The 8 best kept secrets for selling your home for more.

Let's be honest.  You want to sell your home for as much as you possibly can.  Who wouldn't?
   The Lake Placid area real estate market is very active, and demand is very high.  This is a great time to consider listing your home for sale, but, if you want to get the most for your home, there are things you need to do.
   Here's a list of my top 8 secrets for selling your home for more.

 1.  Hire the right Realtor.
   Is the Realtor you're considering full-time?  Is this what he or she does for a living?  Day in and day out?  Is he or she responsive by email, phone and text?  Does your Realtor routinely pay for professional photography?  Will he or she advertise your home, or will they rely only on the advertising their Broker provides? Do they maintain a web site with a strong internet presence? Ask questions.  Ask to see previous sales success.  Look up his or her current listings.  Are those properties receiving a professional presentation you would be happy with?
2.  Price it right
   No Seller wants to leave money on the table, but the strategy of setting an unreasonably high price with the idea of lowering later doesn’t work.  Trust me. If you price your home too high, it will languish and become “stale” Often times it will sell for less in the end.  As an example, the Lake Placid real estate market right now is extremely active.  That said, there are 36 homes which have been on the market for more than 6 months. There’s a good reason for that: they’re overpriced. You have one chance to get it right.  Price it right from the start.  Ask your Realtor to perform a detailed Comparative Market Analysis and have your Realtor review it with you.  
3.  Light it up!
   Safe to say, we Adirondackers don’t see quite as much sunshine as our friends in southern California.  That said, we need to relish every bit of sunlight we can get, especially during the winter months. Clean the snow off the skylights. Open all of the blinds and curtains.  Turn on all the lights.  The more light you can let in, the better.
3.  First impressions mean everything.
   Buying a home is an emotional experience.  Many buyers will decide whether they want to buy your home before they even walk in the door.  Shovel the snow in the winter, cut the grass and weed the gardens in the summer.  Make your home welcoming and inviting.
4.  Mr. Clean. Mr. Clean.
  Clean the house! You’d expect that home sellers shouldn’t have to be told this, but often times they do.  Nothing kills a showing like a dirty home.  The kitchen and baths should be spotless.  Beds made.  Laundry put away.  Pets should be out for a walk during showings, including any messes they might have left behind.   Windows cleaned, garage organized, and as much clutter as possible removed.
5. Photos tell the story.
   Nowadays buyers will spend hours looking at your home from the comfort of their sofa.  You need professional photography.  Homebuyers are looking at photos of your home on Realtor.com, Zillow.com and of course, Bobmillerrealestate.com :). The days of cell phone photos are over.  Your Realtor should pay to hire a photographer to take great photos(including drone photos), and, depending on the home, video.  
6.  Make the needed repairs.
   We all get comfortable. Sometimes that means that there might be a cabinet door that doesn’t quite work correctly, or maybe it’s the chandelier that no longer works.  Whatever it is, fix it. If you want top dollar for your home, present your home in good condition.  
7.  Negotiations vs. Ego-tiations
  Congratulations, you received an offer.  There’s an old saying in this business “the first offer is usually the best offer”. Surprisingly, the old saying really is true.  Work with the buyer as best you can and most importantly, don’t let your ego get in the way. 
8.  Consult and advise.
  Rely on your Realtor for advice throughout the process. You are the boss, but you are also in this together.  An honest and ethical Realtor will look out for your interests in all he or she does. 
   By the way...... the above photo with the really beautiful and super clean kitchen?  Yes, that's one of my properties.  You can call me for details. :)
 
Good luck to you, and of course, call me if I can help.
Cheers.