When it comes to selling a house, there are four main factors that will affect the price of the sale and the length of time on the market: location, condition, architectural design, and price. Some of these you have control over, and others, unfortunately not.

Location
The number one rule in real estate is…you’ve heard it before: location, location, location. The reason you’ve heard it before is because it’s true. If your home is in a popular area of town, it will be much easier to sell than a home in a not-so-desirable area. However, unless you live in a tiny home and can pick it up to move it somewhere new, location is not something you can change.

Condition
Many sellers ask me what they should do to get their homes “in shape” for the market. Before you do any major remodels, talk to your real estate agent to make sure you will get your money back from any remodel you are considering. Here are some quick, easy fixes that will help make your house more appealing to buyers:
• Deep clean
• Remove all clutter
• Take care of obvious small repairs
• Spruce up the yard

Architectural Design
Just like fashion and music, the popularity of architectural design changes over the years—drive around Charlotte’s neighborhoods and you’ll see mid-century modern ranches and split-level floor plans in the neighborhoods built in the 1950s and 1960s. Like location, though, architectural design is not something you can change unless you want to do a major design overhaul.

Price
Your realtor will help you price your home correctly for the market by pulling up recently sold comparable properties and making adjustments to make those homes more closely resemble yours (called a comparative market analysis). Underpricing the home could help you sell quickly, but you could lose money and damage the comps for future sellers in your neighborhood. On the other hand, pricing the home too high will increase time on the market. A professional realtor can help you price your home to sell it the way you want: for the highest price possible in the shortest amount of time.

If you’re interested in selling your home, we can talk about the things you can do to make your property more appealing to buyers. If you’re just curious as to what your home is worth in the current market, I’d be happy to run a market analysis for you. Give me a call today and we’ll get started!