While we have had some cold days this winter, home sales have been nice and warm. And it looks like sales will heat up this spring, with lots of out-of-state buyers getting ready to move to the Lowcountry.
The reason that spring is almost always the best season to sell your home is because that’s when the largest number of home buyers begin actively searching for a new home.
So, while it’s still a seller’s market, and if you know where you want to live, now is a great time to sell your home.
And since we are still more in a seller’s market than in a buyer’s market (there are a lot of very much in-demand neighborhoods here in Bluffton), there’s a good chance that you can sell your home for a hefty price.
Even with the cost of everything going up (taxes, insurance, maintenance, utilities, lawn care, pest control, etc.), I have found that our buyers from up North still see this area as a “very affordable place to live.”
Here are some things to do to make your home stand out from the competition:
• Make your home interior sparkle and shine. Wash the windows, polish the mirrors, let the sunlight in and do spring cleaning to make your home more inviting.
• Showcase the landscaping. Clean the yard, trim the bushes, cut the tree limbs, and tidy up the lawn to show off the exterior of your home.
• Beautify your home exterior. Remove debris from the roof, clean the gutters, and power wash the driveway for a favorable (outside) first impression.
• Set out attractive fresh smelling flowers. Buyers like colorful flowers that suggest the first signs of spring (especially after a long Lowcountry winter). Psychologically, yellow flowers create feelings of happiness.
• Clean and polish the floors. A high gloss on your hard floors makes a lasting impression, as does sparkling ceramic and clean, attractive carpeting.
• Utilize lighter accent colors. Soft spring colors for linens, throws, towels and pillows will lighten and brighten a room.
• Use full color flyers and professional photography. If a picture is worth a thousand words, make sure your print and online advertising is as attractive as it can be – and then flaunt it.
Larry Stoller is a broker and Realtor with Real Estate Five of the Lowcountry. Larry@RealEstateFive.com, RealEstateFive.com
