Spring is the best time to spruce up the inside and outside of your home. Especially if you’re thinking about selling.
As the weather starts to shift from cold and grey winter days to warm, sunny skies a lot of people start to think about home ownership and real estate sales. Typically, the spring is the most popular time to buy and sell real estate in Knoxville. While mortgage rates have slowly started to rise over the last year, they still remain low.
Bottom line, now is a perfect time to start thinking about preparing your home to sell, although we encourage all potential sellers to consult a REALTOR® before you undergo a major (or minor) home renovation. An agent, can review the pros and cons of any home improvement idea, and help you make sound decisions on any potential investments in home improvements, as well as offer ideas on ways to sell your home fast and for top dollar. Our agents are in-tune with trends in real estate in Knoxville and can offer excellent advice and insight into what home buyers are looking for. Although it’s still too cold to spend the day outside painting or plating, now is a great time to start the process so that as real estate season gears up, you are ready.
Think about adding curb appeal.
This can be done by painting your front door and using pops of colorful plants and welcoming flowers around your mailbox and porch. In fact, Zillow recently conducted a study and found that homes with front doors painted in shades of “dark navy blue to slate gray sold for $1,514 more”. We recommend trying Hale Navy a dark blue paint by Benjamin Moore. Also start thinking about cleaning up any debris that has accumulated during the cold winter months and replace any broken pots, outdoor furniture or light fixtures. Add a seasonal wreath to your door and use decorative pillows on any outdoor furniture. Elevate your exterior by creating “custom” shutters or update your garage door with a dark gel stain. The cooler months are the best time to do any exterior painting- so if your door, or entire exterior, could use a touch up or makeover- now is the time to get painting or seek the help of local professionals. You can start to get quotes on painting and get some of the work done now to be ready to sell your home in peak season. Read about more ways to add curb appeal.
Create an inviting patio.
When selling your home, you want to help people envision their life there. One great way is to show them all your home has to offer– like a relaxing patio or welcoming deck. Use potted plants to create a beautiful space with a variety of greenery and color. Add outdoor lighting with string lights, lanterns, or candles. If you have the space, think about a fire pit or hammock. Anything you can do to help liven up your outdoor space will help sell the place.
Declutter!
One of the best ways to sell a home is to declutter. Start with closets and cabinets. When people come to your home they don’t want to see 100 shoes shoved into a small closet. Make the space look larger by having less in it. Organize your shelves and remove objects to help create a clean, presentable space. In fact, Dorn Real Estate goes one step farther to help you with this. We work with professional stagers and interior designers who come and consult with each of our sellers to make sure they are presenting the best possible spaces. Our stagers offer tips and advice on how to organize or rearrange to help make your home ready to photograph and sell.
Get ready now so you can hit the prime market for home sales in Knoxville. Inventory is low in and around our most popular zip codes, which means that almost anytime is a great time to sell your home in Knoxville. However, if you want to really hit the real estate sweet spot— have it ready to list by May! Zillow recently published a study of various listings across the United States and found that, nationwide, homes listed in May sold an average of nine days faster than homes listed at other times. March, April and May are the peak times to sell a home in Knoxville, and we notice many homes go under contract within the first 30 days during these months. “This season is expected to be an extremely good time to be a seller, said Lawrence Yun, chief economist and senior vice president of research for the National Association of Realtors.”
Ready to take the plunge and get advice on how to sell your home fast and for more money in Knoxville? Call us today to schedule an appointment with one of our agents. With over 200 5-Star reviews, and 142 sales in the last 12 months, Dorn Real Estate is one of the top producing real estate agents in and around Knoxville. Our selling strategies are aggressive and have a record of proven success.