer Landscape - You know everyone's situation is different. And a great real estate agent will develop a plan specific to your needs. If a quick sell is what you need to move on to the next chapter of your life we can explore together the cash buyer route. With the RealSure program I can come with a cash offer in hand at our first meeting. Having the ability to present an offer to you at our first meeting can help gage the path forward. If it makes financial sense, and fits the time constraints you may have, then this is a viable option to getting your home sold. But do understand that the offers more times then not are below the value you could receive if your were to list your home on the open market.

Even outdated homes sell in this fast moving sellers market. Do not think you are out of options to gain from this intense selling season. We are in a seller’s market in almost every part of the country. Selling your home has a large financial impact on you and your family. Don’t make assumptions about value, reach out to me today, I will make sure you understand all your options so you can sell your home for top dollar in today's market.