You’re looking to make a change, but you’re not sure exactly how to go about selling a house in Columbia. Whether the market is hot, cold, or somewhere in between, there are some things you can do to set yourself up for success and a faster sale. Here’s a step by step guide for selling a house in Columbia.
Choose an Agent
If you decide to have a listing agent help you with your sale, finding the right one is the first step to a successful sale. Look for someone with demonstrated experience selling homes in Columbia, great customer reviews, and with whom you connect. When looking at client reviews, pay particular attention to mentions of communication between the agent and the seller, as keeping in frequent, close contact is essential.
Determine Your Home’s Worth
Overpricing your home is one of the key mistakes people make when selling a house in Columbia. A too-high price can quickly turn away prospective buyers, and a too-low price means you leave money on the table. Consult carefully with your agent and price your home in line with other similar properties on the market and recently sold in your area.
Get Your Home Ready
If there are any nagging repairs or upgrades you’ve wanted to make, get them done now – within reason. Pre-listing isn’t the time to tackle all those kitchen updates, but making a few crucial changes could help boost the resale value of your home. Be sure that you fix anything that could be seen as a major safety hazard, as you’ll need to fix it anyway once there’s an offer on the table. A fresh coat of paint, some cleaned carpets, and careful staging can go a long way.
Market Your Home
This is one of the ways having a knowledgeable agent can really go a long way toward quickly selling a house in Columbia. A great agent can pinpoint what makes your home unique and desirable and can identify the best marketing channels to use to get your home sold. Once your listing is live and when you have scheduled open houses, be sure to use your own social media profiles to share the listing to give it a better chance of being seen.
Show Your Home
Be as prepared as possible to show your home at any time. The more showings your home gets, the better its chances are of selling. Use open houses sparingly. They’re a great way to get new eyeballs on your home, but hosting too many can make you look desperate and can drive down the sale price.
Respond to Offers
Once you receive an offer on your home, do your best to respond as quickly as possible. Buyers like responsive sellers, and if you give them too much time in between their offer and your response, they may move on to the next interesting property.
Cooperate with Inspections and Appraisals
Although having someone else poke around your house, looking for all the flaws, can be nerve-wracking, it is an important part of the sales process. Cooperate with any and all requested inspections, including any specialty inspections the buyers may opt for. Consider the inspection reports carefully and work with your agent to determine which findings you will need to act on and which you will not.
Close on the Sale
Once everything has gone through, it’s time to sign the papers and sell your home. This is an exciting time, so enjoy it – you’ve just sold your house! If you’re planning on selling a house in Columbia, contact us today at 803-792-SELL for a consultation!