Katie McBride's Blog
One of the biggest challenges sellers face when listing their house is decluttering. Cleaning out some of the more personal decorating choices allows buyers to imagine themselves living in the house.
Those planning to sell soon are in luck! Marie Kondo, the inventor of the KonMari Method of Tidying Up, has gained popularity with her new Netflix series. She gives some great tips for sorting through years of accumulated possessions that we all collect in our homes.
“The KonMari Method™ encourages tidying by category – not by location – beginning with clothes, then moving on to books, papers, komono (miscellaneous items), and, finally, sentimental items. Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.”
When you subjectively look at all of your belongings, you can sort through the ones that mean the most to you. Not only will you increase space for more joy-bringing items in your new home, but you will also have a much easier time packing remaining belongings!
“Remember, tidying up isn’t about getting rid of stuff. It is about creating an environment that sparks joy and improves your quality of life.”
When selling your house, first impressions matter! Before you or your agent schedule a photographer to take photos for your listing, make sure to tour your home with fresh eyes. Look for any imperfections that a buyer might notice.
When you sort through your more sentimental items, consider packing them away to ensure that you know where they all are. That way, they are safe during open houses and showing appointments. This will also cut down on the amount of packing you need to do right before you move!
Bottom Line
Whether you are selling your house to move up to a larger one, downsizing, or moving in with family, only bring the items that truly spark joy for you. This will not only help cut down on the items you move, but also ensures that you’re off to a great start in your new home!
For those who plan to list a house in the foreseeable future, it often is beneficial to track the real estate market. By doing so, a home seller can identify real estate market patterns and trends and quickly address any potential property selling hurdles.
Now, let's take a look at three tips to help you analyze housing market data so you can accelerate the property selling journey.
1. Review the Prices of Recently Sold Houses in Your Area
Check out the prices of recently sold houses in your city or town. That way, you can find out whether sellers are accepting offers to purchase at or above their initial home asking prices.
Furthermore, it may be a good idea to see how your house ranks against recently sold residences. With this housing market data in hand, you may be better equipped than ever before to establish a competitive initial asking price for your home.
2. Determine How Quickly Houses Are Selling
As a home seller, you should find out whether you're preparing to enter a buyer's or seller's market. If you look at how quickly houses are selling in your city or town, you can distinguish a buyer's market from a seller's one.
In a buyer's market, you will find many sellers and few buyers. Conversely, in a seller's market, there is an abundance of buyers and few sellers.
The differences between a buyer's and seller's market are significant. If you understand whether you're getting ready to sell your home in a housing market that favors buyers or sellers, you can determine how to price your residence so it will generate plenty of interest from buyers. And as a result, you may be able to streamline the home selling journey.
3. Assess the Prices of Homes That Are Similar to Your Own
Your home may be one of many available to property buyers. Thus, you should review the prices of houses in your city or town that are similar to your own. This housing market data will help you narrow the price range for your residence.
Also, you may want to review rival home sellers' property listings and see how these sellers promote their residences to prospective buyers. Because if you can find ways to differentiate your home listing from competitors', you could boost the likelihood of a successful house selling experience.
As you prepare to add your house to the real estate market, you may want to hire a real estate agent as well. A real estate agent will offer recommendations so you can enhance your residence both inside and out and help you establish a competitive initial home asking price. Plus, a real estate agent will help you review an offer to purchase your home and determine the best course of action.
Take the guesswork out of selling your house – use the aforementioned tips, and you can monitor the real estate market and use housing sector data to simplify the property selling journey.
In the community of Millis, MA in the past month there have been 5 homes sold. The average sale price of these homes was $568,340 and the homes were on the market an average of 81 days. There have been 4 homes listed for sale during the past month Millis, MA.
We are here to serve all your real estate needs in the surrounding communities. We welcome your business, and we promise to take exceptional care of you or any of your referrals.
Last year we saw headlines about a possible housing market bubble, and many wondered if Americans still felt confident about the value of their homes. Recently, the 2018 Houzz & Home Studyrevealed:
“Homeowners with mortgages have seen their home equity more than double since 2011, increasing to a record-setting $8.3 trillion in 2017.”
The average homeowner gained $16,200 in home equity between Q2 2017 and Q2 2018 according to the latest release of CoreLogic’s Home Equity Report.
Since 2011 home values have increased significantly throughout the country, with prices rising by 5.1% in 2018 alone. When surveyed, homeowners revealed the top four reasons why they felt their homes had increased in value.
- Desirable Location
- Improved National Economy
- Improved Local Economy
- Low Home Inventory in My Area
As we can see, not only does the data show that the homes have appreciated, but homeowners also believe they know why. Many have taken advantage of the opportunity to use their newly found equity to sell their current house and move up to their dream home!
2019 will be a good year for the homeowners that still want to take advantage of their home equity! CoreLogic forecasts that home prices will increase by 4.8% by the end of the year.
Bottom Line
If you are a homeowner who would like to find out your current home value, let’s get together to discuss the hidden opportunities in your home!
Entering the housing market for the first time can be daunting, particularly for those who want to quickly and seamlessly buy a top-notch residence at an affordable price.
Lucky for you, we're here to help you streamline the process of navigating the homebuying process.
Now, let's take a look at three vital tips to help a first-time homebuyer acquire a residence that matches or exceeds his or her expectations.
1. Analyze the Housing Market
The housing market constantly changes, and as a result, differentiating between a buyer's market and a seller's market can be tough. Fortunately, a homebuyer who analyzes the real estate sector closely should have no trouble discovering a variety of outstanding houses at budget-friendly prices.
To assess the housing market, you'll first want to look at the prices of residences that are currently available. This will enable you to better understand the prices of homes in cities and towns where you'd like to live.
Next, you should analyze the prices of recently sold houses in your region. With this housing market data in hand, you can find out whether you're preparing to buy a home in a buyer's market or a seller's one.
2. Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage
A first-time homebuyer may want to get pre-approved for a mortgage. That way, you can prepare a homebuying budget and narrow your home search accordingly.
To obtain a mortgage, you'll want to meet with several banks and credit unions. This will allow you to learn about all of the mortgage options at your disposal and make an informed mortgage decision.
Furthermore, don't forget to share your mortgage concerns and questions with potential lenders. This will enable you to choose a mortgage that won't force you to overspend to acquire your ideal house.
3. Collaborate with a Real Estate Agent
Let's face it – the homebuying journey can be long and arduous, particularly for a homebuyer who is exploring residences for the first time. But with a real estate agent at your side, you can remove the guesswork of going from homebuyer to homeowner.
A real estate agent is an expert of his or her craft, and as such, will do everything possible to help you achieve your homebuying goals.
Typically, a real estate agent will meet with you and learn about your homebuying expectations. This housing market professional also will set up home showings, keep you up to date about new residences that fall within your price range and negotiate with home sellers on your behalf.
Perhaps best of all, a real estate agent will help you alleviate stress throughout the homebuying cycle. A real estate agent understands the challenges of buying a house and will do whatever it takes to help you avoid or overcome potential homebuying hurdles.
Don't miss out on an opportunity to purchase your dream residence – use the aforementioned tips for first-time homebuyers, and you can boost your chances of acquiring a terrific house without breaking your budget.