How to Get Your Investment Property Listing Ready

By James Dainard

With inventory low and the real estate market hot, buyers are eager for a quick sale in order to close on the home they want. I spoke with our listing team for some tips and tricks that they recommend to clients who are getting ready to list their investment properties and below are some of their ideas.

EXTERIOR

On first glance, finding a new home is all about curb appeal. Taking some time to enhance the exterior of the house is an important step to getting it ready for listing. This can even increase the number of showings the house has and the selling price. Below are a couple of ideas on how to spruce up your property’s exterior:

  1. Keep the landscaping clean. Pick up any stray branches and twigs as well as prune any shrubs and trees that are overgrown. Clean up the mulch and ground cover and make sure it is free of Weeds.

  2. Mow the grass, clean out the garden and plant or place some fresh flowers to keep the home feeling fresh from the exterior.

  3. If you haven’t done so already during your remodel, paint the exterior of the home or touch up as needed..

  4. Sweep the sidewalks, walkways and clean up the sides of the house. If you need to, get a power washer to hose down the sidewalk, driveway, and exterior of the home.

  5. Paint the front door. This is the first thing that will greet potential buyers before they walk inside the home and can make a lasting impression on the style of the home.

INTERIOR

The interior of the home is the next opportunity you have to wow potential buyers. Sprucing up and adding some extra touches to the interior will help get the home ready for listing and help potential buyers envision themselves living there.

  1. Freshen up the walls with a new coat of paint, adding a neutral color will help pull the room together.

  2. Once your renovations are complete, make sure the home is cleaned up and free of any residual dirt or dust.

  3. Remove any smudges or marks on the walls or trim that might have occurred during the work.

  4. Invest in a staging consultant to dress up empty rooms so that potential buyers can see what the home could look like after they move in.

  5. Small details can make a huge difference – adding items such as fresh flowers or turning on lamps before a showing will make the home feel more welcoming and inviting to a prospective buyer.

We can help with this process by walking through your investment property with you and helping you along the way. When you work with Heaton Dainard on your investment property, you will have a dedicated point of contact through every step of the transaction. Our team of brokers can help find the perfect buyer to reach your goals and maximize your investment. If you are looking to learn more about the investment process, we offer a free Investor 101 Class where we walk you through real deals and provide expert insight and “how to” for investing in flips and cash flow properties. Visit our website for more information and to sign up.


About the Author...

James Dainard is Co-Founder and Managing Principal at Heaton Dainard. James has been a full-time real estate entrepreneur since 2004 and has been involved in over 3,000 real estate transactions. In addition to managing Heaton Dainard Real Estate, James is also a full-time investor and developer and has guided Heaton Dainard to more than 200 million in sales volume from 385 transactions in 2017. James continues to be recognized as an industry leader by Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies in America (since 2015) and both Puget Sound Business Journal’s Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies and Eastside’s 50 Fastest Growing Private Companies (since 2013). In 2017, he was honored with Washington’s Top 40 under 40 for his business acumen and contributions to the local community.

REAPS is the oldest – and largest - Professional Association for the real estate investor this side of the Mississippi. We provide education and networking resources for real estate investors, those who want to be investors and anyone who provides value to our members. Our goals are to motivate and support our members and guests through education, discussion, legislative action and networking. We host over 40 live events a year around Puget Sound and they are all open to the public. If you've never attended one of our meetings, just email our office at [email protected] and be our guest for free!"

 
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