Right now in Dallas-Forth Worth (including North Richland Hills), we’re still in a seller’s market, but it’s not the home-selling frenzy we saw during COVID. The pandemic led to sellers raking in tens of thousands of dollars above asking price. It was so easy to get offers that most sellers didn’t even invest much into getting their house market-ready. The current market does favor sellers, but not to the point that you can just put a sign in your yard and expect to get maximum dollar. To get maximum dollar, consider doing some of these tips.

Be Objective in Pricing Your House

As a real estate agent, one mistake I see sellers make is staying too emotionally attached to their house. As soon as you decide to put your house on the market, try to be as objective as possible about your seller decisions, especially when it comes to pricing the house. I often see people over-valuing their house because of all their sentiment about it or because they put a lot of work into it. But buyers don’t have that kind of attachment to your house. You need to price according to the market, not to what you feel. A good realtor will research comparable homes that are on market and that have sold recently (aka comps) for your area, then give you an estimate range and pricing strategy for your home based on those comps and your property.

Help Buyers Visualize Themselves Living There

You also need to go through your house to declutter and remove personal items like family photos. When people walk through your house, you want them to see themselves living there. Which is harder for them to do with your wedding photos and pictures of your kids in almost every room.  If there’s too much stuff in your home, that can make it feel small and stuffy. Consider going ahead and packing up knick knacks and storing excess furniture.

On the flip side, if you’ve already moved out and the house is empty, you might want to consider renting furniture to stage your home. Some people can get imagine how rooms can be designed and where their furniture would go, but some people will not be able to visualize that. Staging a room will show people how to best use a space plus add visual appeal.

A Fresh Coat of Paint Can Do Wonders

If it’s been a while since painting, a fresh coat of paint on the inside and/or outside could make a big difference in how buyers feel about your house. Paint is also fairly inexpensive, if you do it yourself. Even if you hire someone, I believe the investment is well worth it.

If you have bold colors, also consider painting with more neutral colors that have a more universal appeal. You might love your bright yellow walls, but most people will not (remember, it’s important to emotionally detach and be objective when you’re selling).

Summary

When it comes to selling your house, it’s tough to not be emotionally invested. But it really is best to try and view it as a business transaction and not a personal one. You’re not just saying goodbye to your home, you’re also trying to help someone else say “I do” to that same house, and prepping your house for people to imagine it as theirs is key to that process.

If you want help getting top-dollar for your house, contact me here.

All the best,

Ian
“It’s good to be home.”

Hi there, I’m Ian Van Kooten, REALTOR, CiBP. I’m a DFW Real Estate Agent specializing in North Richland Hills and surrounding areas. North Richland Hills is where I live, raise my family, and do business so I know the market inside and out. I started working on houses at 16 year old, so I also specialize in helping people needing a Realtor with some construction knowledge.