Preparing a House for Sale: Tips for Westfield Homeowners

Preparing a House for Sale: Tips for Westfield Homeowners
04/04/2018

Spring is finally here in New Jersey, which means a busier home buying season.

The warmer weather means bustling farmer’s markets, lively outdoor festivals, and parks and public gardens packed with people. It also might be a good time to put your house on the market. If you’re ready to sell, there are two ways you can get started:

Option 1: You can invest a bit of time and money in getting your home market-ready. It will require some effort, but any good realtor would advise you to do so.
Option 2: You could just call us. We buy homes in Westfield and surrounding areas, completely as-is.

Option 1: If You Decide to List Your House…

There are a few things you’ll want to do right off the bat to make sure your house moves fast and sells for top dollar.

1. Cut the Clutter

Want your house to look spacious and appealing to buyers? Start packing now. Surfaces should be clean and clear. Focus on countertops and closets. Clear the closet floors and make plenty of empty shelf space. Remove books and knickknacks from shelves and pack them in boxes. Think of this process as getting a head start on the packing you’ll eventually have to do anyway.

2. Clean it Up

When you list a house, it should be immaculate. Wash windows inside and out, dust and clean out cobwebs, re-caulk tubs, showers and sinks, polish faucets, mirrors and glass doors, clean out the refrigerator, vacuum every inch, and air out any musty smelling areas. Bad odors are enough to make a potential buyer walk away, and you don’t want that to happen.

3. Boost Your Curb Appeal

A potential buyer might never make it through the front door if they don’t like the exterior of the home. Make sure the house looks appealing from the outside. Repaint the front door if necessary. Keep the sidewalks cleared. Mow the lawn and trim the edges. Plant flowers or group flower pots together. Trim the bushes. Also, make sure visitors can clearly read your house number.

4. Have it Inspected

While a home inspection is typically a step taken by the buyer, you get the advantage if you do it first. You don’t want to be in a position of getting into contract and then being surprised by a major problem in the home inspection report. Knowing what that report looks like ahead of time allows you to either repair problems or budget those repairs into the asking price.

5. Make Minor Repairs

In normal markets or buyer’s markets, you’ll want to be one step ahead in terms of minor repairs. Get some caulk and a screwdriver and take a walk around your house. Look for cracks in the molding, patch up nicks in the walls, replace cracked floor tiles, fix leaky faucets and cabinet doors that don’t close properly. Change out lightbulbs. And if you have any dramatic wall colors, you might want to consider painting them a more neutral, buyer-friendly color.

You could do all of that, and then list your house and wait for the right buyer. Or you could sell your home to us.

Option 2: If You Decide to Sell Your Westfield Home to Us…

1. Look at Your Location

The homes that we purchase are usually located in specific areas in New Jersey. We love Westfield, but we also work in Cranford, Scotch Plains, Summit, Clark, Watchung, Berkeley Heights, New Providence or Mountainside. If you live somewhere else, you’ll want to contact a custom home builder in your area. Whether you’re in Seattle, Chicago or New Jersey—location is a huge factor. Builders are interested in your property.

Look for the signs: If you see new homes going up in your neighborhood, the real value of your property may be in the land.

2. Forget Getting Inspections or Investing in Upgrades (Call Us First)

One of the big benefits of this type of transaction is that your home’s problems don’t have to be addressed during the selling process. If you live in a desirable location, but foresee difficulty in selling your home because of layout or size, you may be a good candidate. Home buyers are looking for modern amenities like central air and three or more bathrooms. Selling to us means you don’t have to invest in upgrades or compete against existing homes that have these amenities.

If there are bigger problems—like mold or unstable floors—selling to us may be the perfect option. We see the value in where you live and we’re not concerned about issues that would be a deal-breaker for a typical real estate transaction.

We make the process as simple as possible. We close with all cash offers, we buy as-is, and we manage the disposal of whatever you don’t want to take with you when you leave. You leave everything the way it is without having to clean, stage or show the house, you set the closing date, and you save tens of thousands in realtor commissions. What could be better than that?

Want more details? Contact us here to learn more.

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