Trying to sell your home has never been fun but given the current circumstances it has become even worse.
If you have followed all of the typical tips for selling your home such as improving its curb appeal but you still haven't found a buyer for your property, rest assured there are still other things you can do in order to catch the attention of a buyer.
The first thing you should do is find out what a professional appraiser believes your home may be worth.
In many instances, a solid reality check may be all you need in order to price your home appropriately.
Without a realistic price for your home based on the current market and existing competition it can be hard to hit the correct target.
The fact is that the market has dramatically changed over the last few years and this has impacted what you can realistically get for your home.
Even if your home was worth a certain amount a few years ago that doesn't mean that it can bring the same price in the given market.
Hiring an appraiser to give you a professional valuation can take away a lot of the guesswork that many owners as well as realtors must deal with.
You should expect to pay between $400 and $400 for a professional appraisal but this can be a solid investment if it helps you to sell your home faster.
In addition, it is important to understand what buyers are looking for in the current market.
Remember, it is a buyer's market and you need to know what they want so you can meet those desires.
One of the items at the top of most buyers' lists is evidence that the home has been cared for.
The best way to demonstrate this is to hire a home inspector to provide you and prospective buyers with a professional inspection report.
Keep in mind the buyer will hire their own inspector, but hiring an inspector on your own will give prospective buyers peace of mind that the home has been well maintained.
It can also help to prevent buyers from giving you a long list of items they want fixed just to try and bring down the sales price even after an offer has been accepted.
You can also go a step further and offer a home warranty to assure buyers that if there should be something go wrong with the electrical system, plumping or major appliances, they will not be responsible for paying a ton of money to have the problem fixed.
You will also receive benefits from a warranty because it will provide you with coverage even while your home remains on the market.
Expect to pay between $300 and $450 for a home warranty plan, although there may be additional charges for appliances such as the washer and dryer or hot tub or pool.
You should also consider offering buyers a cash incentive to pay for improvements they may want to make to the home.
While you may think the home is perfect as it is, it remains that new owners will probably want to make some changes, whether it is the paint, the flooring or the landscaping.
By offering a cash incentive to pay for such improvements, you can really help your home to stand out from competition.
You can also work such an incentive into the asking price of the home in order to help recoup it.
There are also other incentives you can offer to nab the attention of prospective buyers as well, such as contracting a lawn service to mow the lawn that first summer or a service to clean the pool.
Remember, all such incentives can be worked into the asking price.
If it comes down to a buyer choosing between your home and another home, such incentives could make the difference and put your home at the top of the list.
Finally, do not be so inflexible that you are not willing to negotiate with buyers.
In the long run, an additional one or two thousand dollars will usually not make that much difference and certainly is not worth losing a sale over.
Before you automatically consider a lower purchase offer, make sure you take into consideration a few factors, including how long your home has been on the market and what the chances are you will receive a better offer in the near future.