How to Sell Your San Gabriel Valley Home Sooner and for More
Even in a highly favorable seller’s market, selling a home is seldom an easy task. And it often takes longer than expected, whether in San Gabriel Valley or anywhere else.
There are, however, a number of tried-and-true strategies that can help you sell your home. And, then, in these unprecedented times and uncertain conditions in which and under which we currently live, you’ll need to deploy some additional and different strategies and tactics.
So, to maximize the potential for selling sooner and at a better price, check out our San Gabriel Valley home selling tips.
San Gabriel Valley Real Estate Trends
The first of our home selling tips holds for real estate anywhere, not just San Gabriel Valley. And that is, before doing anything else, to get a good handle on the conditions and trends in the local market.
And here’s what it looks like for San Gabriel Valley . . .
“The San Gabriel Valley in California ended its 2019 house market with a continued positive momentum, which includes about 102,900 square feet of land sold.
For 62 straight months, home prices for Southern California, which San Gabriel Valley is a part of, have steadily increased. San Gabriel Valley homes’ median value is currently at $761,941, which is 3.6% higher than the previous year. Experts have predicted a lower increase of 2.8% for San Gabriel properties within this year.”
This means, then, that with assessed home values still going up, homes are “expected to be 75% more than the rates five years ago.” Industry and financial experts attribute this to rising family incomes and falling mortgage rates (currently near record lows).
The result of these trends is that this “real estate market is considered as one of the premiere markets for both investors and homeowners. As . . . home prices remain at an all-time high, experts predict that the housing market will continue to rise.”
This does, however, present some challenges for sellers. With such an expensive and competitive market, “not every real estate investor or buyer will want to purchase here.” But that’s why we’re offering these insider San Gabriel Valley home selling tips.
General Home Selling Tips
Let’s start off, then, with some tips for selling a home that apply anywhere and in any market. Of course, you need to declutter and deep clean, make necessary repairs, let in some light, and get plenty of professional-quality listing photos, but you also need to . . .
Price It Right
Pricing your home isn’t determined by what you think it’s worth – rather, it should be driven by fair market value, usually arrived at by means of comparative market analysis. (You’re best bet here is to have your agent run these “comps.”)
Both pricing too low and too high can damage your chances of a quick sale at a good price. Price too low, and buyers will automatically think something is wrong with the property. Price too high, and it will languish unsold on the market, which will again cause buyers to think something is wrong with it. You have to price to sell.
Upgrade Judiciously
“Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market.” In fact, expensive upgrades may result in your having to price your home above what the market will bear.
Depersonalize
In preparing your home to sell – especially decluttering and staging – one of your main goals should be to create a blank palette. The objective is to enable potential buyers to envision your house as their home, with all the possessions in it.
“The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff – put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes.”
Focus on the Important Rooms
We all have limited time and energy, so as a seller you should focus your efforts on the areas that will have the most impact. And that means, first of all, the kitchen. Consider what industry pros say about this . . .
“You’re not actually selling your house, you’re selling your kitchen – that’s how important it is. The benefits of remodeling your kitchen are endless, and the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back. . . . If you have a little money to spend, buy one fancy stainless steel appliance. Why one? Because when people see one high-end appliance they think all the rest are expensive too and it updates the kitchen.”
Create a Great First Impression
First impressions matter immensely, and you get only one chance to pull it off. So make sure potential buyers are wowed when they pull up for a showing. And, typically, this is done by enhancing curb appeal.
“No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly colored flowers. You can typically get a 100-percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal.”
Home Selling Tips for Current Conditions
Now, we come to some more specific San Gabriel Valley home selling tips – those designed and adapted to help you sell during our current unprecedented times with uncertainty, economic upheaval, and a pandemic hanging over our heads.
Owing to social distancing and other health-safety measures, sellers are facing some unique challenges today. But they can indeed be overcome by the use of . . .
3D Virtual Tours
Traditional open houses are discouraged and outright prohibited in some areas, but a highly effective alternative a 3D virtual tour. Buyers can tour your home right from their living-couches, and everyone avoids any risk.
You can have your technologically savvy agent create these for you, or you can do it yourself. Today, there are a number of virtual-tour apps available that make the whole process fairly easy, using photos taken with your smartphone.
Facebook Virtual Open Houses
A similar tactic is to utilize a virtual open house via Facebook. It works like this . . .
You create a relevant Facebook page and set up a public event for the virtual open house. Then you share this as widely as possible and maybe even use paid Facebook ads. (Be careful, though: while these ads can be laser targeted, they can also be quite costly.) Then, when the day of the open house rolls around, you upload your virtual-tour video to give viewers the feel of touring your home right along with you.
For a more interactive experience, you can invite people to a Facebook Live broadcast. Just be sure to post the date and time on the Facebook page you created. With this kind of broadcast, you can answer questions and track engagement for follow-up sales efforts.
If you lack the technical skills to pull this off or are just uncomfortable in front of a camera, your agent can help you out.
The Timing Tip
For almost any undertaking, timing is everything, and that applies no less to home selling. Listing and selling at the right time of the year can potentially increase both the speed of the sale and the sale price.
The best time to sell in San Gabriel Valley, with respect to sales price, is in July, and the worst time is in May. July sales prices come in at 3.16% above average and 5.85% below average in May. “July would be the best month to sell your home in San Gabriel. It generally takes about 3 months to close on your home, so . . . if you list your San Gabriel home in April you could sell your house for 3.16% more than the yearly average!”
When it comes to speed of sale, the best month to close in is June, which, on average, results in a sale 10 days sooner than in other months. “If you’re looking to sell your San Gabriel house fast, the best time to close on your home sale in San Gabriel, California, is probably the month of June. Since it generally takes about 3 months from list to close, . . . if you list your San Gabriel home in March you could sell your house 10 days sooner than if you listed in any other month.”
The Agent Advantage
While these tips can certainly help you sell your San Gabriel Valley home, you can leverage them even more with a good local real estate agent in your corner. Why? Because, among many other cogent reasons, your agent:
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Understands the importance of presentation
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Possesses the negotiating skills to get you the best deal
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Thoroughly knows the area and the local real estate market
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Can craft an effective, strategic marketing plan (including online marketing)
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Has the skill to price your home to sell
Why take a chance? To sell your San Gabriel Valley home, contact a local agent today.
