Looking to list your home soon? If so, you may be thinking about how COVID-19 will affect your home sale. That’s smart, especially since this crisis has taken in-person showings and open houses out of the equation. However, even with the current outbreak, there are some steps you can take to safely and effectively prepare your home for the market.
Safely Complete Any Needed Repairs or Maintenance
Most homes need some sort of work before they can be listed, and if your home is in need of repairs, know that there are still some safe options for completing them. For example, there are many remodeling projects that you can knock out with compromising your family’s safety during the COVID-19 outbreak and many of these projects can also help increase your home’s value. You can order supplies online to update your home office, spruce up your yards, or even makeover your kitchen cabinets, all of which can get your home noticed by more potential buyers. If you prefer not to complete these projects on your own or if you have other home repair projects that should be handled by professionals, you should also know that hiring contractors is still okay in most areas. If you need to hire a contractor to help out with emergency home repairs or outside projects, just be sure to take the proper precautions to ensure that you and your family stay safe. Ask contractors to wear protective gear and also keep your distance while he/she is inside your home working on repair or remodeling projects.
Look at Other Local Listings for Staging and Selling Ideas
Whether you list your home now or in the future, searching online for listings in the Los Angeles area is always a smart move, as it can give you an idea of what buyers want and the average sale price of homes in your area (in LA, the average is around $735,000).
In terms of staging your home, you can look at listing photos for other available and recently sold properties to see how other sellers have helped their homes stand out to potential buyers. By looking up local listings you can also get a better idea of how competitive your real estate market is right now and how the COVID-19 crisis may be affecting local home prices. COVID-19 impacts are already being felt across the country when it comes to buying and selling homes, so know that sales may continue to slow over the coming weeks and months. You can use the real estate tools mentioned above to see how many homes have sold since the pandemic started back in March, which will give you a better idea of how long it may take to sell your home and what you can expect to get for it. As helpful as these tools are for preparing and pricing your home, it’s also wise to seek advice from a reliable real estate agent before making any major decisions about staging or attempting to sell your current property.
Research Virtual Tools That Will Make Selling a Home Safer
Real estate agents across the country are being given guidelines and tips for working with current restrictions and keeping their clients safe, so your realtor should have access to this same information. Still, it never hurts to familiarize yourself with these tools especially since you may need to host virtual showings or tours with potential buyers, as it may not be safe for your agent to be in your home with you. In fact, many real estate websites are providing sellers and agents with these sorts of virtual tools to make selling a home safer and less stressful. Of course, you will want to make sure your home is clean and clutter-free even for virtual tours, so spend some time deep cleaning and know how to tidy up quickly for showings. You can also use virtual staging tools to help prep your home for virtual tours and showings.
Extra caution is needed when selling a home during a global pandemic, but there are online resources and tools that can make your life easier. From guidelines for hiring contractors to virtual home tours for attracting buyers, make sure you have the right real estate tools and tips to help you sell your home during the COVID-19 crisis.
