how to sell my home in knoxville Archives

Written By: Chris Ladd

Have you ever wondered why some homes sell quickly, but it takes other homes weeks or even months to sell? There are generally several key factors that contribute to this with just about every house that goes on the market…

If you’re planning to sell your house in the near future, here are some steps you can take to make your home stand out from the crowd. So, let’s dive in…

Price It Right

This is your first chance to attract the right buyer. Proper pricing is the MOST important aspect of a fast and successful sale. The goal of setting the right list price is to increase visibility to homebuyers who are actually looking to buy your type of home.

In today’s market, you may be tempted to price your home on the higher side with the idea of having “more room to negotiate”. In most scenarios, this is not a good idea. An overpriced home generally deters most homebuyers from even scheduling a showing on it because the list price is above the other homes they’re interested in. Statistically speaking, homes that are priced correctly from the start sell for more money in a shorter period of time.

High-Quality Photos

Homebuyers are interested in your house because of the list price, but then what? They look at the listing photos! After proper pricing, high-quality listing photos are the most important part of your listing in terms of getting your “foot in the door” with prospective homebuyers. Now more than ever, homebuyers are searching for homes online and professional-quality listing photos will make your home stand out from the rest they’re scrolling through. Even in a hot real estate market, don’t assume any old photo will do…

Home Staging

Aside from high-resolution photos, a well-staged home depicted in those photos is crucial to attracting as many homebuyers are possible. Deep clean, depersonalize, declutter, and arrange your furniture in a way that makes your home’s layout look desirable and enticing.

Over the years, we all accumulate lots of “stuff”! The goal with proper staging is to get your “stuff” out and show off the incredible features of your home. You want buyers to visualize themselves in your home, and eventually fall in love with it. It’s generally a lot of work, but staging your home always puts more money in your pocket at the end of the sale.

Maximize Curb Appeal

Your home is tastefully staged inside, but what does the outside look like? The first, and possibly the last, impression of your home is the exterior, so don’t underestimate its curb appeal. We’ve all seen that home in the neighborhood with pristine landscaping, blooming flowers, and gorgeous exterior decor. We’ve also seen that home in the neighborhood with tall uncut grass, weeds everywhere, toys scattered around, and dirty siding. Which one do you envision living in? It’s imperative to make that first impression be a positive one if you want a shot at capturing the interest of qualified homebuyers.

Move-In Ready

Will the buyer have to do repairs, touch up paint, or fix that leaky faucet when they buy your house? Getting these issues taken care of before your home hits the market will not only ensure a quick sale but will ensure a higher sales price for your home. The idea that you can just lower the list price to account for the deferred maintenance on your home is a costly one. Almost 100% of the time, the costs of doing the work to your home are significantly less than the amount you’ll need to reduce the list price to sell it in as-is condition.

Also, the ability to move right in, get comfortable, and hit the ground running is more important to homebuyers than ever! Most people with today’s busy lifestyle don’t want to fool with “fixer-uppers”. They want to drop their stuff and keep going…

Storage Space

Who doesn’t love a little extra storage space?! Storage may be the less glamorous, more practical side of a home but don’t underestimate its importance. From walk-in closets to storage rooms and basements, it’s important to declutter these spaces to give homebuyers a better sense of how much extra space they’ll have when they move in.

The RIGHT Real Estate Firm

We’re in it together! Often overlooked is choosing the right estate agent or firm to represent you in the sale of your home. That’s where the Home Marketing Group comes in! Not only will our experienced market research team help you come up with the right list price, but we’ll also hire a professional real estate photographer to take amazing photos (and videos) and provide the proper advice on what you should do to get your house on the market.

HMG has sold thousands of homes in all areas and price points throughout the Greater Knoxville area. These sales have provided us with an extensive understanding of how to properly advise our clients on how best to get their homes ready to go on the market. As a result, we sell homes faster and for more money than the competition year after year.

Your neighbors can sometimes make or break a deal on your home…

holli mccray group are neighbors affecting home sales

It’s official! The “for sale” sign has been placed in your front yard and you’re ready for showings to start. You’ve taken all the steps to get your home “market-ready” and it’s looking great. Curb appeal? Check! Repairs and new paint? Check! But wait—there may be one factor that you haven’t considered: The neighbors….. The way your neighbors behave could have a serious impact on your home sale. Why? Buyers know that once they purchase, your neighbors become their neighbors. If you didn’t already address any potential neighbor situations before you put your home on the market, it’s time to assess the situation and take the appropriate actions if needed.

Ways Neighbors Can Sabotage Your Home Sale

No one wants to live next to a noisy neighbor. If you have a neighbor that is always playing loud music, hosting parties, and causing a nuisance, you could have a serious issue at hand. Buyers can be very responsive to this, and that type of behavior could chase them away. It’s not uncommon for potential buyers to drive by on evenings and weekends to see what the neighborhood vibe is like at different times.

Neighbors with a messy or poorly maintained yard can also cause distress to potential buyers. Nobody wants to live next door to a home with overgrown landscaping and weeds everywhere. Many times this is the result of an absent neighbor, who could potentially be as dangerous as the dirty ones if they are away for months. Leaving the house for an extended period of time can cause the grass to get high, infestations and other issues. Imagine if the sprinkler system started leaking, the owner couldn’t be reached, and it caused a flood on adjacent properties? Yikes!

How to Prevent Your Neighbors from Derailing Your Home Sale

A sensitive approach is necessary when dealing with neighbors whether you are selling your home or not, but if it is on the market, then exercise even more caution. You don’t want any retaliation or resentment to escalate the situation and create a worse scenario that could impact your open houses, showings and ultimately the sales price of your home. Noisy neighbors that argue on the lawn, fight, or have teenage children that like to party can be hard to deal with and difficult to approach during such volatile situations. Depending on the laws in your state or community, you can report certain incidents to the authorities so proper action can be taken.

Messy neighbors? The approach may depend on the size of the mess. If the mess is an issue of public safety, qualifies as a code violation, or goes against HOA rules, you can report the situation to the proper outlets. With the Knoxville city limits, visit the City of Knoxville Neighborhood Codes Enforcement Page to learn more about codes violations regarding dilapidated buildings, dirty or overgrown lots, illegal dumping and abandoned vehicles.

A face-to-face conversation may be in order if the mess doesn’t qualify as a public nuisance. Stop by and explain to your neighbor that it would mean a lot if they could address the mess at least while the home is on the market. During your conversation, make sure you are polite and reasonable. Of course, if you find the situation to be uncomfortable or unsafe, then it may be better to step back and re-think the approach for another day.

It’s rare to live next door to the perfect neighbor (and if you do—consider yourself very lucky). In day-to-day life, you may be willing to overlook certain things, but when it comes to finances and the sale of your home, sometimes the situation calls for a remedy. We have a team of experienced listing advisors that are available to help guide you through any potential neighbor issues BEFORE selling your home so that you have the best chance to sell it for the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time. Contact us today for a consultation!

Why Do Some Homes Sell Faster Than Others?