June 12, 2017

If you read my recent post, We Moved, then you probably know that we received our 1st offer 15 hours after our home was listed. I know, insane! We were just as shocked. But did you notice that I said the 1st offer? When selling your home, you need to have a lot of patience for so many reasons. The number one reason being that you literally have no control of your home actually selling and/or a contract going through. 

Our first contract ultimately fell through and we were right back to the beginning. Luckily, our real estate agents accepted back up offers. Just a few short hours later we accepted another offer. Then we found out that couple got into an accident (they were okay, thank goodness) but decided they needed to focus on their health and not a home. Totally understandable but we were right back at the beginning once again. Fast forward to the next day, we accepted a 3rd offer. We were officially back under contract! Then 54 days later we handed the keys over to the new owners. Whew! I told you, patience. 

I honestly believe it wasn’t anything magical we discovered to help sell our home but it did take a lot of preparation. Here’s what we did that helped sell our home so quickly and have multiple offers.

How to Get Your Home Sold Quickly

1. Check the Local Market

Before even thinking about contacting a real estate agent, check the home values in your area. We noticed our area was on the rise so we knew it was the right time to list before it started going back down.

2. Complete Home Repairs and Deep Clean Before Contacting an Agent

We listed our home the first week in March but started preparing our home right after the new year. We got rid of clutter, did a deep clean, and repaired all those little annoying things you seem to accept as a homeowner. Some repairs ended up being expensive but we had the end goal in mind. You want the real estate agent to be able to come over and list within that same week. If we hadn’t made repairs, cleaned, and staged our home, it would have been another month before being able to list. Keep in mind, we had a 5 month old at the time so a lot of this was done during nap time, at night, or one person working to get it done.

3. Find the Best Real Estate Agent

How exactly do you find the best agents? Word of mouth. I can’t say this enough! My best gal, Melissa of Melissa Creates, recently bought a home. I remembered her gushing about her agents. They were described as a dynamic duo that helped her family find a home. I value and believe a friend’s opinion over a google search any day. With that said, if you’re in the Central Florida area then I have the best agents for you. I can honestly say this because we had a horrible experience the first time around with a different agent.

Get in touch with Warren and Prebble with the Bonett Real Estate Group if you’re looking to sell and/or buy in the Central Florida area. Stop what you’re doing and go now. They are that good. With everything that they do behind the scenes, the process of selling and buying goes as smooth as possible.

4. Stage Your Home and Quality Images

Have bold paint colors? Make them neutral. Have a lot of photos displayed of you and your family? Take some down. We honestly kept a few up to show how our house is a home. You’ll also need to get rid of any clutter, clear counter space, and maintain a daily cleaning schedule. Of course it’s tiring but the end result is worth it! Not sure how to stage your home? Ask for advice and help from friends and family. My real estate agent actually conducted a walk-through and gave me a few ideas on how to best show off our home. I absolutely loved the ideas she gave me.  

Once everything is in place, you need quality images taken that highlight the features of your home. You want potential buyers to get out of their home and into yours. There’s a pretty good chance if you have bad photos, a lot of people aren’t going to schedule a time to see your home. You want as many people to see your home as possible! The images you see above are the ones our real estate agents took. 

5. Warm Welcome

Besides making sure your home is clean and leaving all the lights on, set the stage for your home. Make it a home potential buyers can’t resist. Here’s how:

Temperature

Set the temperature to a refreshing setting. For example, it’s hot in Florida. I don’t know when it isn’t. I set the temperature so that families entered feeling comfortable rather than too hot or too cold.

Overall Aroma

I wasn’t comfortable lighting candles but turned on my wax warmers. I picked a scent that wasn’t too strong or overbearing. You want potential buyers entering with an at home feeling and not leaving with a headache. I did a test run by turning on a particular scent when we initially met with our agents. I asked before they left and got the approval from someone other than family.

Refreshments

I went over and beyond on this one. But when you’re wanting to sell a home, this doesn’t seem like a chore. I created our own water bottle labels that featured an image of our home with a welcome message. These are my go-to labels by Onlinelabels.com. I also set out a bowl of mints and caramel candies.  If you’re wondering, people actually enjoyed both of these during showings!

Information Sheet

I can’t tell you how many times I would have loved a sheet like this when looking at a home. It took all of 10 minutes to create this. I included a welcome message, neighborhood and community highlights, our amazing neighbors, the average summer and winter electric bill, and the trash/recycle/yard waste pick up days.  Download a blank example by clicking on the image below:

6. Notes to Help Potential Home Buyers

Prebble and Warren gave me this tip and it proved to be worth it! I had a few random step ups and step downs throughout the home and didn’t want anyone to trip! I placed a note asking others to please watch their step.

7. Go on Adventures During Showings

The best advice that I can give you is don’t go to the neighbors house to watch during showings. It drove me insane watching others in my home since all of my belongings were still there. It was so hard to watch! Maybe you don’t mind, but we decided to act like tourists throughout Orlando during those times we couldn’t be in our home.

So, there you have it. Those are my tips on selling your home! Within a week of going under contract, we found our dream home. I’m still pinching myself! The bones of this home and the potential has me wishing it could all be done tomorrow. Make sure to come say hi on Instagram and to follow along with the changes to our new home!