Tips For Selling Your Home

Tips For Selling Your Home

Thinking about selling your home? The first step is to find a local Chicago Realtor who can educate you about the market, your home’s position within the market and how to prepare your home for sale. Of course you want to find the best realtor to sell your home and the professionals with the Crystal Tran Team are here to help.

Selling your Chicago home might feel daunting at first, but by working with the best real estate team, you will find the process simple to understand and easy to navigate. To help get you started, we have compiled some seller tips. These 10 tips will ensure that you are able to sell your home quickly and for the best possible sales price and terms.

10 Tips for Sellers

1. Know Your Numbers – It’s understood that you want to get the most profit from selling your home as possible, but before you list your home for sale, you need to know where you stand. Understanding your current situation is critical to making the next move as well as determining if it’s the right time to sell at all.
   • What are your plans for the proceeds?
   • Are you planning to move to a new residence using the funds from the sale?
   • How much will you need for the down-payment and moving costs?
   • How much do you owe currently on your mortgage, taxes, liens, etc.?
   • What will it cost you to sell and move? Real estate commissions, new loan fees, mover costs, temporary living costs?
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2. Prepare the Home for Sale – Declutter everything! No doubt you’ve heard the term “curb appeal” but properly staging a home for sale is more than simply planting pretty flowers in the front yard. Buyers want to imagine themselves in the homes they tour; clean the house inside and out and make sure there is no evidence of deferred maintenance; chipping paint, sticking doors and chipped windows are all red flags to buyers.
3. Remove Fido and Fluffy – Of course we love our furry friends, but while your local coffee shop looks forward to seeing your pets, buyers don’t. Carefully clean away pet smells and remove lingering pet hair. Plan to have them somewhere else during showings.
4. Hire a Professional Photographer – Most buyers now start their home search on the Internet; it’s critical to present your home in the best possible light. Professional photographers know how to make a room seem larger, lighter and more inviting to potential buyers.
5. Create a Video Tour – Most professional photographers also offer high-resolution video tours as well. Studies show that listings with video have 4 times as many views and each prospect lingers 70% longer on the listing. The longer a buyer looks at your home, the better.
6. Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and Syndicated Service – Your Realtor should belong and use the local MLS and Syndicated Service. This allows your home to be seen on thousands of agent and public websites across town and across the world.
7. Pay for Advertising – Consider an ad in those supermarket real estate magazines and local newspapers to supplement the Internet; local buyers are still spending time looking for area agents and their listings.
8. Be Ready For Showings at All Times – The most important element of selling a home is having buyers tour your home. Be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, make it easy for agents to show your home.
9. Hold Open Houses – Often buyers have already decided which neighborhood they like and serious buyers are driving around looking for open house signs. Take advantage of open house opportunities.
10. Offer Local Information – Have local information handy for potential buyers to browse through. Local schools, restaurants, crime rates, etc. Help them decide that yours is the perfect home for their lifestyle.

Selling a home in Chicago doesn’t need to be a stressful experience. The Crystal Tran Team will walk you through the process and ensure you reach your real estate goals.