4 tips from real estate pros to help your home sell faster – Record Searchlight

Spring is the time when home-buying season kicks into high gear.

But rising interest rates are stunting California’s housing market. And some people are having getting affordable home insurance, a requirement to secure a mortgage.

Gone are conditions from a few years ago, when interest rates hovered around 3% and all it seemed like buyer needed to do was put up the “For Sale” sign and wait for the offers to come pouring in.

Instead, selling a home today requires a little more preparation before the house hits the market.

Here are some tips from North State realtors.

Clean up, get rid of clutter

First impressions count.

That’s why a house with weeds taking over the yard, chipped paint and enough vehicles sitting in the yard to mimic a used-car lot could be a turnoff to would-be buyers.

“That first impression is a lasting impression,” said Josh Barker of Josh Barker Real Estate in Redding. “The yard landscape, the entry way when you first walk into the home — does it feel like it’s de-cluttered and well taken care of?”

Barker suggests laying down fresh bark in the yard, planting flowers, making sure the lawn is well-maintained and slapping fresh paint on the trim and the front door, if it’s weathered and worn.

“Unless the whole house needs painting, that freshening up will do a lot for first impressions,” he said.

The National Association of Realtors’ handout for sellers includes things to do before putting your home on the market.

“Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys and seasonal items. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets, walls, lighting fixtures and baseboards to make the house shine,” the online brochure states under “organize and clean.”

Barker said don’t stuff the linen, bedroom closets, cupboards or drawers with clothes, blankets, towels or other things.

“The linen closet and bedroom closets should be pared back to where they appear to be about 30% empty so they don’t give the impression that you are running out of space,” he said.

Don’t skimp on quality online photos

Before buyers start going out and looking at homes for sale, they almost always will get that first glimpse from an online listing.

In 2020, the National Association of Realtors said 97% of homebuyers used the internet to search for homes.

“Photographs and the quality of the photos are going to have a huge impact on how many people actually come to view your home. The reason why is the first showing of your home is going to take place online, not at your house,” Barker said.

Consider a home inspection

Before buyers close escrow on a home, they typically will get a home inspection to see if there are any repairs that need addressing.

Brad Garbutt, of Northstate Real Estate Professionals in Redding, said home inspections are often used by buyers as leverage to negotiate the sales price.

Garbutt said sellers can help streamline the process by getting their own inspections, such as a pest inspection, pool inspection and septic tank inspection for a house located in the country.

The inspector can give sellers advance notice of troubled spots in the home so they can decide whether to make those repairs before listing the house, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Or, Garbutt said, sellers can upload the inspections and link them to the listing. “The buyer can see all the inspections and negotiate the price and cost for repairs upfront,” Garbutt said.

“The other thing they (sellers) can do is offer a home warranty on the property to cover all the costs of major components for a year. Then, for that year, the buyer’s mind would be put at ease,” he added.

Should sellers do a major remodel before listing their home?

Who doesn’t love the look of a remodeled bathroom or kitchen? Those updated countertops, new cabinets in the kitchen, or that new bathtub and shower in the master bedroom can be tantalizing to would-be buyers.

But are the thousands of dollars spent on a major remodel worth it?

“Kitchen and bathroom remodels are lovely and buyers love them. But whether or not you do it requires a cost-benefit analysis because the time it takes and the cost associated may not be realized on the resale,” Barker said.

Said Garbutt: “You don’t want to get involved in a major remodeling or paint or replacing floors unless the damage is beyond its useful life. Sometimes buyers have their own taste as to colors and flooring and things of that nature.”

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly “Buzz on the Street” column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on X, formerly Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.