Key Takeaways

• Sellers can expect more competition this spring as the market heats up.
• Preparing your home for sale can help attract prospective buyers and potentially increase your home’s sales price.
• Buyers are looking to negotiate, so sellers should address needed repairs ahead of time.

Spring is one of the best times to sell your home. Homebuyers are coming out of winter hibernation with more room in their schedules since the holidays are over. They're also watching the calendar, hoping to get into new homes before the next school year. You can still take advantage of the busy spring market, but enticing prospective buyers to put down an offer will take some work.

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Kurt Carlton, president and co-founder of real estate investment marketplace New Western in Dallas, says sellers can expect more competition this spring. They still need to prepare their homes ahead of listing so the sale is more likely to close without lengthy negotiations.

“It may seem like spring will be a seller’s market but buyers have a budget and will be looking to negotiate,” Carlton says. “Even minor repairs can be deal-breakers, so sellers should address maintenance issues ahead of time to avoid giving buyers a reason to walk away or ask for a price reduction.”

Preparing your home for sale can also help attract more buyers and potentially hike its sales price. “Properly preparing your house for the market can increase your audience and showings and will also increase your sales price by as much as 20%, depending on the improvements,” says Greg Forest, senior global real estate advisor at Sotheby's International Realty in Palm Beach, Florida.

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