How to Sell Your Home if You Still Live There

If you're ready to sell your home, you already understand the work required. You're prepared to repair, clean, declutter and stage the house to perfection. If you and your family are still living in the house, however, you can expect to face a few extra hurdles. Many buyers are pressed for time and consequently prefer a flexible schedule when touring homes. Making it easy for potential buyers and their agents to visit your home can reduce the time it takes to find the right buyer and achieve top dollar.

What Home Buyers and Their Agents Expect Today

Although the real estate market is still on the rebound, sales activity today is lively and competitive. Buyers have a reasonable amount of inventory to choose from and most will visit multiple properties before selecting a favorite and making an offer. Both buyers and their agents have hectic lives and it can be difficult to find a convenient time to view houses. Having to work around a seller's schedule throws in an extra complication, increasing the chance your home will go to the bottom of the list. Many agents, if given the opportunity to recommend which homes to view, will select the unoccupied homes first. To level the playing field for your listing, it's important that your home is as easy to view as an unoccupied home.

Making Your Occupied Home Accessible

You can help your Realtor® by being as flexible as possible in your showing instructions. If you demand 24 hours' notice for a showing or require potential buyers to commit to a specific time to visit, you lower your odds that an agent will recommend your home for viewing. Many buyers are already uncomfortable visiting an occupied home. If you and your family are home during a showing, this can increase their discomfort. Having pets present during a showing complicates the process even more and may create a stigma. If you contain pets in the back yard, garage or utility room, buyers may be unable to see a part of the house that's important in their decision. The more of these conditions that you can minimize, the better your chances of having more potential buyers come through.

Develop a System to Expedite Showings

Ask your agent what level of access is necessary to achieve your sales objectives, then work together to achieve those goals. Be prepared to load up the pets and kids on short notice if a potential buyer has a tight schedule. Ask family members to pack a "bug-out bag" with books, games or other ways of passing the time. Find a local park, library or coffee shop as your default destination, so you have somewhere to go when the call comes in. Or, make a list of places you would like to visit, such as museums, malls or amusement parks. Think of this as a way to have impromptu family time.

If you can make the process easier for potential buyers, you won't have to do it for long before you receive that perfect offer. The Edie Israel Team is committed to making the real estate sales process as easy as possible for you and your family. Their pledge to you is a boutique level of service that meets your needs and helps you achieve your goals. Contact them for more helpful tips on how to sell your home.