Senior’s Guide to Smoothly Selling Your Home in Long Beach

For seniors, getting your home sold is what stands between a situation you've outgrown and a bright, more supported future in a retirement community or assisted-living space in Long Beach. Seniors selling their homes in Long Beach, California have benefited from high demand in recent years. However, that doesn't mean that they don't still need to take steps to ensure a smooth process. Here are some tips to help seniors make the smoothest transition possible when selling a home in Long Beach.

Staging is an important aspect of successfully selling a home. Buyers want a chance to envision their lives in a home. That means getting rid of clutter, personal memorabilia, and outdated trends can be helpful for sellers who are eager to get attractive offers. Here are some top tips for getting your home ready for the market when selling as a senior:

• Declutter: Moving from a beloved home can obviously be an emotional process. This might tempt you to hold items in your home for as long as possible. However, cluttered homes can be harder to sell. Prioritize going through your home to categorize items based on whether you want to keep them in the house, put them in storage, throw them out, or give them away. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the need to make decisions, consider renting a storage unit that simply lets you safely keep everything in one spot until you're ready to make decisions.
• Get the Yard Looking Neat and Safe: If living on your own at home has been a struggle in recent years, there's a good chance that you haven't been keeping up with lawn care. Consider hiring a company to get your yard mowed and edged. You should also address any crumbling walkways or pavement that will make a poor first impression for buyers.
• Dig Around for Warranties: Here's a great tip for making a good impression with buyers. Locate all of the warranties for your home's big-ticket items. This includes things like your furnace or HVAC system, washer and dryer, dishwasher, roofing, and siding. Create a stack that will be available for viewing when potential buyers visit your home. In addition to showing buyers that you're on top of your game with keeping up with your home, this will save you from the hassle of trying to scramble to find these things while you're in the middle of packing up the house.

Of course, your real estate agent will be a great resource for letting you know what's needed to prepare your home for a sale. Creating a clean, organized setting is the top way to get your house ready. Doing this as early in the process as possible is ideal because it ensures that your agent can take listing photos with your house looking its best!

With the median listing price in Long Beach standing at $750,000, sellers who have been in their homes for a while have an incredible opportunity to tap into all of the equity they've built up before moving into a new living situation. In recent years, Long Beach has become an attractive choice for buyers looking for more affordable options near Los Angeles after being priced out of major cities. Pricing that lets their buying power go further, a reduction in traffic, and the fact that Long Beach is surrounded by beaches all make living here attractive for today's buyers.

The fact that Long Beach has a hot market doesn't mean that homes will "sell themselves." Sellers still need to put effort into making their homes more appealing than other properties on the market. By positioning your home for fast offers, you can have more control over your move-out date. You will also save money overall because every month that you spend lingering in a home you're trying to sell means one more month of paying property taxes, utilities, and other costs that you're trying to shed with your next living situation. What are some ways to boost home values in Long Beach?

Consider hiring an inspector. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recommends doing a pre-sale home inspection that will help you identity areas of your home that require repairs or upgrades. With this information in hand, you can work with your agent to do a cost analysis to determine which repairs or upgrades will be worth it in terms of return on investment. You can also reach out to local contractors to get repair estimates that will help you bring pertinent information to the negotiation table.

Next, it's important to highlight the perks and amenities that go along with living in your home. Talk with your agent about information to include in the listing that highlights why your home is a "gem." For example, your home may be close to beaches, parks, grocery stores, or public transportation options that make for easy commuting. These details can be especially helpful when appealing to out-of-town buyers who may not be familiar with the area.

Finally, pricing your home correctly is vital! You may have an idea of how much your home should sell for in your mind. However, data truly rules when it comes to pricing a home. Pricing too low for the sake of a quick sale can cause you to lose out on money that will be yours to grab. Pricing too high can force your home to sit on the market longer than necessary. As your real estate agent will explain, listing prices are determined using "comp" properties. Comps are comparable properties in your neighborhood that have sold within the past 30 to 90 days.