There’s always some anxiety over selling your home because you want to do everything right. Beautiful Williamsburg townhomes like yours deserve to get the care, pricing, and hand-off they’re worth. However, when you begin the process of selling your home, everything can get overwhelming very quickly. There are a few things to know before selling your beloved Williamsburg home and moving on to the next chapter in your life.

What to know before selling your Williamsburg home

Know your worth

Before you list your home, it’s important to get a clear idea of what your home is worth. Any Williamsburg real estate is often a valuable piece of property, so you can use internet tools to find out what houses around you are selling for. However, the easiest and most reliable way to find out about your home’s value is to enlist an agent to do an in-depth home valuation.

With the help of an agent, you don’t have to worry about underpricing it and getting less than it's worth, or alternately, overpricing it to the point that your house stalls on the market for the next year.

In a 2021 survey by Realtor, almost 30% of sellers assume they will ask for more than their house is currently worth. And while that can work out for you in a seller’s market like we’re in currently, it can be a dangerous gamble, so use professional guidance to try to find a good median between getting extra cash and a marketable price.

Your next steps

If you’re moving from your Williamsburg townhome to another of your own properties, this step is a non-issue, so feel free to move on to the next tip. But if you don’t have a new residence lined up already, that’s something you should start planning before you put your house up for sale.

Do you want to downsize? Do you want the same size house but in a different location? Do you want to change locations and go to the beach, the forest or the mountains? What’s your plan?

If you’re trying to downsize or upgrade your home but stay in the same area, be careful of rising interest rates and the current seller’s market. Some experts say that the average interest rates could increase to 3.4%-4%. In some ways, that’s great because you get extra money quickly, but the downside is you could sell your own house long before you find your next home. You need a plan for if that happens.

After all, buyers have it tough right now. Though houses move fast, that doesn’t mean you’ll be the one to nab your dream house with all current competition, so some extra prep will make you as ready as possible to deal with tough housing situations.

What needs to be repaired

Something that too many people overlook before selling their home is making necessary repairs. That doesn’t just mean fixing the leaky faucet but checking the internal workings of the house to make sure everything is in order. Getting someone to assess your home before you sell can give you a better idea of what might need updating before the home is ready to sell.

For example, if your roof is on its last legs, you will likely be encouraged to cover that cost. Considering roofs cost an average of $5,000-$10,000, you probably want to know that about your Williamsburg real estate before you try to sell it. It could entirely change your plans and budget.

When to enlist professional assistance

Given that there’s so much information about the house-selling process online, doing it yourself might seem like a good idea. You don’t have to worry about commission money, and in a competitive market, it should be easy, right?

Not quite.

People tend to get more money when they use the help of professionals. For example, a study from the National Realtors Association said that 82% of home-buyers had an easier time picturing themselves buying a home and living there when it had been professionally staged — something your agent will be better equipped to handle for you. Similarly, 73% of people said virtual tours were important factors in their house-touring decisions. Many real estate agents who specialize in interior design have their own luxe furniture they can use to stage your Williamsburg real estate, and they have the digital tools to create virtual home tours.

Cleaners, photographers, home stagers, and real estate agents have the expertise to make your sales process as smooth as possible. It may seem like the more expensive route, but it means more money in your pocket at the end of the day.

The best way to list and market your house online

Even if it's a little intimidating, the best thing you can do to sell your home is to get the word out online. If you prefer word-of-mouth and flyers, you can still make some, but so many people use the internet for housing purposes that it would be imprudent to avoid it entirely. However, listing and marketing your house is less of a hands-on concern for you if you work with a knowledgeable agent who will know the most effective ways to reach potential buyers.

What the timing looks like

Most of the time, selling your home — and selling it well — can feel like a gamble because not every home gets snatched off the market as quickly as others. However, you can use a few hot timing tips to help your Williamsburg real estate sell faster. As long as you have the flexibility to choose what time of year you sell, you should.

Hands down, the best time of year to sell your home is summer. People often don’t want to move in colder months in general, let alone change up their entire living situation. Also, according to Attom Data, the end of each summer month (like May or June) offers better median home prices and more buyers. And in general, June, July, and August had the best median prices overall. As a seller, you should shoot for a summer sale if you can, but truly the strength of the current seller’s market means there’s no “bad” time to sell.

What the Williamsburg price spikes mean for you

When it comes to Williamsburg real estate, in particular, you have to take the local market into account. Williamsburg real estate has always come with staggering prices, but they surprisingly slowed down in 2020. In 2021, however, prices in Williamsburg and Brooklyn started increasing all over again, starting the year at $684K in January and ending at $737K in December. If that trend continues, your home could go up by $50K in value by the end of 2022.

For you as a seller, that’s technically a good thing — after a slow 2020, the local market is picking back up. Now, your house will be worth more on the market. But it might make buying your next house a little trickier if you’re staying in the area. Situations like this could make the closing process on your current home go a lot faster than you think. 

Though the newly competitive market will likely garner you a good price for your home, you will also likely need to be ready to move ASAP and might need to line up flex housing while you fight other buyers for your next place.

Ready to list your Williamsburg home for sale

If you’re ready to take the next steps to sell your home, contact trusted Williamsburg real estate agent The Pham Mascio Team for assistance.