Steps to Help Sell Your Home Before Moving Overseas
Relocating overseas is always an exciting time. You get to experience a whole new culture that you may have never experienced before. It is a major step in any person’s life. However, there are many steps along the way in order to achieve your dream. One of the more frustrating steps, is selling your old house. The housing market can be a fickle business, and there are certain things that most people look for in a new home. If your house does not have those features, it may not sell as quickly as you want. However, there are steps you can take to make your home more appealing to a potential buyer.
First of all, you want to start the process early. It could take months for your house to get sold, and chances are you will need the revenue from the sale as part of your budget for your move. Also, if there are any major problems with your house, such as a leaky roof, cracked foundation, or faulty wiring, it could take a long time, and a lot of money, to repair them. It may not seem worth it to spend that kind of money into a house that you will no longer be living, but it will be worth it in the long run. Most people will not buy a home that has major problems, unless they are a contractor and are looking to flip it. Even if that is the case, you will not make the kind of money you should on the sale if the potential buyer has to put a substantial amount of money into repair.
The next thing you should look at is the décor of your home. If you have outdated carpet, ugly wallpaper, or closed and cramped quarters, it will turn off a buyer immediately. Contrary to the shows you may see on television, most people do not have the vision to see past what is right in front of them. Also, if you have a lot of clutter taking up space in your house, the entire room may seem smaller to the naked eye. Read up on the current trends of décor in a new home, and try to emulate those traits. A lot of people now are looking for the same things, an open concept, and a large kitchen, master bedroom, and master bathroom. If there is anything you can do to make those things happen, or look like they can happen with minimal effort, it can make a world of difference in the eyes of a buyer.
Other Areas a Potential Buyer Looks at
A couple of other big things that potential buyers look for are curb appeal and incentives. People take a lot of pride in the house that they live in, and they do not want to live in a house that looks ugly or shabby from the outside. If you have any broken gutters, cracked or worn out driveway, or even a shabby looking garden, a potential buyer might be soured immediately. They say that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and the outside of your house will be the first thing that people will see. Potential buyers also like certain incentives. For example, if you do not need your current furniture in your new home, a buyer might be excited to find that the house is fully furnished already. The same could also be said for things like pools, hot tubs, a whole home speaker system, or heated driveways if you live in an area that has snow half of the year. Any little thing like this can be seen as a bonus for a potential buyer and will only make your house seem nicer.
If you still are having problems selling your home, you have two more options to consider. You could always lower the price of your house. As stated above, you will probably need the revenue from the sale of your home as part of your budget for your move. Well getting a little bit less is better than getting nothing at all. Also, by lowering the cost of your home initially, you may create a bidding war between several potential buyers, and you could end up with a price that is close to where you started. You could also sublet your house. By having your home rented out, you will be able to pay the bills that come with your house with some money left over for you. It might not be ideal, but it could be your only way to make some money. No matter what you decide, just know that any little improvement that you make to your house, could end up paying off in a big way in the long run.
