Selling Your Renovated House Washington DC

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Setting the right price

A key mistake that many homeowners make when they’re trying to sell their house is to set the price too high or too low. Set the price too low, and you cheat yourself out of some extra dough. Set it too high, and the property is liable to languish on the market for several months.

To sell a house quickly for the going rate, you need to offer a house that’s in as good or better condition than comparable houses in the area at a price that’s at or slightly below market value. Don’t get greedy.

Marketing your property

The more people are aware that you have a house for sale, the better chance you have of selling it quickly at a handsome price. In a strong market with more buyers than sellers, a savvy marketing campaign can even trigger a bidding war that drives the price beyond your expectations. Every marketing campaign should include the following:

An attractive and informative For Sale sign planted on the front lawn

A listing with all the MLS services in the area

An online listing

Flashy flyers that highlight the most attractive features

A classified ad in the local newspaper

Word-of-mouth advertising

Sprucing up your house for a showing

For a house to sell, the buyers have to picture themselves living in it. Nobody wants to live in a cluttered pigsty, so remove any clutter, clear off the kitchen and bathroom counters, and make sure the house is impeccably clean. Remove the family photos. Hide any religious icons. Open the windows and set out a beautiful bouquet of fresh-cut flowers. And then clear out, if possible, when prospective buyers show up to tour the property.

Some clever entrepreneurs have created businesses that specialize in staging homes. They actually deliver oriental carpets, furniture, and other décor designed to transform an ordinary house into showpiece. You can even take a course in home staging!

Making the big sale

First time homebuyers often are completely unaware of what they want in a house until someone tells them. As you or your agent is showing prospective buyers the house, you may need to prod them a little to convince them that your house has all the features and amenities they’re looking for.

I offer several suggestions on how to spin your marketing pitch to appeal to a wider range of buyers. Then I go on to show you how to negotiate the sales price and terms and complete the necessary paperwork to seal the deal. Whether you choose to sell the property yourself or with the assistance of a real estate agent, as I recommend, this chapter can help you sell your house quickly for top dollar.

provided by:


For Dummies is a registered trademark of Wiley Publishing, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Used here by license.

August Real Estate Team, LLC

3012755427
5511 San Juan Dr.
Washington, DC