Moving Strategies from Ingrid Williams, Realtor for Re/Max

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DMMB is honored to share today’s post from Ingrid Williams – Realtor for Re/Max:

Let’s face it. Moving with children can be hard.

As a mom of five, I experienced the fun of selling our home and moving with small ones in the house. A lot. We moved 6 times in 10 years either because our family was growing or because of job changes. My husband was a pastor for 18 years, and the reality is that pastors tend to move often. Now that my family is a bit older life is more steady and we have lived in the same home for 13 years and counting. Our kids are now 25, 24, 20, 18, 12.

As a Realtor, I can certainly relate to families who are staring at the daunting task of a move. So, I have some strategies to help my clients sell their homes in the shortest amount of time to reduce the the stress, yet still sell for a the price they’re hoping to acheive. (TIP: The two go hand in hand, because the shorter the time the home is on the market translates to a better price because most offers made at the beginning are the highest and best offers.)

Preparation is the Best Strategy

One of the best strategies to achieve a quicker sale and solid price has to do with the work that’s done up front before your home is even on the market.

When I meet with families in the pre-sale stage, I’ll first do a market analysis to determine the best price point because finding that unbiased target is extremely important to do first, and then I go through the home from room to room with the clients, giving simple staging ideas and suggesting various repairs or updates that can increase value quickly.

IMPORTANT: During this pre-sale process, it’s important to take sentiment out of the picture. Look at your home through the eyes of the person you want to WOW with their next home. It can at times feel harsh, but you must remember that your goal is to sell and move on to your next exciting home!

Quick and Easy Home Staging Tips

Toys

Have your child pick their favorite toys to place in canvas-lined baskets to allow for easy pick up. You can also label some larger closeable totes for each child so that if you get a last-minute call for a showing, you can quickly place everything in the labeled bin and put it in a closet (or the trunk of your car!).  Box up unused toys and place in a storage area.

Bathrooms

Place a canister of wipes in the bathroom. That will be a huge help when it’s time to do a quick wipe-down for the next showing. Also, fold up rugs and bath mats place them in a bathroom cabinet during showings for a less cluttered look and so your floors can show neatly.

General clutter

Clear utensils, appliances, and knick knacks off counter tops, and minimalize decor on tops of dressers, and stacks on shelves. This one tip, while a bit of an effort, creates amazing results, and your home will have cleaner lines and look more spacious.

A Seller’s Market

By the way, right now home inventory is EXTREMELY low. That means it’s definitely a seller’s market. As we approach Spring, we’re seeing homes fly off the market and this is about the best situation you can find for people wanting to make a change and move up (or down). Utilizing the tips I’ve suggested above will help you sell that much more quickly, and most likely for the price you’re hoping to see.

Connect With Me:

To regularly receive my monthly coupons and real estate advice, just email me at [email protected] and I’ll add to you to my monthly email list. You can view my website here

And for help in determining if this is the right time for you to sell your home, give me a call at 515.371.5277 and I’ll be glad to come out and do a free market analysis on your home.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. Glad the article was helpful, good luck on the sale of your home! I would love to help you get top dollar for your home. Let me know if I can be of help..

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