Connecticut Home Sellers
Guide to Selling a Home in CT
Connecticut Home Sellers Information
Guide to Selling a House in CT
Selling your home in today’s environment is definitely a challenge and requires hard work. And you’ll need to be patient! Selling your home can take some time, and depends a lot on your local real estate market, and what is happening with the economy.
When you’re looking to sell a house in Connecticut, where do you start?
First, Hire a Qualified Connecticut Real Estate Agent
A friend or family member just introduced you to her friend Barbara, a real estate agent, and now you’re stuck with her, right? Wrong! Choosing the right person to sell your CT home is one of the most important steps of selling, and you do have a choice!
Try to talk with at least 2 or 3 Connecticut brokers from different agencies. Ask them a set of questions and compare. Ask about their experience, how they would market your home and what commission are they going to charge for their service. Do they have references? The most important part of the process is finding a CT real estate agent that you feel will do a good job, and feel comfortable with!
Pre-listing Inspection
Before you put your Connecticut home on the market have your home inspected by a professional CT home inspector. It’s not a huge expense, usually between $300-$500, because eventually almost all prospective CT home buyers are going to conduct a home inspection. So, by doing one first, you will know of any potential problems and have a chance to address them on your terms, rather than theirs. You then will have the time to get reasonably priced contractors to do the work or even make the repairs yourself, if appropriate.
It will also give you an unbiased view of your homes condition and help you and your Connecticut Realtor price it accordingly. Keeping a copy of the inspection report along with receipts for any repairs can also be a big help when negotiating with potential buyers.
Be sure the inspector you use is insured and licensed or certified (if your state requires) or at least belongs to a professional organization such as NACHI, ASHI, NIBI.
Clean up your CT house's exterior
Curb appeal is key! The first thing a CT home buyer sees when they arrive is the outside of your home, so make it a great first impression! Keeping the yard free of debris and the grass mowed, bushes trimmed etc will all help your home stand out. It also shows that you cared about the home which is a big motivator for potential buyers.
Painting or at least power-washing the exterior of the house is also a great idea. If you can’t do the entire house focus on some key areas, such as the trim, window casings, shutters, and doors. Wash the windows, both inside and out. Clean out the gutters and check out the chimney, these are highly visible areas and buyers are sure to notice. If you need help finding a contractor for any of these items, just ask, and we’ll put you in touch with a trusted professional!
Touch up your CT home's interior
If you don’t want to paint the entire interior of your home, think about putting a fresh coat of paint in the most commonly used areas. Entryways, bathrooms, stairs and baseboards often take a beating and hitting these will clean as well as brighten up the rooms. Make sure you wash all floors and bathroom tiles, and shampoo dirty carpets.
Get rid of the clutter. CT Home Buyers want to envision how their belongings will fit into their new home so clean out your closets, the garage, the basement and attic. If you don’t have the room to put things away, consider using self storage while the home is on the market.
Replacing air filters will help keep the dust down.
Replace bathroom and kitchen fixtures that are worn or leaking
Potential Connecticut home buyers will be checking out the house carefully and they or their agent will notice a leaking or worn-out faucet. By replacing these items beforehand you can eliminate an objection, and give a new updated look to the room.
Clean the area under the sinks. We don’t often notice these in our everyday lives, but buyers do. If there are any leaks, have them fixed. And then touch up the damaged areas using contact paper or paint.
Replacing older, worn drawer pulls and knobs with a new set is a great way to give an updated look and feel to the kitchen and baths. It’s inexpensive, and well worth it!
Get rid of any bad smells in your home
You might notice as much, because you live there, but pay attention to pet or cigarette odors. The general clean up will help, but consider burning some candles or placing scented air fresheners around the house, the little things can make a big difference. On the day of a showing, think about throwing a batch of cookies or home-made bread into the oven, it creates a great environment!