SET A PRICE
PREPARING YOUR HOME FOR SALE
UPGRADES + REPAIRS
UPGRADES + REPAIRS
Pricing strategy can make or break the selling process. List your home for too little, and you leave money on the table. Price it too high, and the listing goes stale, forcing a price drop that could make buyers wary of the home. To get an accurate idea of your home’s fair market value, look at comparable listings online in your area. For example, if you think your house is worth about $300,000, search Zillow, Redfin, or other listing sites for properties that are about $50,000 more or less than that target. Compare these homes to yours by asking these questions: one’s going to come see it. If you list it perfectly, you’re going to get a lot of activity. Sometimes if you underprice it, you’re going to get even more activity. But people know that it’s worth more, and you’re going to solicit offers that are at market value or above. If a home is sitting on the market for more than two weeks, now there’s a stigma that it’s either overpriced or there’s something wrong with it.” ASK KEN THE REALTOR: “Everybody’s online, everybody can see what the values are, So if you list a home too high, no
Current smoke and carbon monoxide detectors Installation of ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) outlets in the appropriate rooms, as required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Railings installed on staircases Globe covers installed over lightbulbs, especially in closets Confirming there isn’t any visible mold in the home (attic, closets, basements, or crawl spaces) Real Estate Attorney Required
Small upgrades and repairs can do a lot to sway potential buyers. The key is knowing how to spend your money to get higher offers. We asked top agents in Illinois what repairs or upgrades they think help a home sell. ASK KEN THE REALTOR: “The biggest thing I see buyers looking for are move-in ready properties, the biggest values are updated kitchen, updated bathrooms. If there is the ability to have an extra room for a workout room, a home office, a remote learning room, those are in pretty high demand right now.” “Some sellers are also converting garages into studios or “Granny Flats”.
PHOTOGRAPHY + STAGING
You’ll need professional photos for your listing, and you’ll want to showcase a clean and furnished home for potential buyers to see. A well-staged home can help you sell faster and for more money. BONUS TIP FROM KEN: Hire a professional stager who knows your local market and can ensure your home is ready to impress, giving you one less thing to worry about. In Illinois, expect to pay between $1,000–2,800 in staging costs. This will get you 60–90 days of a fully designed living room, kitchen, dining room, master bedroom, and bathrooms. Prices vary from city to city, so be sure to give local companies a call for specific estimates.
Make your home look more spacious by moving extra furniture to storage, especially if it’s outdated. Declutter countertops and bookshelves. There should be a combination of books, decorative items, and empty spaces on your display areas. Add pops of warm color in the form of flowers, rugs, decorative pillows, or throw blankets. Open or remove room-darkening curtains to let in lots of light.
Is the school district better or worse? Does it have the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms? Has the house been renovated more recently than yours? How do the neighborhoods and nearby amenities compare?
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