Waiting until Spring to sell your home?

You are not alone! So many folks are watching the news about the real estate market and retreating from putting their home on the market now. The general consensus from the seniors I work with is that the market is flat and therefore they are putting off the sale of their home until next year, hoping the market will recover. Typically, we experience a slowdown in activity as we approach Thanksgiving. The buyer traffic usually picks up in February with a gradual buildup of purchasers entering the market, peaking when the children are finished with the school year in mid June. As you can see, there is a direct correlation between the time of year and the volume of potential home shoppers. With today's uncertainty, many buyers and sellers are in a quandary as to when to purchase and when to sell. None of us wants to leave money on the table by selling in a down year, nor do any of us cherish the thought of moving in the winter. How can we best utilize this time gap between now and spring? What can we do to position ourselves to attract an acceptable offer in a relatively short time span?

My best advice for those thinking of selling in spring would be to begin to prepare your home for sale now! I would not wait until spring to decide how to best show off your home to the public. It takes a great deal of thought and preparation to market your home in the shortest possible time to attract the highest possible sale price. A good first step would be to have a Senior Real Estate Specialist view your home and show you the activity in your area. Have them explain the selling process and make sure they point out any items to fix prior to selling. An experienced agent will help you stage the home so that a buyer will be motivated to make the best possible offer. They will provide contractors that can be trusted and affordable. Included in these service providers are companies that will assist with the downsizing. There are companies that will pack, sort, and coordinate estate sales and charity pickup. An agent will help you determine the equity in your home based on the condition you anticipate the home will be in when on the market.

As you can see, there are many reasons to have a professional agent view your home many months before the actual marketing of your property. This way, you'll have a jump on the many other sellers who will be competing with you in the spring market. A well priced home free of clutter and prepared cosmetically will sell in a relatively short time for the most money. You can sell your home as is, but never underestimate the power of a home that is clean and ready to show. You don't want to procrastinate and then be confronted with settling on your new housing, downsizing, repairing your home, and moving all at the same time. Start the moving process by taking small steps so that the end result will be a smooth and easy move to your new home or apartment. There is no substitute for intelligent planning and proper preparation!