A new year is a new beginning; and as part of that new beginning, a lot of people like to set resolutions for the new year. Whether it’s quitting smoking, getting into shape, or saving money, people set all types of goals to work toward in the upcoming year.
If one of your goals is to sell your home, then here are 3 new years real estate resolutions for you to accomplish before you sell to help make sure your sale in the new year is a successful one:
1. Interview at least 3 or 4 real estate agents, and pick the best one for you:
There’s more than 10,000 real estate agents in Vancouver, so you’ll need some time to choose the best one for you. But how do you make that choice exactly? Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Ask them for references from their clients and proof of their sales: Just ask to see what they’ve recently sold. A professional agent will have no problem showing you proof of their work.
- Ask to see examples of their marketing plan for your home: Every agent presents your home differently, and you’ll certainly want your home to look it’s best. You’ll want to see if they have professional photos and videos taken and if they have a great website to showcase it in. Asking them to see how they’ve marketed homes in the past is a good indication of how they’ll market yours in the future.
- Don’t hire your relative: Your uncle Bob may be a really nice guy, but if he just got his license or lives out in Kelowna, don’t hire him. You probably won’t be happy with the results.
- If you’re selling a home in Vancouver, use a real estate agent that works in Vancouver: Even though Langley, Abbotsford and Mission are close by, their real estate market is completely different from ours here in Vancouver. Hiring an agent that doesn’t understand the Vancouver real estate market can result in an incorrect evaluation of your home, less money, and an all-around more complicated transaction for you to have to deal with.
2. Get a professional evaluation of your home:
Just because that house sold down-the-street for $80,000 over asking, it doesn’t necessarily mean that yours will as well. A professional real estate agent will be able to figure out exactly what your home should sell for in today’s market; and they’ll be able to give you suggestions to help it sell for even more. Want to know what your home could be worth? Just click here.
3. Before and after you sell:
- Before your home sells: Most homeowners think that it will only take a couple of weeks to get their home ready for sale, but that usually isn’t the case. To get your home looking it’s best, it could take several months! Do you need to paint the whole house? Rent a storage locker and declutter the garage? Install new lighting fixtures to make it brighter and more modern? You should plan to have your real estate agent do a walkthrough of your home to tell exactly what you need to do to get your home ready for sale.
- After your home sells: In most cases, your home will sell quickly, so when it does, you’ll want to know what to do next. Do you buy first, sell after or sell first and buy after – Let’s discuss all your options.