To sell your home quickly and for top dollar, you have to think of yourself as a buyer. What did you do the last time you purchased a home? You probably established a location (or geographic area) that you were looking to purchase in. You probably had a budget based on the price you could afford or that you were willing to pay for a home. You probably had some required features (such as the number of bedrooms and baths) along with other desired features that you may have been more flexible on (such as a pool, a fenced in yard, or an extra bathroom). You probably looked at 8 – 20 homes, in which 3 or 4 of them stood out as great values. You then probably then made an offer on two or three of those homes to have one offer accepted.

What were the factors that affected the price you paid for the home?

  • Supply and demand of homes that met your required and desired features
  • Current economic and market conditions in the area
  • The asking and selling price of comparable homes on the market
  • The condition and features of the comparable homes in your price range
  • Your overall perception of the home compared to others you viewed

What were factors that had little or no influence on your offer price?

  • The amount the seller paid for the home
  • The seller’s expected net proceeds
  • The amount the seller had spent on improvements during home ownership

From a buyer’s perspective, buyers simply buy the best home, with the most desirable features for the best price. To sell your home and draw in offers, it has to stand out as one of the best two or three properties that the buyer has looked at within their given price range. Is your home a home they would want to buy?