COMPARABLE SALES – A GUIDE TO HOME SELLERS
When selling a home selecting the
list price is just one of the most difficult in the selling process. Over
pricing would entail longer time in the market while under pricing or selling
the property lower than its value means a financial loss on your end. These
losses could have been gains if only properly planned and thought of. That is
why it is essential to have a Realtor or a professional to guide you on this
journey. Before you decide the listing price, you need to know everything about
the market in your area. Understanding comparables is a great place to start.
1. Eye for an Eye: Analyzing the
comps entails some detective work. Obviously, your house isn't exactly like
every other on the block. It can be far better – or far worse. You have to wade
through and pick out comps that truly come closest to yours. Then make note of
what similar homes have that you don’t and what your house have that the comps
lack? Consider these comparisons:
Square footage: This is significant for most buyers. Some will even
hunt based on square footage alone. And when it comes to pricing, the bigger
the property, the bigger the price tag.
Age and condition: Do you live in a 1910 Victorian? Or is your
house practically brand new? Newer homes don’t necessarily command higher
prices, or vice versa, but condition relative to age does factor into price. So
when you compare your home to others, stay within a five-year range.
Number of bedrooms and baths: How many your home has – and where
they’re located – can radically change the price. Like square footage, families
often shop for homes based on these numbers.
Amenities: This one’s pretty straightforward: the more perks you
have, like walk-in closets, a pool, spa, gourmet kitchen, and so on, the higher
the price.
Lot size: Is there room for the buyer to add on to the house or
plant a sprawling rose garden in the backyard? The exact acreage of your land
correlates to price. When you compare your home to others, stay within .05
acres.
Condition: A tear-down, a fixer-upper, updated, or pristine – where
do you fall in the spectrum? The condition of your house can be a deal-maker or
a deal-breaker. That’s why you have to pay close attention to other homes’
upgrades to make a fair assessment of how they affect value.
Location: This factor is multi-faceted. It relates not only to your
state, city, and neighborhood, but also to where your house sits on the street.
Does it face an eyesore or busy intersection? Does it have a view? Does it get nearby
freeway noise or sit on the bank of a tranquil lake? Don’t forget to take these
location nuances into consideration.
2. Don’t Look Back (Too Far) – The price of
your home today can’t be compared to the selling price of your neighbor’s
identical home 6 months ago. This has been a year of quick price increases in
most cities. If you’re looking at comps further back than 3 months, dump them.
Your house could be worth more.
3. Go Online and Check Prices – A wealth of
information lives online, and it’s accessible with the click of a mouse.
4. Check Out the Competition in Person – Don’t
analyze your comps on paper alone. Get moving! Ask your realtor to recommend
homes you should drive by or open houses you should attend. It’s important for
you as a home seller to know what’s out there. Find out up close and in person
where your home stacks up against the competition.
5. List vs. Sale Prices – The difference in
percentage between list prices and actual sales prices for the homes in your
neighborhood speaks volumes about the current real estate climate. This number
is a strong indicator of which direction the market is moving and it will
suggest how much under – or over – your ideal asking price you can expect to
get for your home. Anyone can throw a house on the market at a high price. But
the number you want to look at closely is the sale price of the home, which is
much more indicative of the actual value.
6. Know what’s Not Selling – You can learn a
lot by observing not only what IS selling nearby, but also what’s NOT selling.
Is a home that initially looks like a comp really overpriced for what it
offers? How does it compare with your house? What is it lacking that yours
isn’t? Once you identify why it’s not
selling at its current price, you can avoid the same mistake when determining
your own home’s price tag.
If you can have a good grasp on
the comparable sales in your area, you will be ahead of the game. If you take
the time to see exactly what has sold, for how much and why, you can use this
to your advantage not just when selling your home but also when planning to buy
one.
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