TOP TIPS FOR SELLING AN OLD HOME

TOP TIPS FOR SELLING AN OLD HOME

TOP TIPS FOR SELLING AN OLD HOME

There will come a time that you have to sell your home. But what should you do if you’re selling it in its advanced years? Not to worry, we’ve got ten tips for you!

1. Get help from an expert.

The right realestate agent can help you sell your home for its rightful price. With their knowledge and experience of selling homes old and new, they can help you market your home to appeal to prospective buyers. You don’t have to do all of the marketing and negotiating alone. Just make sure that the one you’re hiring has numerous experience in selling older houses and properties similar to yours.

2. Fix up the essentials.

Maybe some are looking for a fixer-upper, but most buyers would want a home they can live in without worrying about leaky pipes and fixtures or other things they would need to fix. Focus on the things that would update the look and functionality of your home. You should start with:

• Check for clogging or running toilets.

• Replace old-fashioned lighting.

• Replace leaky fixtures in the kitchen and bathrooms.

• Replace cracked window glasses and oil hinges.

• Replace old flooring—we recommend vinyl planks to go straight over the top.

• Replace worn doors and door knobs.

• A fresh coat of paint can help vamp up your home. Choose neutral colours like pale grey, beige, and earth tones.

3. Curb appeal, as always, is everything.

Making your home’s exterior look good is very important as it’s the first thing prospective buyers see. Because of this, curb appeal is important! Aside from doing a fresh coat of paint, repair fences, clean up the landscaping and prune the bushes. Your lawn should also always be mown.

4. Make your home look inviting.

Create a homely, inviting atmosphere. Aside from making your home structurally sound, this is one of your main priorities. Staging your home can help, as it could bring out the best features of your home. Decluttering and depersonalising your home is also important—buyers should be able to imagine themselves moving into the house and be able to visualise their furniture and possessions in place. Remember - buyers want to buy a home, not a to do list.

5. Get the price right.

Pricing can be tough to get right, and it will depend on the current housing market. Your agent can help price your home correctly through comparables and the current home-buying trends. This knowledge will help you not over or underprice your property because doing both will hurt your chances of selling your home.

6. Highlight what’s nearby.

Aside from highlighting your home’s best features, why not highlight the neighbourhood, too? See what prospective buyers are interested in before marketing. Make sure to mention nearby transport, schools, restaurants, parks and shops in your marketing materials. Even though buyers might not have children yet, young couples are interested in homes near schools, so make sure to highlight it in your marketing. 

7. If you can’t do the things mentioned above, sell it as is.

If you just don’t have the money or time to repair your house, you can always sell it on an as-is basis. Meaning, the buyers will have to buy the house in all its glory, without guarantees from you. However, you should only resort to this option if all else fails, as this market is very small and have lower prices.

Selling an older home can present more challenges but with these tips, we’re sure that you can achieve that sweet signed contract of sale. If you ever need our help selling your home, you can drop a message in our social media accounts or give us a call—we’ll be delighted to help you.