Thomas Kersey’s Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home in Bluffton

Selling a home can be a daunting process, but there are several things you can do that will decrease your stress and raise the chances that you’ll walk away with the most money from your sale. Thomas Kersey is an experienced realtor who has helped countless individuals sell homes in the Bluffton area. There are some of the most helpful pieces of advice he would offer someone who’s thinking about listing their home.

Buckle up! Selling a home doesn’t happen overnight. Once you get your home ready to sell, most homes in the Bluffton area spend at least two weeks on the market before going under contract. After this, you’ll prepare for closing, which usually takes between 30 and 45 days, depending on the position of the buyer and seller. During this time, you’ll have plenty to do between preparing for showings, communicating with potential buyers about their offers, and scheduling various tasks such as a home inspection and appraisal. It’s wise to give yourself more time than you think you’ll need to finish your sale. Keep in mind that you may also be buying a home during this time, which adds to your never-ending list of tasks to complete.

You don’t have to do large-scale renovations to increase the return you can expect on your home. There are a few easy ways that you can position your home to potentially sell quickly (and for more than what you’re asking). One of buyers’ top concerns right now is outdoor living spaces. If your home doesn’t already have designated outdoor gathering areas, consider adding a deck or patio before listing your home. Lighting in these areas is crucial. Buyers are also searching for energy-efficient homes that can help them save on their utility bills. One way you can make your home more energy-efficient is to replace your garage door. Not only will this better insulate your home, but it will also add curb appeal. You may also install new windows, paint the exterior of your home, or replace your light bulbs with newer bulbs that use less energy.

These days, marketing a home goes far beyond putting a “For Sale” sign in your front yard - although this is still a good idea since it will get your neighbors talking with their friends about an available home nearby. At the bare minimum, you should prepare a quality online listing for your home. This involves taking professional pictures of each room in your home in a way that highlights their best qualities and makes them appear open and spacious. You also need a well-written home write-up that encourages buyers to think about what their life could be like if they lived in your home. A good write-up tells a story, and the story you want your buyer to hear is how much better their life would be if they bought your home. Finally, if you want to go the extra mile, you can take a video tour of your home to include with your listing online. Or, you can post on social media about your home’s availability and ask your friends to share the post to garner more attention.

In-person showings are one of the most crucial moments in the entire selling process. A mildly interested buyer will schedule an in-person showing. However, what happens during the in-person showings usually determines whether the buyer seriously considers making an offer on the home (or if they walk away quickly). There are a few simple ways that you can prepare your home for quality showings.

For starters, you should thoroughly clean each room in your home. You don’t want strange smells or dusty shelves and corners to force a would-be buyer to wonder if the house has been properly cared for. In addition, it’s wise to clear any unnecessary clutter from your home - especially in areas like your living room and kitchen. You don’t need all eight of your dining room chairs out during home showings because it will cause the space to appear more crowded than necessary (which might make the room look and feel smaller). Leave four out so that your buyer can understand the functionality of the space, and put the rest away in a closet or garage. Finally, make sure the first impression your buyer has of your home is strong and positive. Pull any weeds from the flower bed, cut your grass, and consider painting your front door a new or brighter color.

Thomas Kersey will help you determine what the best price is for your home. For now, one piece of advice that’s important is to think about where there is a current deficiency in the market. For example, say you’re preparing to sell your house, and you believe it’s worth $450,000. If there are already multiple houses on the market available between $440,000 and $460,000, you will have significant competition. However, if you notice that there are no homes for sale between $460,000 and $480,000, you may have a chance to dominate the market for buyers shopping for homes at that price. This especially matters when buyers are shopping through listings online and setting up price filters that hide certain results and highlight others.

Many buyers and sellers of Bluffton real estate find that Thomas Kersey is the best person to help them with their transactions. Thomas has enjoyed more success in his seven years as a real estate agent than most people will accomplish during their entire career. He is passionate about closing each sale and working through any challenges that may come up along the way, and he’s especially skilled at marketing homes on social media. He would love to partner with you when you decide to put your home on the market.