The Local Weekly The heart and soul of our communities with news and information about the Sunshine Coast
Here are some tips for selling in a market with lots of inventory and not many buyers:
1. Price it right:
If you’re going to sell your home, you may have to be willing to make some concessions on price. Do your research as to what comparable homes are selling for, and price slightly below those listings. Try not to get emotionally stuck on a certain price.
2. Curb appeal:
Do your best to make sure that your house at least looks better on the outside than the competition. Get the home power washed, paint the trim and the doors, put on new exterior lights and/or knockers, and give your plants some sprucing up.
3. Remove clutter:
When you’re selling a home you want the potential buyers to picture themselves living in the house. Remove personal photos from the walls, and replace them with neutral framed art. Declutter and take everything off the countertops in the kitchen to make it seem like there is more counter space.
4. Fix big problems:
If your house has a big problem that can cause instant dislike for your house, it should be fixed, as long as it isn’t too expensive.
5. Fix small problems:
Go throughout the house and take notes of all the small things that need fixing that may be a turnoff to a potential buyer. It should only take one or two days of hard work, but in the end your house will look much better and be more inviting to a buyer.
6. Consider staging:
A staged house can make the rooms feel more spacious, give it a less cluttered look and a make people feel more at home.
7. Offer bonuses:
Consider offering a bonus to the first agent to bring in a full price offer, or offer to pay closing costs for a buyer (this might be especially attractive for first time buyers). Nothing wrong with being creative.
8. Use social media:
The Sunshine Coast is a remote market with a large proportion of buyers coming from Vancouver or further away. You need to give them a reason to make the effort to see your home. A short, well-produced video highlighting your property’s benefits and features promoted on social media is the best way to do this.
9 . Keep the house clean:
When you are having an open house, or the house is having a showing, make sure that you aren’t there. Also, make sure to keep the house spic and span to make sure that it shows well. Make sure the lights are on, and you have turned on the heat.
10. Get a good agent:
Get a good agent to help sell your house, not a friend of a friend – or your aunt Agnes who just got her real estate licence. Your house is one of your biggest assets, and this is no time to do someone else a favor. Call a local real estate office and ask for their top salesperson. Interview a few agents and ask them to tell you what their marketing plan is for your home. Use someone who understands the power of the internet, the importance of video, and an overall marketing strategy for your house.
Tony Browton is an award-winning Realtor who lives and works on BC’s
Sunshine Coast.
His weekly blog can be found here http://www.truebluerealty.ca/blog
I like that you suggested hiring a local real estate agent that can help you to sell one of your biggest assets. My husband and I will surely do this to be able to sell our house as soon as possible. We decided to move to a smaller house since our children don’t live with us anymore. Our goal is to be able to sell our house smoothly.
Due to the increase or surge of properties in the market, it is becoming more and more difficult for people to sell their house. I know this as a fact as I have some experience.