Local realtors answer questions about selling a home and offer tips on making a home more attractive when putting it on the market in and around Tomball/Magnolia.

Answers provided by: Pam Sitterly, RE/MAX Vintage

What easy updates can make a home more attractive to buyers? 

[Start with] paint, bathroom and kitchen fixtures, light fixtures and closet fixtures, and staging the property. If anybody’s got wallpaper, get rid of that. [Go with] neutral colors. You want curb appeal [and] fresh mulch and color in the flowerbeds. You want your house number easily visible on the house. Get rid of heavy drapes. You want open windows [with] lots of natural light.

How long does a home in the area typically stay on the market?

They move pretty quickly. If it’s priced right and looks good, [a seller] may have several offers on it within a few days [especially if it’s under $250,000]. A lot of times, sellers think that because the market is so strong for sellers that they can test the market [and overprice the home]. And that will slow down the market if it’s overpriced.

What things should sellers consider when staging?

Staging a home is an excellent idea. It’s one of the best things that a person can do at no cost to make your home show its best—getting rid of excess furniture, getting rid of clutter, making the house sparkle and shine. Probably 8 out of 10 homes that I go meet the seller, they have too much furniture in almost every single room. You want to get rid of the furniture or the extra pieces and make your home look like a model home. That’s the No. 1 thing that people can do.

What are common mistakes that people make when selling a home?

A common mistake that sellers make is trying to get dollar for dollar on upgrades and improvements. Also pets and pet odors [are] a real problem. Those things need to be addressed. A barking dog in a kennel when a buyer comes to look at the house is very negative. That dog needs to be out of the house—and actually no sign of a pet—that would be a positive.

Another mistake sellers make is pricing their home with “wiggle room.” Buyers looking at $500,000 houses want a $500,000 house. If it is a $475,000 house listed at $500,000, it will not compare favorably to the other $500,000 houses the buyer also looks at.

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