What to Know Before Selling a Jersey Shore Home

Whether you are selling your first home or are already an experienced seller, preparing a property for sale is no small task. From packing up your belongings to improving the aesthetic appeal for today’s buyers, taking your home from yours to sold can feel overwhelming even to the most experienced seller. Your home’s fantastic location on the Jersey Shore will make the selling journey a bit easier, given the popularity of the beach and boardwalk in the summer and the thriving music scene throughout the year. To help further simplify the selling process, read on for five simple factors you don’t want to forget.

First and foremost, you’ll want to choose the right time for your home to make its grand entrance on the Jersey Shore real estate scene. Depending on your circumstances, the best time might be based on the highest list prices, the shortest days on the market, or a deadline to move to your new location. Of course, if you have a pressing need to list your home immediately, such as a job change, a growing family, or moving closer to loved ones, then now is the right time to sell. Your agent will utilize top-notch strategies to garner interest in your property, no matter the current market trends.

If your timeline is flexible and achieving top-dollar offers for your sale is your goal, aim to list your home just ahead of the summer buying frenzy. According to the NAR, buyer activity is highest from May through August, thanks to summer vacations from school and the warmer weather. In fact, home sales within this timeframe typically make up 40% of the total sales throughout the entire year, with June being the busiest month for real estate transactions. If you can list your property during this timeframe, you’ll have a better chance of making a quicker sale for higher offers.

Homes tend to linger on the market the longest in the winter months due to holiday plans, travel, and inclement weather, so if you need a quick sale, try to avoid listing in late fall or winter.

Once you’ve decided on a desired timeframe for selling your home, it is time to determine a fair price for your property. Start by having your property professionally appraised or looking at comparable recent and current sales. A professional appraisal will provide you with an unbiased, third-party interpretation of how much value your home is currently worth. You may want to pair the professional appraisal with a home inspection to determine if there are areas in the house that you can improve to raise its appraisal value.

Your agent will review the local market trends over recent months to come up with a fair price for your home. They will also conduct a comparative market analysis to evaluate how much similar properties in the area have sold for. Ultimately, your agent will help you understand the level of buyer demand and how quickly you may expect your property to sell.

It’s essential to showcase all your home's most impressive features to make your Rumson, NJ, real estate listing more appealing. That way, you can increase the level of interest your home receives from buyers. Start by sprucing up the paint with bright, neutral shades that coordinate well with any decor. Upgrade finishings like hardware and lighting before considering more extensive tweaks, like kitchen or exterior renovations.

If you don’t want to make significant changes, you can adjust the decor to draw focus toward specific key features in a room, like a gorgeous window framed by soft white curtains to let in more light during showings or extra lighting near impressive built-in shelving.

Don’t forget about curb appeal! If you have unique landscaping elements or a prime spot to overlook the water, consider adding a set of cozy furniture so that buyers can envision themselves enjoying the astounding views. The goal is to subtly draw attention to the areas of your home most likely to appeal to its potential new owners.

Before listing your home, consider having it professionally staged. Staging is rearranging home decor and furniture to create a neutral, welcoming space that buyers feel connected to. A professional staging service will provide expert and unbiased interior design changes to help your home draw in additional interested buyers.

The staging service often has a rental company partner, allowing them to replace the furniture and decor in your home to create a cohesive aesthetic for photos and showings. The most significant benefit of having your home expertly staged is that it will likely sell for more than you list it for and in a shorter timeframe.

The final and most important tip for selling your Jersey Shore home without all the stress is to hire an expert local listing agent. Per the National Association of REALTORS research, homes sold with the aid of an agent sell for higher offers than for sale-by-owner properties. So, to ensure you earn the most money for your sale, hire a listing agent.

To find a great listing agent, ask friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues for suggestions. You can also start by searching online reviews. Once you have a list of several agents you are interested in working with, reach out to schedule interviews. Choose the agent whose communication style, marketing plan, and proven experience most appeals to you.

With these five simple tasks, you are well on your way to selling your Jersey Shore home in record time. If you are still seeking a skilled local real estate agent to help with your sale, or if you need recommendations for a professional stager or appraiser, reach out to the experienced agents at the Kilbride & Cagnina Group at your earliest convenience. From Rumson and Holmdel homes to Manasquan, NJ, real estate, these are the experts you want by your side.

_{*Header photo courtesy of Kilbride & Cagnina Group}