The time has finally arrived for you to sell your house but you are still filled with so many burning questions in your head. How much is my house actually worth? How much can I get for it from a buyer? Is there any way that I can maximize the value of my house? Thankfully for you, all these questions do have answers if you are serious and ready to get the sale of your house underway.
There is nothing worse than going into a house sale without an idea or estimate of how much your house is worth. Without knowing, you can find yourself getting thousands of dollars less than you actually could get, and who wouldn’t want an extra couple thousand dollars in their pocket. That’s why it is important to spend the time to gather an estimate so come sale time, you can stand your ground and ensure that the price you are listing is fair and accurate.
Here are some ways to help you determine how much your house is worth.
Use an online estimator
Online estimators are a great place to start because they are easy to use and can get the ball rolling in the right direction. Online estimators require you to enter the address of your house, the number of bedrooms in it, and a rough estimate of the square footage. From there, the program will quickly work and provide a ballpark estimate of your house. This is a great start for determining the value but is not the be all end all for estimates. Some online estimators do not take into account the value of the area and its surroundings, and as we all know, the value of a house is broken down into two areas, the land it is on, and the house itself. Land can very be often be worth more than the house itself, therefore if you look at an online estimator, the value it lists for your home might be quite different from what it is actually worth.
Therefore, while these estimators provide a great start for you to determine the value of your house, they should not be where you finish for finding the value. Start your selling process in the right direction by using an online estimator to get an idea of the worth of your house.
Use the comparative housing market
After using the online estimator, take a look at home sales in recent months and years in your area. Sure, the housing market fluctuates dramatically, but by looking at houses in the area you can begin to get an idea of how much the land itself is worth. Along with this, most houses built in an area are similar to each other as real estate developers follow common housing plans, therefore when looking at the market, you can find houses that are similar to those to get an idea of how much they are selling for. This can further the information you gain about yourself as well as see how similar houses to yours do when listed. Do they sell quickly? Do they take time to sell? Do they generally sell for more or less than they are listed for? Starting to piece together your information is important for the sale and the more data you can collect the better. Check out the housing market itself to help value your house
Hire a real estate agent
Real estate agents are trained professionals who are there to not only sell your house, but to help you get the most amount of money for your house. They do this by giving you tips on how to present your house in the best way possible, and by advertising your home to all potential buyers in the area to see. The more people they advertise to, the higher the price of your house will be. Along with aiding you in your sale, these real estate agents are helpful at appraising your house. Real estate agents look at everything in your house from the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, to square footage, to the layout of the kitchen itself. They are able to determine the price of each room in your house and from there add them together to create an estimate of your house as a whole.
Backyards are also becoming a major selling feature in the housing market, therefore your real estate agent will also take this into consideration when helping to sell. Don’t forget to mention this as he comes over as you will want him to spend some time looking at everything in the backyard. These real estate agents will help to sell your house and can even hook you up with house buying companies that will buy fast. You can never go wrong by bringing in a professional to help find the value of your house.
House buying companies
Maybe going with a real estate agent is not for you. There are other methods to go about selling and finding the value of your house. House buying companies are companies that look to quickly purchase your house, freeing you from the stress of having to find someone to purchase it. They offer fair prices and can work to help provide you with an idea of the value of your house. Not only can they help with that, they also eliminate the need to hire a real estate agent and therefore can save you money as well. Going with house buying companies is a solid alternative to the standard real estate agent and will help you value your home.
It is important when going into the housing market that you know the price of your house. This ensures that you are getting the best value and keeping extra money in your pocket. Using tools like an online estimator can help start your search for the value of your house. From there, you can check out the comparative housing market to better refine your ideas. Finally, you can never go wrong with hiring a real estate agent as they will help give you that final idea. So how much is your house worth?