When it comes to selling your home—and getting the best price—it’s a lot like picking a fantasy football team.
Sure, check the stats, but ‘intangibles’ can make a bigger difference on game day. Lots of people blow them off.
One reason: They’re they’re painfully subjective. But overlook them and get ready to burn money. Get ’em right, and they’re talking playoffs in the pre-season.
Gut Check.
Unless you have a grounds-crew and servant staff, your shack probably isn’t as clean as you think—inside and out. Have a friend (yes, that one) walk the property (brother) with you. That stump in the yard or that junk-car-view that you stopped caring about 8-years ago…She’ll tell you what everybody else thinks: It’s crap. Advantage: House with a tight yard.
The Right Realtor.
Here’s an immutable truth of the universe (or at least my experience): Real estate is a profession where 3% of the people do 97% of the work. Your sister’s friend might be a realtor or that nice lady from your kid’s soccer. But the right realtor is a gamer that moves property. And that you like. Look for realtors with ‘tells’ that show they don’t quite get it: This house actually doesn’t have a pool. Oh, I thought… Everybody makes mistakes; it’s how they handle it that shows their mettle. So channel Bill Belichick. Go into the relationship pre-prepared to cut players. There’s way too much money on the line. Advantage: Winning attitude.
The Season.
The time of year for selling your home may not be as important as your know-it-all neighbor barks at you across the driveway. Many statistics are fuzzy here. They seem to agree the greatest sales volume is in Spring time—easier to change kids’ schools, etc—but there are also more houses on the market. See ‘Realtor’ above. They should know the market nuances, like perhaps listing the house in winter for buyers set up to beat the Spring frenzy. Advantage: Good clock management.
And Then There Were Three.
The remaining three hidden costs to selling your home all boil down to the hidden-est cost of all: How long it sits on the bench. A house that sells in 2-weeks versus 6-months is 5 1/2-mortgage payments more profitable. If you want to just hand out that cash, I’ll take it. Otherwise…
Easy.
Motivated buyers want easy. Everything should work and look awesome. Think ahead a few years when you’re building a deck or installing a new roof. A young doctor or lawyer usually doesn’t have time for home improvement. They want ‘Hey, I work 900 hours a week; I don’t mind that sweaty guy mowing my lawn for me’.
Take roofing: Most asphalt shingles where I live are stained and look like crap. My DaVinci Roofscapes roof looks like it did the day I put it in. And that is a major selling point. Smart buyers know you just printed them money and increased the value proposition for both of you by adding a style, service (they don’t need to get a new roof or live with an ugly one), and peace of mind—for buying something you had to buy anyway. Think about it.
And Then There Were Two.
It’s probably happened to you. The HGTV show House Hunters is based on it. All other things being roughly equal, who thinks the property with the crappy lawn, algae-streaked roof, and upside down crown molding makes the fantasy team?
So, yes, selling your house is a numbers game. But uncover the intangibles for a team that makes it to the big show.
