Smart Selling in 5 Simple Steps

Selling a lake home is always a daunting task, but it becomes even more intimidating when there are many other houses on the market that yours has to compete with. When it’s a buyers market, as it is now, it becomes essential that your lakefront home listing stands out from the others. So what can you do to ensure that your lake home is as appealing to buyers as possible? We’ve got 5 easy tips to help you be a smart seller.

Step #1-Keep Your Expectations Realistic

The dream of any seller is to sell your house quickly for a high profit, but that is very rarely what happens. Before ever even listing your home, have a realtor do some research. A realtor will find comparable properties in your area that have recently sold and compile a comparative market analysis (CMA). A CMA is an important factor in determining the price you can expect to sell your home for. This is a free service and saves you the cost of getting a formal appraisal.

Once you have listed your home, it’s important to be patient! Selling a home can take time, so don’t lose heart if it takes several weeks or even months for an offer to be made.

Step #2-Be Ready For Photos

The photos included in your listing will be the first impression potential buyers get of your home. Your realtor will take photos of your home to display on websites and marketing materials, and you can help your home look it’s best with a few tips. Avoid showing clutter or a mess of any kind, and move furniture around to make the nicest view of each room. It’s also ideal to depersonalize as much as possible, storing away large family portraits and other personal items. Your realtor will take and select the best photos to show off your home for the gem that it is.

Step #3-Avoid Impractical or Unattractive Renovations

If you have a kitchen that needs some updating or a living room that could use some new flooring, your first instinct will probably be to complete such renovations before listing your home. While this can improve your chances of selling it’s important that you make sure to refrain from any impractical or unattractive updates.

Many a potential buyer has been turned off by a retro kitchen or brightly colored carpet, even if they are brand new. When considering pre-sale renovations, it’s best to stick with simple aesthetic changes in neutral colors that will show off the potential of the home to buyers and allow them to imagine putting their own touch on things.

Step #4-Keep Your Home Clean and Free of Clutter

When a potential buyer comes to view your home, they want to see the home itself, not your stuff.  Nothing can stop a buyer dead in their tracks like unsightly piles of laundry, dirty dishes in the sink, or the seller’s belongings spread out everywhere. Before you begin home viewings, pack up as many of your belongings as possible and always make sure to clean and organize every corner of your home before any open houses or potential buyer walk-throughs.

Step #5-Stay Out of the Way

It can be tempting to want to be present when your home is being shown so that you can get to know potential buyers and be there to point out any features of your home, but that is actually counterproductive. Buyers want to view your home through their eyes, not yours, and can be easily put off by over-eager sellers. Showing your home completely vacant is ideal, but if that’s not practical, at least make sure to leave the home during any open houses or viewings. Your realtor is there to answer any questions buyers may have and will come to you directly with any that they can’t answer themselves.

Home selling is a long and complicated process, but by following these simple steps, you can make your selling experience as easy and headache-free as possible.