In today’s seller’s market you hear stories all the time that go something like this:
Just out your house on the market, don’t worry anyone can sell it in any condition.
I’m here to assure you, when someone tells you that it is about as close to the truth as someone telling you cycling is the most drug free sport.
Sure, inventory is low and sure that does make it easier to sell a house no matter the condition. At the same time, the houses that are getting bid up the highest over market value, are the ones that show the best.
People are willing to pay more for a home that shines and they look at as the most move in ready.
We are seeing the homeowners who are putting in the extra effort to make their home really sparkle are the ones who are creating bidding wars much higher than those who just slap a sign in their yard and pray for the seller’s market to save them.
In the Chandler and Phx East Valley housing market right now, the number of active single family homes for sale is half what it normally is. That creates a scenario where buyers know they need to get aggressive with offers.
When buyers are looking for a reason to bid high and your home sparkles, they usually will get even more aggressive.
We saw this recently in a small 4-bedroom ranch. Comps showed the house to be worth 205-210k. We knew the market so we listed it a little over market value. We knew we were high.
The owner waited a few weeks before we actually listed it. He got a home inspection, he did some cleaning and some fixing of items around the house and hired a Chicago home remodeler. We showed off the property with some professional photos.
When it hit the market we created a buzz with the listing. We had about 50 at the open house the first day the house was on the market. We ended up getting three offers on the property that were as much as ten percent over market value. People were willing to pay for something that was in such good shape.
So even though houses are flying off the shelf, that doesn’t mean you cannot greatly increase your return with so preplanning and an investment to make things better.
My team also has what we call a ‘Pre-Insepcted Move-In Ready” program that can help you get more dollar for your home in any market. Just let us know and we will be glad to talk to you about it.
Image credit: davidmartyn / 123RF Stock Photo