Austin is a beautiful place to live, but if you land a new job, fall in love with another city, or just feel like moving to a bigger place in the same metropolitan area, you may eventually be interested in selling your Austin, TX home.
Selling a house is a huge undertaking if you have no experience or expertise in this area, but with the help of a simple checklist and the strategic guidance of a qualified real estate agent, you can streamline and better understand this entire process. Keep in mind that TX real estate market conditions and potentially expensive repairs can impact your home’s sale price. Skilled real estate agents will also help you navigate closing costs and make sure your Austin home is competitively priced.
Selling a Home in Austin, Texas: Motivation and Goals
People sell their homes for many reasons. Some people want to move to a new city for a fresh landscape and a new start. Some people move because of job requirements or to be closer to family members. Others simply move for a change of pace or to satisfy an internal desire.
Before you start preparing your house to be sold, it’s a good idea to examine your own motivation and goals. The better you understand your own objectives, the easier it will be to make strategic decisions about your home sale.
For example:
- Sale price and profitability. How important is it to you to make a profit on this deal? If you’ve held this house for at least a few years, you should be able to make a profit on it. However, if you price the house too high, you won’t get any real offers. Home sellers must delicately balance asking a significant enough price to turn a profit without offering such a high price that it turns people away. Factoring in real estate fees and potentially costly repairs, a fair cash offer might be your best option to sell the house fast. Whether you’re looking to buy houses or move on to your dream home, finding the right balance is key to a successful sale.
- Timing and immediacy. Some people need to sell their house as quickly as possible; for example, if a new job needs you in a new city next week, you may be pressed to finalize the home sale as quickly as possible. On the other hand, you may have the luxury of moving at your own pace, giving you more time to plan and finish the sale. Keep these time requirements in mind.
- Alternative possibilities. Selling a house is a prerequisite for many homeowners, especially if they need the money for a down payment on a new house. But it isn’t always the only option. For example, you could consider turning the house into a rental property, using a property management company to take care of the logistics while you reap the passive income.
Pricing and Strategy for Selling an Austin House
If you’re ready to start preparing for selling your Austin home, these are the most important steps to take:
- Do your research. You may not be a real estate expert, but you don’t have to be one to do some preliminary research. What are other homes in the Austin area selling for? What has been the sale price for Austin homes similar to yours in the last few months? How have pricing trends changed in this area? How quickly are homes going off the market?
- Make a list of all your “musts.” Next, make a list of all the essentials associated with this sale. Is there a certain threshold for sale price that you refuse to accept? Do you have to sell this house by a certain date? Are you motivated to sell this house as is, so you don’t have to worry about any repairs or adjustments?
- Hire the right real estate agent. The right real estate agent can instantly make selling a house much easier. Work with someone who has experience in this field that you genuinely trust and connect with. They’ll help answer all your questions, formulate a strategy, and ultimately help you achieve your home sale goals. In most cases, they’re more than worth the money.
- Boost the curb appeal. Your real estate agent will likely suggest that you make efforts to boost the curb appeal. In other words, you want to make the outside of the home look as immediately attractive as possible. That could mean replacing the front door, investing in more landscaping, or even applying a fresh coat of paint to your siding.
- Fix the little things. Take the time to fix the little things that are wrong throughout your house. Patch the drywall, change the light bulbs, and consider repainting any rooms that have begun to show their age. These little fixes don’t cost much in terms of time or money, but they can make a big impact on potential buyers.
- Declutter. Austin houses accumulate clutter as fast as any other, but it’s important to keep your house clean and minimalistic for prospective buyers. Take the time to clean out your possessions and get rid of whatever you don’t need; this will help you in your move as well.
- Get a professional cleaning. Obviously, you’ll want to keep your house clean to make a better impression on prospective buyers. But for most people, a basic, rudimentary cleaning isn’t enough. Consider hiring a professional to clean every nook and cranny of your house.
- Depersonalize. You love your photos, artwork, pets, and other personal effects, but the people buying your house might not. That’s why it’s important to give your house a once-over and depersonalize it, making it look as neutral as possible to a wide audience.
- Get ready to stage. For many sellers in the Austin real estate market, staging is a valuable strategy. With the help of a staging company, you can arrange furniture and make the house look both more neutral and more attractive.
- Stay in communication. Home selling is a process that takes time, so remain patient and stay in communication with your agent throughout the process.
Are you getting ready to sell your Texas home? Green Residential, an Austin property management company, can help you through every step of the process, from setting a sales price to closing the deal. The first step is to find out how much Green Residential can save you – and get a free estimate of your home’s worth today!
Tiffany is the Director of Operations at Green Residential.She has been in the multifamily property management industry for 7 years, serving most recently as an Area Manager in Nashville, TN. Tiffany specializes in all aspects of the property management process.
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