Year after year, spring is often the busiest season of real estate. After all, warmer weather and longer days inherently give people the inspiration for change. Spring flowers and budding greenery make the perfect backdrop for marketing a home. And there are a vast number of buyers and sellers who are working within the confines of a school calendar and want to purchase and move prior to the fall. In addition to the expected seasonal factors, low interest rates will also make Spring 2020 an especially active quarter.
If you’ve been thinking of buying or selling, now is the time to start researching your opportunities and making preparations for the upcoming spring market. From home repairs to staging to loan pre-qualification, there are numerous steps you can take to get a head start on a fast market. Not sure where to start? Take a look below for a few steps. And remember, I’m always here to help! Whether you are committed to buying or selling this spring or just beginning to consider a move, I would love to talk to you more.
Curb Appeal: We all know curb appeal is huge when it comes to selling a home, but the process of getting your home’s exterior in tip-top shape can be time consuming and overwhelming. Landscape clean up, painting, and exterior repairs are all areas that can be started now – saving yourself time and stress later in the spring.
Updates and Upgrades: Should you upgrade your kitchen counters prior to listing your home? Will you get a return on your bathroom remodel? Is it better to repaint the interior now or offer buyers a credit to paint at closing? There are a lot of factors to consider when making expensive decisions like these, but gathering information and advice now will help ensure you are making the best financial decision for yourself and home.
Staging: One of the most effective (and inexpensive) ways to stage your home is to de-clutter and de-personalize. Closets, basements, and garages are key areas to focus on now as they likely contain items that won’t be miss when packed away (think books, photos, memorabilia, extra linens, and excessive dishes/serveware).
Professional CMA: Online sources like Zillow only access a portion of the data used to price a home. The only way to get an accurate estimate is to speak with an agent like me who can tour your home and run a complete CMA. And not only can I give you a true competitive analysis of your home’s value, I can also provide experienced industry advice on the best ways to prepare your home for the upcoming spring market.