This is a guest post written by Katie Ramos, of the Lehigh Valley’s Katie Ramos Realty Team

When you list your house for sale, typically the top two concerns that homeowners have are: Making sure their house sells for the highest price possible and having it sell within a quick time frame. In order to do this, you’ll want to have a strategic plan in place with your realtor to maximize your opportunity to make the most money from the sale.

In order to sell your home for the highest price possible and in the least amount of time (meaning less showings, less cleaning, less inconvenience to you), you’re going to need to create the most demand possible when it goes up for sale. I have a two part plan and bonus tips below that will help your home get the maximum exposure and create the most demand right away!

PART ONE: Know your timeline – It’s never a bad idea to plan ahead and meet with a Realtor who you like, know and trust. They will set up a time to tour your home, take notes, suggest any upgrades (big or small!) that will assist in maximizing your sale, provide staging tips, and then take all that information back to their office and provide you with a market analysis. This can be done a year before you sell, 6 months, or even one week before. Having a relationship with a professional Realtor really comes in handy when discussing comparable homes sold, the best time of year to sell, and all the nitty-gritty details and paperwork that come along with it! Most importantly, you’ll want to work with a Realtor who is very connected locally so they can refer you to the right people for upgrades like tile work, painting, cleaning and bigger renovations you may want to do before selling!

 

PART TWO: Making a plan for upgrades with Creative Tile – Once you have identified your overall selling timeline, it’s time to evaluate the necessary upgrades your home may need before selling. You would be surprised how small, relatively simple home improvement projects can go a LONG way in a buyer’s eyes when they are making offers and evaluating the current market value of your home. It’s so important to attract the most buyers and generate the most interest in your home when it’s for sale. You also may want to enjoy your upgrades before selling. We have you covered! I’m going to tell you can achieve all of this while working with Creative Tile, regardless of whether it’s a smaller project or larger project.

Top 4 most important cosmetic things that pay off when selling your home:
1. Making large or small updates to bathrooms and kitchen
2. Evaluating your flooring and what can be improved
3. Fresh neutral paint throughout
4. Staging (either with items you currently have or with a professional stager)

 

Since you are here reading this right now and we are your tile company, we are going touch on tile. Here are some tips for tackling a tile project:
1. Meet with your rep at Creative Tile.
2. Bring photos the kitchen, bathrooms, flooring that you want to address.
3. Come with some reasonable budget expectations. For instance, subway tiles are popular because they always look great and can be really affordable. Porcelain tiles in a 12” x 24” size are most readily available these days, so their price points can be competitive.
4. Hire a trusted (or Creative Tile recommended!) installer, especially for more complicated projects like flooring or bathrooms. If you want to take a stab at DIY, start with a backsplash! The team at Creative Tile can walk you through the how-tos, and provide everything you need for installation.

 

BONUS Tips:
1. If you’re planning on selling soon, the trendiest tile will get you the highest sale price and “wow” the potential buyers – but it has to match the overall aesthetic of your house or it can feel random and out of place. For instance, if you have a very rustic home, I wouldn’t update your master bath with that sleek, modern look you see all over Pinterest, because that will make the room stand out in a weird way. But if you have some modern features in your home already, you can more easily hop on that trend without dating your renovation too much.
2. If you plan to renovate and want to enjoy your upgrades and think you’ll sell in 8 or more years down the road, you might want to go with something more neutral and safe that won’t need remodeling any time soon. Think TIMELESS.

Meet your Creative Tile Team!
Contact them for any renovation or new build needs!
www.creativetileimports.com
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @creativetileimports
Email: [email protected]

Meet Katie Ramos and her team, Your Modern Realtors at Century 21 Ramos Realty
Contact them for any of your real estate needs!
www.katieramosteam.com
Instagram and Facebook: @katieramosteam
Email: [email protected]