Top Tips for Selling Your Property This Spring.

By Zahavit Paz

Spring-time is around the corner. It’s peak time to sell your apartment. It is peak time for apartment sales season in New York City.

Whether you’re looking to sell a $500,000 studio or a $5,000,000 apartment, you will need the same process to prepare your apartment for sale!

Follow the steps below to successfully prepare your apartment for sale this Spring

First Step

• Start your spring cleaning get rid of clutter!
• The hardest step is to unclutter.
• Unclutter – it’s simple –  less stuff.
• Fewer possessions fewer to clean.
• It’s hard to do it all at once. Devote 10 – 20 minutes every day and .you will wake up one morning and be surprised its all done!  It will also help with your packing when you move!
• Fill a trash bag several times a week.
• Create a stack of clothing you do not use and donate.
• Donate the books you read and you will never read again.
• Suprise! You may notice that you haven’t missed any of them!
• If you are not sure which items you may need, keep them in a small storage unit. If you haven’t used them in over a year, you do not need them – donate them or throw them out!
• Congratulations you can start on the next step  

Second step

• Start organizing your closet, kitchen and bathroom cabinets.  
• First, evaluate what you have and what you do not need
• Do not rush to buy containers. You will pack them and forget what is in them.

Remember the rule

20/80 rule – You only use 20% of your possessions.

Third  step

• If it still looks messy after you have organized and evaluated, it is time to buy organizers and containers.
• If you feel you need extra help, you can hire a professional organizer.
• Clean off all flat surfaces, i.e. counters and table tops. Piles of papers and clutter accumulate and do not show well to the buyer.
• To photograph the apartment for sale you will need to show clean surfaces.  

All of the above is sound good advice in principle, but it is not easy.  It requires a lot of work and determination. But it will pay off.

Fourth step

• You may want to invest in a deep cleaning service. The service includes moving furniture and appliances away from the wall to get behind or under them, cleaning shades, cleaning walls, etc.

Fifth  step

• Look at photos of other apartments for sale on the market to get ideas about what’s on the market and how you should improve the look for your apartment.

Six Step

• Now you can start thinking about staging your apartment if you have the budget!
• Do market research of comparable units for sale on the market.
• Consult with your broker if you should spend extra dollars to make improvements.
• You can consider hiring someone to help you with staging your apartment.
• Maybe minor remodeling needed. For example, kitchen countertop or bathroom lighting and painting may be needed to give it a fresh look that will help the sale of your apartment.
• Your experienced real estate broker can assist you with good advice.

Seven step  

• Consider hiring a professional photographer or videographer for photos and Virtual Reality Tour.  It is very popular, especially for out of town buyers. Often a broker will recommend a discounted photography service and when you sign exclusive at no cost.
• Get rid of unnecessary furniture try to create an open space feeling.
• Use accents and colors that can catch a buyer’s eye.
• Use the light in your apartment to your advantage.
• Get rid of all boxes bags laying around.
• Get the windows cleaned and keep them or window treatment open. It will show the view and daylight better.
• Once you did all these preparations you are now ready for your open house.

Congratulations!  

Good luck with your apartment sale!

Don’t Dream your life, live your dreams.
Lets, Pazo Realty help your dream home became your reality.

Zahavit Paz
Residential and Commercial Real Estate Broker
646.330.0180