Fresh tips for selling your home in the spring

It’s officially home-buying season in Orlando! According to the National Association of Realtors, 75 percent of Americans believe that now is a good time to buy a house. That’s great news for anyone hoping to sell their home this spring.

In addition, potential sellers can look forward to Orlando’s current low level of available inventory — we have only 3.5 months of supply — and high level of buyer demand to help sell their homes. But even with these advantages, it’s still important to take actions that will make your home as appealing as possible to buyers:

• Most important: Hire a Realtor to price your home appropriately and promote it aggressively during its first two to three weeks on the market. A home that is priced too high will not attract buyers, regardless of market conditions.

• The International Institute of Home Staging Professionals reports that staged homes spend 11 days on the market, in contrast to 90 days for non-staged homes. Take a page from the staging notebook by removing all clutter and paring down the furniture in each room.

• A good first impression created by curb appeal is crucial – 63 percent of buyers visit a home after viewing photos online. Keep your lawn mowed and edged, and shrubs well tended. According to Realtor.com, poorly maintained landscaping can reduce a home’s appraised value by 5 to 10 percent.

Visit orlandorealtors.com for lots of information about selling or buying a home in the Orlando area, or to find a Realtor for assistance with your real estate transaction