5 tips to prepare your home for sale

The DC housing market is one of the hottest in the country. On top of this, the Washington Post recently reported that housing inventory is down year-on-year, especially for homes priced for less than $500k. If you've found it's time for you to take advantage of this "seller's market" and sell your home, here are five easy ways to improve the odds of getting the offer you are looking for:

1. Price it right

First thing is to set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range. A home that’s priced right for the market attracts serious buyers. An overpriced home may miss out on the all important first few weeks of showings, after which time the listing will appear stale.

2. Prepare for visitors

Get your house market ready at least two weeks before you begin showing. It is better to start from a clean slate, rather than end up rushing to prepare at the last minute. And remember, your home will need to be photographed for the listing (see our previous blog post for more info!), so you don’t want to turn off potential buyers before they even step foot in the door!

3. Be flexible about showings

It’s often disruptive to keep a house ready to show at the spur of the moment, but the more amenable you can be about letting people see your home, the sooner you’ll find a buyer. Allowing access to your home is critical when selling your home, buyer agents prefer showing homes that are available to show via a lockbox or showing service.

4. Anticipate multiple offers

In a hot real estate market like Washington D.C. you should anticipate multiple offers for your home (assuming the price is right). Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.

5. Be flexible on price

For sellers asking price or above is always ideal, but we must evaluate what the market is telling us: If your home has been on the market for awhile without an offer, you should be prepared to at least consider lowering your asking price, or address feedback about conditions.

If you’re interested in buying or selling your home in Washington, DC, contact us to help you get a great result!