How to Sell Your Home in Celina, Prosper, McKinney, and Frisco, TX
When you decide it’s time to list your home for sale, it can be hard to know where to start. While many sellers may turn to friends or family members for advice, you will find a step-by-step checklist, below, of everything you need to do to prepare to enter the real estate market. When you’re ready to list your home for sale, be sure to contact me to set up your customized consultation. As a local real estate agent, we will be able to market your home to a variety of candidates across Celina, Prosper, McKinney, Frisco, TX & the surrounding communities. Ready to start the "sell my house" process? Get in touch with Cindy Peters Real Estate today!
Why Hire a Real Estate Agent to Sell Your Home?
If you're trying to sell your home, it can seem tempting to sell it yourself without using a realtor. Maybe you want to save the money, or you think it won't make much of a difference. There are plenty of people who sell their homes and the real estate market is competitive, so reading success stories online can give you the idea that it's easy.
Having a good real estate agent to sell your home is vital. Take the following items into consideration as you make plans to sell your home:
- Selling a Home Takes Time: Selling your house is a full-time job. There are many considerations to take into account that people might not have thought about. You are already busy. A real estate agent's job is to get your house sold for the best deal possible. He or she can take the time to field calls from potential buyers, handle advertising, organize open houses, and handle every other little detail that goes into your home sale.
- A Real Estate Agent Has More Experience: Unless you have a background in real estate, you won't have as much experience as a professional agent. Experience can make a huge difference in getting your house sold quickly. This especially comes in handy when negotiating contracts and performing other tasks
- A Real Estate Agent Can Negotiate: Selling your home can be an emotional process for you; this is where it helps to bring in a professional negotiator without any sentimental ties to your property. While they won't make a deal without your approval, an agent will be well-situated to give you guidance and advice on the best course of action.
Preparing Your Home
First impressions are everything when it’s time to sell your home. From the moment a potential buyer views the photos of a listing online, the house is being judged on how well it meets their needs. That’s why home improvements are key to getting your listing sold fast and for top dollar. There are several ways to go about improving your home, and it’s always smart to meet with a reliable Celina real estate agent prior to putting money into your house. The real estate agent will be able to guide you regarding the necessary changes and most likely net you a good return on your investment.
Should I renovate my home?
Most homeowners don’t renovate their entire home before listing it for sale because they will likely not see a full return on their investment. However, some minor renovations may help you get a buyer faster. Here are two key makeovers to consider:
Kitchen — The kitchen can make or break a home. Simple upgrades to consider may include fresh paint, new countertops, new cabinets, updated appliances, or a new faucet.
Bathrooms — Bathroom renovations also pay off in the long run. Make sure your bathrooms offer good lighting, large mirrors, attractive fixtures, and lots of storage.
What repairs should I make before selling my home?
Different from renovations, repairs are minor changes that won’t necessarily cost you several thousand dollars. These repairs typically help the house showcase their best features and show that the home was well cared for. Here are a few repairs and upgrades you should make to the home before selling:
Fresh paint — New paint can really breathe new life into a space. Go for neutral tones such as tans and greys. Something too bold or bright can turn off buyers.
Replace everything that’s broken — Take care of that torn window screen, the doorbell that’s hanging by a cord, and the hinge that keeps getting stuck; spend a weekend and fix all those minor nuisances that keep getting put off.
Curb appeal — The front of the home is the first thing potential buyers will see as they pull up, so it must look its best. You’ll want to trim all the hedges, clean out the flower beds, and lay new mulch.
How should I organize all of my belongings?
A cluttered house is a quick way to lose out on a sale. If a home appears not to have enough storage space, a buyer can be quickly turned off. Now is the perfect time to host a garage sale or finally donate all those items you’ve been meaning to get out of your closet.
The best way to start decluttering your home is to begin gradually packing away items that you don’t need regularly. Remove out-of-season clothes from your closet, keep toiletries and hygiene products in a basket under the sink, and pack up any collections you may have displayed.
While you may believe the décor you have displayed in your home brings in character, a house that is cluttered and unorganized can appear smaller and less appealing to a potential buyer.
Pricing Your Home to Get Top Value
Determining the list price for your home can be one of the most challenging aspects of selling. It’s crucial to find the right price balance that brings in showings and also gets you top dollar.
While it may be hard to understand, the buyer really determines what your home is worth, and that’s done by comparing your house to others in the neighborhood. A comparative market analysis report scans listings in your neighborhood that have recently sold, been listed, or gone off-market for other reasons. These listings are compared to yours based on square footage, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, updated features, and more.
While it may seem a little counter-intuitive, it’s always smart to price your home slightly under the market value to bring in multiple offers than to price it too high and negotiate down. Look at it this way, why negotiate with one buyer when you can negotiate with multiple buyers.
Marketing Your Home to Sell
A successful marketing campaign of your home is a multi-faceted process that includes multiple activities involved in getting it sold. Every activity used to market your home aims at maximizing your home’s exposure to get you more showings and offers.
By partnering with a Coldwell Banker Realty agent, your home will qualify for an exclusive marketing package. The marketing package includes:
- Professional Photography
- Listing Syndication to over 900 websites
- A Website Dedicated to Your Home
- Print Material—Postcards, Flyers, and Brochures
- Featured in D Magazine
- Social Media Marketing
- Featured on At Home in North Texas, a local TV show on Sundays at 8 a.m. on UPN 21
And more . . .
Negotiating a Successful Transaction to the Closing Table
Once an offer has been received on your home, you will have the option to accept, reject, or counter the offer. By working with a Celina real estate agent, you can rest assured knowing that your best interests are taken to heart and that you will receive the best deal possible.
The offer will include what the buyer is willing to pay for the house, when they are available to close, and any other contingencies, such as the outcome of the home inspection report. It’s important to remember that everything is negotiable in a real estate transaction.
When all parties are satisfied with the terms and conditions of the sale, the process of completing the transaction begins. Upon making it to the closing table, all paperwork will be signed, and the keys will be turned over to the new owner.