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2. Consider a pre-listing inspection
Home inspections can often hold up a sale. But if you choose to go for a pre-listing inspection, you’ll know repair issues in advance and let the buyer know about issues before they make an offer, which saves time.
While this can be a good option to speed up a home sale, not all agents agree. “Personally, I don’t recommend it,” says Marchesiello. “Many buyers are still waiving home inspections altogether to give a competitive offer, and a seller can’t be held liable for repairs or issues they don’t know about. Getting a pre-listing inspection means you are legally bound to disclose everything found in the report.”
Ask your real estate agent whether or not a pre-listing inspection is beneficial for your local market.
3. Declutter, depersonalize, and neutralize
One of the easiest (and free!) things you can do when getting ready to sell is to declutter and depersonalize your home. You want your property to appeal to a wide range of potential buyers, and that means making it as neutral as possible. “We want buyers to envision their own family there, and they need a blank slate,” says Marchesiello.
This means not only making sure you take down those New York Giants pennants, but also family photos, your kid’s fridge artwork, and any knick-knacks or trinkets that are cluttering up shelves or countertops.
Marchesiello notes that kitchens are one of the most important areas buyers look at, and offering a clean look can be crucial to a quick sale. “Less is always more,” he says. Countertop appliances, cleaning supplies, etc., should be put away, and a nice floral centerpiece on the kitchen island can be an eye-pleasing addition.
Bathrooms also tend to be important to buyers, so make sure this space is clean, with all personal toiletry items out of sight and any burned-out lightbulbs replaced.
4. Refresh and revitalize with paint
Painting the interior of your home is a relatively easy and inexpensive way to freshen it up and give it a more modern feel. “Painting is the number one highest return for a seller,” Marchesiello says. He adds that a neutral paint color throughout a house goes a long way and creates a clean, fresh look.
“Neutralizing with paint is huge. If you don’t want to do it yourself, it’s worth it to hire a professional.”
5. Ramp up your curb appeal
As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression. This holds true in real estate as well, and making sure that potential buyers get to see your home in the best light possible from the moment they drive up can make a huge difference in how fast you sell.
There are plenty of DIY, affordable ways to enhance your curb appeal. You can rent a pressure washer and clean exterior walls, bricks, and walkways, buy some shrubbery or flowers to plant in the yard, or put down fresh mulch in planting beds. “I recommend black mulch to my sellers,” advises Marchesiello. “It’s an inexpensive way to make the home look beautiful.”
And if you’re selling during those sometimes brutal New York winter months, you’ll also want to make sure driveways and walkways are clear of any snow and ice, and that exterior lights are all in working order.
6. Make use of modern technology to market your home
Even if you aren’t social-media savvy, there’s no doubt that it has become a powerful marketing tool, one that you should definitely take advantage of.
“Social media is huge,” says Marchesiello. “We have a team of specialists that manages all of our marketing and social media. You want to create posts that bring about action, maybe an invite to an open house or a ‘click here’ to see more photos. The seller should always share these posts with family and friends in their area to get more views.”
Speaking of modern technology, don’t be tempted into thinking that photos via your smartphone are a good marketing tool. It’s better to hire a professional. A professional real estate photographer will understand how to best highlight your home’s special features, and it’s easily one of the best investments you can make when marketing your home.
7. Bring in the professionals for staging advice
Depending on your home’s price range, size, and location, you may want to consider hiring a professional stager to help generate a higher offer. “If it’s a luxury home, we do generally recommend stagers who can come in and fill up what can sometimes be a large space,” Marchesiello explains.
Anne Kenney, an award-winning professional home stager in New York City, says that staging has become an essential part of marketing a property. “Given the large divide between staged and unstaged properties in the city, unstaged properties are automatically seen as inferior in the eyes of buyers when compared to those that are strategically staged for sale,” she says.
Kenney adds that whether a seller has a completely vacant property or an overly personalized, cluttered house, it can be quite difficult for buyers to envision themselves there. “The majority of buyers are simply unable to make that leap,” she says.
If hiring a stager simply isn’t in the budget, Marchesiello notes that a good agent will be able to provide you with staging suggestions that you can do yourself.
“Our team takes photos during the initial listing appointment, and we then provide sellers with room-by-room staging advice,” he says. “It might feel a little daunting, but following the staging recommendations we provide is what helps get top dollar.”
