If you’ve decided on selling your home in Austin, you might have an ace up your sleeve.

Austin continues to enjoy rising demand from aspiring homebuyers. The celebrated live music festivals and outdoor wonders like Zilker Park are enough to draw the attention of anyone looking for the perfect city to lay roots in.

But no matter how desirable the real estate market may be, selling a home is rarely a walk in the park. There are a few things to consider as you begin playing with the idea of selling, and some are easy to miss. 

Below, the team from Prevu Real Estate has jotted down five expert tips to help you sell your Austin home.

Make upgrades and repairs before listing

It may be a tough pill to swallow, but putting down some cash to make the necessary repairs and upgrades for your home may pay dividends once it sells.

Take a thorough inventory of everything in your home that may need some sprucing up or fixing. That can include old A/C units, an old fridge, tired fixtures, or carpeting that needs to be removed or replaced.

These types of repairs may come with a hefty bill, but the impression a new and well-kept home can have on a buyer can help you negotiate a higher price to make that investment worthwhile.

Do your best to make the home as impeccable as possible. This way, buyers won’t be making a mental list of all the things they might need to fix and instead focus on what the home offers regarding views and comfort.

Invest in curb appeal

The home's exterior is just as important as the interior and is the first thing the buyer will come in contact with. Sometimes, the first impression of the exterior can make or break the deal.

Take a walk around the home to see if anything is out of place or needs fixing. For example, a fresh coat of paint for the front porch or window frames can go a long way in helping the home seem pristine and appealing. The same goes for the driveway or the front entrance.

If there are tire marks or general wear and tear, consider hiring a professional to powerwash the area. Then, liven up the front yard by planting new flowers or plants and getting hedges and trees trimmed. Every little detail compounds the buyer's first impression of the property, even if they only take a few seconds to look it over. 

Stage your home to make a great impression

Once you complete the necessary upgrades and take care of the exterior, the next big step is staging your home for an open house.

Staging allows the person buying a home to envision living in the space and how they can transform it, so the key is to make the place feel as spacious and full of light as possible. 

Make the rounds through each room and see what can be put away into storage or removed. As you do so, keep an eye out for any minor fixes that may come up, such as wobbly door handles, loose nails on fixtures, or any loose tiles in the kitchen or bathroom.

Adding a few extra mirrors and essential lighting can make the living spaces seem brighter and more expansive. Keep things neutral if you consider adding decorations to your staging, such as flowers or specific furniture arrangements. Let the buyer do all the imagining. Your job is to provide the canvas.

Work with a realtor who knows your area

A knowledgeable real estate agent makes selling your home a lot easier. They aren’t there to just simply list your home, provide you with a comparative market analysis, and handle all the paperwork. A good realtor will be by your side from the first step, including walking through the home with you and helping you stage it when it’s time to sell.

Buyers should be thorough and interview multiple realtors to ensure they can offer what you need. Ask them about their experience working in Austin and how many deals they have handled recently. This will give you an idea of how knowledgeable they are of current price points. 

For example, if you’re selling your single-family home in Barton Hills, you can ask the prospective agent how many deals they have closed in the 78704 zip code, one of the most expensive areas in Austin. Barton Hills is close to many coveted neighborhoods that share that code, and your realtor should be familiar with selling homes in those areas.

Manage your expectations

It may be tempting to expect a quick sale after you’ve worked on decluttering, upgrading, and staging your home. 

But the truth is, the home selling process usually takes some time. The process of interviewing buyers, negotiating prices, and handling paperwork is lengthy. It is also a delicate transaction since this is a home you have lived in and invested in, and you want to ensure that you get the best sale price possible for it.

Plan ahead so you have an adequate amount of time. You don’t want to desperately rely on the funds from the home sale, as that might lead to hasty decisions just to seal the deal with potential buyers. Give yourself the time and space to consider as many offers as possible so that you can choose the best one available. Sometimes a home can take months to sell and you want to have enough legroom to weather that wait time and secure the top offer.