For the better part of a year, we have been planning our move from Squirrel Hill to Swissvale, which will include selling the house we’ve called “home” for the last four years. We analyzed every variable, made a detailed list of projects to complete, consulted many contractors and lined up the “perfect plan” to list our house between March 15th and May 1st. My dream was “to list the house when the tulips bloom!” We certainly didn’t take a global pandemic into consideration, and we expected to have more time to plan for a “backup plan”!
We know firsthand that it can be scary to think about listing your house when there is so much uncertainty about the market, not to mention concerns about anyone physically coming into your space and putting yourself and family at risk of infection.
Here are the current questions we are wrestling with:
Should I sell my house now or later?
Maybe you’ve spent the last few months toying with the idea of selling your house, and you wonder whether you should sell now, before the market depreciates, or wait until it inevitably bounces back?
It depends. Likely, when the restrictions are lifted, there will be a flood of houses coming on the market. Since so many sellers are holding inventory right now, there is an interesting advantage to listing soon.
Talk to us about your goals, and we will help you come up with a strategy to balance risk and reward. If you want to sell soon, you’ll need to have the resources to prepare well and help share some of the buyer’s risk. Tactics like pre-inspections, offering some buyer credit, pricing well, and a strong virtual marketing plan can help you find a buyer that’s willing to make an offer before ever stepping into your home.
Is this the right choice for everyone? Absolutely not! But if it is the right choice for you, we will make sure you are well-informed and well-prepared.
I am hoping to sell my home this summer. How do I get ready?
Selling your home always starts with preparation. Do as much as you can before you list the house to make sure that when buyers are ready to start shopping, your house stands out. We are here to help guide you through which projects you should tackle, and which aren’t worth your time. While everyone’s list will look a little different, here are some tips that apply to almost every seller:
Go through your home and decide what you’ll keep, and what isn’t making the move. Start packing up what you can live without for the next few months, and donate items you don’t need anymore.
Make small improvements you’re comfortable doing yourself such as patching drywall, touching up paint, planting annuals, or updating cabinet hardware.
Deep clean your house from top to bottom.
Order some new towels and pillows to help with staging. Refer to our list of staging tips as a starting point, and ask us if you want help figuring out the best layout for any room!
Make a list of larger items that may need to be completed before you sell, and ask us for a list of recommended contractors to help.
Work with us to get a Competitive Market Analysis and estimated cost sheet so you understand what your home is worth, and how much it will cost to sell it.
The best way to reach your goals is to start early, and balance maximizing opportunity while minimizing risk!
How can I sell my house if no one is allowed to go through it?
Even once stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, we expect many buyers will prefer to start their search virtually, so we’re prepared to help support strong virtual marketing for our sellers. Here are some tactics we are ready to support to make sure the right buyer finds your home:
Capture extra pictures: When professional photographers are allowed back into homes, we’ll be hiring them to capture their usual listing pictures, as well as some extra angles. While the MLS only allows us to publish up to 25 pictures at a time, we can create virtual tours with as many pictures as we’d like.
Video walkthrough: We will work with you to capture a thorough video walkthrough to help buyers understand the home’s layout and main features.
Room sizes: Taking accurate measurements of rooms will help buyers decide whether or not the space meets their needs. Staging your spaces, especially small or tricky spaces, can help suggest a creative use for a space that a buyer may otherwise object to.
Pre-inspection: While typically a home inspection is a buyer’s cost and responsibility, when buyers are making decisions about the home based on limited information, completing a pre-listing inspection as a seller may help boost buyers’ confidence in making an offer sight unseen. It also reduces your risk of running into a surprise during the inspection period, which means whatever offer you accept is more likely to close.
When people do start to come through my house, how do I keep myself and my family safe?
Talk with us about your concerns, and we will work with you to find a comfortable solution. If you’re able to stay somewhere else while the home is marketed, this is ideal, but we understand that is not realistic for everyone. We can work with you to make sure buyers are pre-approved and have reviewed all available online resources before coming through your home, which will minimize traffic without losing the right buyer.
We are also following CDC guidelines carefully, and can set up precautions such as wearing gloves and masks, minimizing the need to touch surfaces by leaving doors open, hand-washing, and sanitizing between showings.
If we shift away from a seller’s market, how do I ensure I still get a competitive offer for my house?
Our philosophy on selling a home has always been to maximize opportunity and minimize risk. The variables we evaluate as the market shifts may change some tactics, but we will still offer honest, data-driven insights to help you find the right buyer for your home.
Put simply, regardless of the market, we are here first and foremost to listen to your concerns and help you reach your goals. The best place to start is a casual conversation with the Blocks or Lillian to talk about your goals and work on a plan. We are offering free virtual consultations, and are always happy to be a resource for your questions as they come up!