The 7 Best Secrets To Selling Your House | Kenna Real Estate Listing Experts -

Let's not beat around the bush: this isn't the red-hot housing market of just a few years ago. Rising interest rates and an uncertain economy have left home buyers wary. As a result, the average number of days a house stays on the market went from 17 in March 2022 to 29 days in March 2023. But what if you still need or want to sell your home this year?

It's not impossible to sell your home in today's challenging market. In fact, by following a few savvy tips, you can set your home apart from the competition. These seven house-selling secrets will help you attract buyers, sell your home more quickly, and, ultimately, get the price you want for your home.

1. Choose the Right Time of Year to Sell

You can't always choose when to sell a house, but if you have some flexibility, consider waiting until spring or summer to put out your "for sale" sign. A report by ATTOM Data Solutions found that May, June, and July were the best months to sell a house. Specifically, the report found that buyers who sold their homes in May enjoyed a 12.6% premium on their sales price. (If you want to get granular, the best day to sell your home is May 23rd.)

Alternatively, avoid trying to sell your home in October and December if you can. Unsurprisingly, these two months, in the heart of the holiday season, are the slowest sales months for home sales.

Ready to find your dream home in Colorado?
Let us help you. Call or Text Kenna Real Estate Group at 303-955-4220 to get personalized assistance from our expert real estate agents. Find out what your home is worth in today's market.

2. Work With an Experienced Real Estate Agent

Think of your real estate agent as your home's quarterback. This person will guide your home-selling strategy, interact with buyers and agents, and ultimately seal the final deal.

However, not all real estate agents are created equal. Interest in real estate boomed during the pandemic, and by late 2022, over 3 million people in the U.S. held an active real estate license. That's more than one out of ten U.S. adults!

But just because someone has a real estate license doesn't mean they are an experienced and knowledgeable agent. Don't just hire your sister-in-law, who picked up her real estate license on a whim, or your hairdresser, who sells houses on the side. Look for an agent with a long, established track record of selling homes in your area. Make sure they also have experience selling homes in your price range.

3. Take Professional Photos

Preparing your home for sale can be expensive, but think again if you're tempted to save money by taking your pictures! We all know how important first impressions are, and these days, most buyers will see your home photos before they ever set foot in your home. Roughly 90% of home buyers look for homes online as part of their buying process. If you show them amateur, unprofessional photos, they may never request a tour.

Your real estate agent can recommend a talented and experienced real estate photographer.

4. Spruce Up the Exterior of Your Home

Curb appeal is powerful. The outside of your home will serve as a first impression for buyers when they arrive to tour your place. Take their breath away with a gorgeous exterior.

It may take a little effort and expense, but sprucing up the exterior of your home will pay incredible dividends. Some of the most powerful things you can do are:

Repaint the exterior of your home.
Repaint your front door, shutters, and mailbox
Fill in bald spots on your lawn
Rake your yard
Get rid of dead plants
Trim bushes and prune trees
Add flowers to the front of your house and walkway
Add exterior lights to your walkway
Pressure wash your windows, driveway, and walkway
Restain and wash your deck or patio

5. Depersonalize Your Home

Your family photos on the wall, those kid's drawings on the fridge, and that beautiful dream catcher you brought back from vacation are all things that make your house a home. But they've all got to go. When selling your house, you'll want to depersonalize your home so that buyers can imagine themselves in the house.

Turn your house into a clean slate by removing or packing away:

Family photos
Personal knickknacks
Political items
Pet items
Religious items
Unique art
Collections

6. Declutter Your House

Another great way to help buyers see themselves in your home is to turn your house into as much of a blank slate as possible. That means moving all but the essentials from your home. It can be difficult for buyers to imagine living in your home if they see your books on the shelves or your shoes tumbling out of the closet.

Many sellers must live in their homes during sales, so you can only get rid of some things, but do your best. Try to pack up anything you don't need on a day-to-day basis, such as:

Extra furniture
Rugs
Extra clothes and shoes
Bikes
Sports equipment
Books, magazines, newspapers, calendars, DVDs, and memorabilia
Musical instruments
Artwork
Holiday decorations
Extra appliances
Shelving units and moveable cabinets

While you can stuff all these things into your garage or attic, consider renting a storage unit while your home is on the market. Most storage companies offer month-to-month leases, making it easy to recover your things after you close on the sale.

7. Update Your Home (Within Reason)

Most home buyers seek a property that only needs a few updates. If you can offer a relatively turnkey property, you can ask for (and likely get) top dollar.

Always make sure your home is squeaky clean for every showing. Nothing turns off a buyer like a dirty house. Next, consider repainting the interior of your home in neutral colors. A new paint job can transform a home, and neutral colors will help enhance the feeling that your home is a blank slate.

You can also invest in minor updates, especially if your home is outdated. Be careful with your spending. Small changes like repainting cabinets or replacing countertops can update the look of a house. At the same time, remodeling can quickly get expensive. In most cases, you won't earn back your money on major remodels, so stick to minor updates that have an outside impact, such as:

Replacing old flooring, ancient carpet
Taking down popcorn ceilings
Repainting or refacing kitchen cabinets
Replacing kitchen countertops
Resurfacing old bathtubs or shower floors
Replacing old vanities in the bathroom
Switching a single-sink vanity in the master bath to a double-sink vanity
Replacing old lighting fixtures
Replacing old light and electric faceplates
Taking down old wallpaper
Adding organizers to closets

Your real estate agent can make recommendations based on your budget.

Ready To Sell Your House?

With some planning and forethought, you can separate your home from the other listings on the market and get the sales price you want. You can reap big rewards by choosing the ideal time to sell, hiring a top-notch realtor and photographer, and updating your home. Your home will likely sell faster, and you can get a better sale price. If you can enchant multiple buyers with your home, they may bid up your price, letting you walk away with a great sale.

If selling your home means that you're also buying a new property, you'll also need to start planning your big move. Look at this helpful moving checklist to ensure your move goes as smoothly as your home sale.