Only about a half-hour away from DC — with no traffic, of course — Burke has been named one of the best places to live in Virginia. Because of its popularity, the Burke housing market is highly competitive; it’s actually one of the most competitive markets in the nation!  If you’re thinking about selling your Burke VA home, it’s a lot to undertake.

To sell your home in Burke may be easier than most places, but it’s still important to take an active role in the process and choose an agent that has local expertise in the Burke area. List With Elizabeth’s brokers have been a trusted resource for selling homes in the Burke, VA area for years, and we’d be happy to help you. In the meantime, here are some additional tips for selling your Burke VA home:

Top Tips for Selling Your Burke VA Home

Decide on the right time to put your home on the market. 

The housing market ebbs and flows throughout the year. In Burke, we generally see high sales success rates in Spring and Summer. Keeping in mind the city’s close proximity to Washington, DC, the housing market also fluctuates with changes in political activity, with many January changes every two to four years adding homes to the market. Take advantage of the heavy activity as you decide on the best time to list your home. 

Price it properly. 

Everybody wants to make as much money as possible from the sale of their home, but you’ll need to take into account what the market is dictating at the time you are selling your Burke VA home. There are home estimator tools to give you a basic idea of the range you should consider, but working with an agent will help you to price it where it actually makes the most sense, given market conditions and your sales objectives. Some agents suggest underpricing homes to generate multiple bids. While this often works in Burke, it’s not the only strategy. Regardless, smart pricing is essential. 

Consider staging. 

Even if you don’t do a complete home staging, at least do what you have to to make your house brighter and more cheerful. Maximizing the light in your home allows it to show best, and good light is the top things buyers claim they are looking for in a home. So take down the drapes! Clean the windows! Change the lampshades — and/or increase your bulb wattage. And let the outside shine in.

You may need to rearrange your furniture, remove excess furniture, or bring in more appropriate furniture to decorate in a way that best highlights your home’s floor plan and maximizes its use of space. Painting walls with neutral colors and decluttering can also help the home appeal to buyers by showing them that it doesn’t need a lot of work done before move in.  

Have professional pictures taken.

First impressions are the most important impressions. And these days, buyers are deciding on whether they like the “look” of your home before they’ve even looked at it in person! Since photos are the very first thing a buyer will see of your home, your listing images are going to be responsible for whether you’ll schedule showings. 

Good real estate photos highlight the best features of your home, making every space look large, bright, warm, and inviting.

Concentrate on the kitchen.

The state of the kitchen may just be the most important selling point of your home. There are certainly benefits to remodeling your kitchen — the best part of it is that you’ll probably get 85% of your money back. Of course, the fastest, most inexpensive kitchen updates include painting and new cabinet hardware. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. But if you have a little money to spend, buy a fancy stainless steel appliance. People may see one high-end appliance and think all the rest are expensive too.

Always be ready for showings.

You never know when a buyer is going to come calling, so have your house ready at all times. Make sure to say yes to every single showing request, even the inconvenient ones. It’s best to be accommodating to the potential buyer.

It’s also important to make people feel welcomed and safe as they approach the house. Curb appeal and entryway enrichments typically offer a 100-percent return on any money you put in.

Ask for feedback.

Knowing how buyers felt about your home after a showing can help you to know what you’re doing right or wrong with your listing. Opinions on your property are more about what buyers liked or didn’t like about what they saw, they can help you make changes and sell your home faster.

The average home in Burke sells in about a month, and yours can sell that quickly, too, if you follow these tips for selling your Burke VA home and you hire the right real estate agent.