At the risk of sounding cliché, the old adage “The early bird catches the worm” definitely applies to selling your home. Those who get started early tend to sell for more money in a shorter time.
There are three basic reasons.
Reason #1 - Buyers doing research in the winter months are generally more serious about buying soon. As the weather gets nicer, it tends to pull a lot of daydreamers into the process. On sunny days people like to drive around and “window shop.” It’s a pleasant way to pass the time, but unfortunately a lot of these folks don’t have serious intensions or can’t afford to buy anytime soon.
Reason #2 – Sellers who get started early tend to generate a higher sale price because they have more time to get their home in tip top shape for showings.
As most good agents will point out, the typical home has anywhere from 5-15 items, ranging from minor issues to major improvements that need to be addressed before putting a home on the market.
So get focused on knocking these things out, because the last thing you want is to be working on your home while the best buyers are buying and being taken out of the market.
We’ve all heard, “Timing is everything.” Well, in selling a home that’s often true. The best buyers, the ones who will offer you highest sale price, tend to be drawn out of the market early.
So prepping your home for sale sooner than later, is a good idea.
Reason #3 - Getting started early allows you to research, educate yourself on market conditions, and find out who’s doing a great job of listing and selling houses in your area.
You’ll gain understanding of the market and narrow your list of potential agents, enabling you to mentally and emotionally prepare. Selling your home can be a very emotional proces and choosing a quality agent, someone who will be your trusted advocate, goes a long way towards smoothing out all the potential bumps in the road.
So to recap, getting started early will help you in many ways. You have time to knock out all the prep work. You give yourself time to do your research. And most important, it positions you to have the best possible chance to sell your home quickly and for the most money.
As always, if there is anything at all I can do to help you, please feel free to call me at 604-725-4366 The conversation is always free and you’re under no obligation of any kind. My entire objective in our conversation is always to help you in any way that I can.