Must-Do Steps To Sell for Top Dollar

Everyone wants to sell their home quickly,  but they also want to sell it for top dollar.  I pride myself on being an extremely efficient listing agent.  Here are my top tricks and tips to Sell for Top Dollar:

Price Your House Right

Often when house hunting online, people do not search a specific dollar amount, but rather within in a specific range. You might want to sell your home at $105,000; however, your listing will likely get more attention if you price it at $99,999. If you price your house this way, you are likely to catch those who are searching in and below the $100,000 range. Also, when pricing your home consider what other houses in your area have been listed and sold for. While your home might be the loveliest on the block, you could be pricing it too high for your area.

 

Givea Good First Impression

When you are selling your home, you want to make a good first impression because often times this will be your last impression and, if not, certainly one your potential buyers will remember. This means you need to take really good pictures for your listing. Nothing blurry or dark. Also, consider investing in curb appeal. You do not have to spend a fortune, but consider at least making sure the outside of your home is neat and tidy. Power wash your walkways or vinyl siding, remove any toys or clutter from your yard, and keep your lawn mowed.

 

Update Your Kitchen and Bathrooms

Your kitchen and bathrooms can either be your best assets or your worst enemies when it comes to selling your house for top dollar. People do not want to spend top dollar on out of date kitchens and bathrooms. This does not mean you have to spend thousands and thousands of dollars, but painting the walls and cabinets and updating hardware will do wonders for making these rooms look fresh and new.      Click here for my blog on painting/staining your cabinets. 

 Also, matching stainless appliances will go an extremely long way in selling a property.

 

Fix Any Major Damage

Having any major damage to your house will lower the price of it. People do not want to pay top dollar and have to pay to fix major issues with their new home. A leaky roof or old water heater will ultimately bring down the value of your home. So, if you want to sell your house for the highest price possible, you need to make sure your water heater does not need replacing, your roof is in good condition, your plumbing is working, and your heating and/or cooling units are functioning. These are just an example and all expensive elements to replace or fix and could turn off buyers if they are not.

 

Clean

Make sure before you put your house on the market that you clean it. Clean any fingerprints from the walls or stains on the carpet. Dust everything. Put any clutter away. You want your house to be as clean as possible when you take your photos of it and when you are showing it. This will make your house appealing and seem like it is worth the top dollar price you are asking.

 

 

Hire a Real Estate Agent

When you want to sell your home for top dollar, a real estate agent is key. They will not only know the best ways to get buyers’ attention, but they can also help with negotiating the price. You want your top dollar than have a real estate agent in your corner.

I’m available and currently taking on new listings.  Contact me at jenniferfagan@kw.com or 504-858-6197 to list your property today!

 

For Results and Not Excuses,

Jennifer Fagan, Realtor®

 

Home is the best place to be! Whether you are selling or buying, contact me for inside knowledge of the New Orleans area! I can show you which neighborhood will best suit you!

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How to Narrow Down Neighborhoods During your House Hunt

Narrowing Down Neighborhoods in your House Hunt

House hunting often involves more than just finding the right house.  It’s more than just the structure and bones of the property,  home is a feeling.  You will likely spend a lot of time in the surrounding area as your new home, so it’s critical that we find you the perfect neighborhood.  During different stages of your life you’ll be looking for different things, but it’s my job to help you verbalize those factors and prioritize which are the most important to you.  Here are some factors you may not have considered:  

New to New Orleans?

If New Orleans is new to you, it can be kind of complicated to navigate our fair city.   Drive East to end up on the West Bank?   Combined with the fact that New Orleanians aren’t keen on cardinal directions (it’s river and lake and not North or South), you’ll have a trying couple of weeks learning what’s up and down in the Crescent City.

If you’re here for work, you should start with planning a simple commute, and find something within that area.  If public transportation is necessary you should definitely try to find something on the bus or streetcar lines.

Make a Pro & Con List

It’s absolutely crucial that clients make a pro and con list of things they absolutely have to have.  I’ve already mentioned public transportation, but there are other things to consider.  Do you absolutely have to be near a certain franchise of gym, perhaps where you have a membership already?  Do you have health conditions that make it wise for you to be near a hospital?  Do you need a certain cable or internet provider for work?

There are other things to consider as well.  Perhaps you want a certain style of house, or something that feels antique.  Maybe you want to live in a neighborhood that has lots of shopping and bars convenient, such as the Irish Channel Area of Magazine Street. A good idea is to look at your current neighborhood and figure out what is missing currently that you would like in the future, or would like to change.

Another aspect to think on is what you do not want in your neighborhood. Maybe you want peace and quiet, so you do not want to move into a traffic-heavy area. Your essentials should go at the top of your list and your non-essentials at the bottom. This will let you know what you can compromise on and what you cannot.

Family First

Obviously, when you have children there are certain requirements you want to look for in a neighborhood. For example, what are the schools like? If you plan to send your children to public school, this is a huge deciding factor in your neighborhood search. Other amenities to consider are parks and other places of recreation. Is there a safe place for you and your children to spend your time?

 

Visit the Neighborhood

One of the absolute best things you can do when narrowing down your search is to actually go to the neighborhoods in which you are interested. Talk to your potential neighbors. Things might look great on paper; however, they likely can give you insider knowledge. You will also want to pay attention to the buildings in the neighborhood. Are they well-kept or derelict? Are they occupied or abandoned? Is there an overwhelming amount of houses for sale? These are all factors to consider because they could be an indication of a neighborhood going downhill.

 

Get a Realtor®

Of course, I”m your best asset when it comes to your relocation to New Orleans.  I’ve lived here my entire life, in a variety of neighborhoods, and I know how to find my clients exactly what they’re looking for.  Contact me for any of your New Orleans area real estate questions!

And if you’re from here, feel free to rep your neighborhood and tell us why you love it in the comments below!

 

For Results Not Excuses,

Jennifer Fagan, Realtor®