With all the people leaving the city and a bunch of other factors, it’s no question that selling a house can be tough in Detroit right now.
So let’s talk about some things you can do to increase your chances of selling your house here in the Detroit area.
Related: Buying a House in Detroit? Don’t Make These Mistakes…
Consider the Time of Year
It can be a little tougher to sell a house in this area during the winter months,
but it’s definitely not impossible. It’s a little easier in the spring time.
That’s when people tend to be more open to moving. Partly because it sucks to move in the cold weather, but also because people tend to prefer to move when their kids are out of school.
So I’m not saying not to try to sell in the winter, because we’ve bought and sold in the winter.
But just expect things to be a little tougher if you’re trying to sell in the winter time.
Related: Detroit House Market | How to Avoid Making Common Home Seller Mistakes
Curb Appeal
Although seasoned real estate investors tend to be able to see past the ugly aspects of a house and see it for what it can be, curb appeal still matters, even to them.
What I’m saying, is that you should NEVER underestimate the importance of making your home look nice.
The decision to buy a particular house is heavily influenced by how the house makes the buyer feel.
Bottom line, you want to make it easy for people to see themselves living in your home.
Fix the house up some. Yeah, it might cost a little dough to do so, but if you want your house to stand out in a market like Detroit where there’s properties everywhere for sale, you gotta do what you gotta do to try to make your house standout.
But cheer up. You should be able to do a decent job of fixing it up without breaking the bank. There’s quite a few things you can do to the house that won’t cost a lot of money.
Here’s a few you might want to consider:
Take Care of the Yard
Just the basics in yard care can make a world of difference in the vibe your
house gives off to the person looking at your house.
Keep the lawn mowed. Trim the hedges. Line-up the edges of the yard.
Pick up any trash that’s in your yard.
If it’s springtime or summer, plant some flowers.
Hell, you might even want to put some fertilizer down to make the grass greener than most of the other houses the potential buyer has considered up to this point.
Clean the House
Just some simple clean-up. Clean the windows, floors, and the carpet. Dust-off your appliances.
Just cleaning the house can go a long ways in making a good impression on a potential buyer.
Burn a good-smelling candle to trigger your prospective buyer’s smelling senses, even.
The people checking out your house might look at a ten-to-twenty other houses that are comparable to yours. I know from experience that after looking at a bunch of houses in a single day, I always seem to remember the one that smelled good for some reason.
Paint
Even if you don’t feel like painting the exterior of the house, at least paint the
front door, if it’s in bad shape.
Grab a couple buckets of interior paint and hit some of the walls with a fresh coat; especially the walls right there by the entrance of the house, and anywhere where the paint is chipped or cracking.
Cracked or chipped paint, and water stains should be covered.
Minor Fixes
Just the little stuff.
Leaky faucets, cracked or broken tiles, shouldn’t cost you much to fix.
Or if the doorbell doesn’t work, why not fix it? When you prospective buyer shows up on your doorstep to take a look at the house, do you want their first impression to be the realization that the doorbell doesn’t even work?
Hey, I gotta run, but click here for part two, where we’ll continue this conversation.
Looking to sell your house AS-IS for CASH, with NO realtor fees, and NO headaches? Click here to tell us more about your property. Or, give us a call, at 313-454-1190.
References:
How to Sell a House in a Buyer’s Market (via eHow.com)
Tips To Sell Your Home Fast (via finance.yahoo.com)
5 tips: Selling a house in a buyer’s market (via bankrate.com)
Selling A House In A Buyers’ Market (via cbsnews.com)
