Selling a Home in New Canaan

When selling a home in New Canaan, CT, you have top-dollar offers in store, thanks to the incredible appeal of the community. With a host of iconic museums, an art center, and green space, there is so much to do and see. Real estate seekers fall in love with the gorgeous historic colonials and chic farmhouses here.

You can utilize several strategies to enhance your selling journey, such as setting the right price, working with a pro, and adapting other aspects of your home to attract multiple interested buyers. Additionally, having an agent familiar with the area is invaluable when pricing and marketing the property for the best price possible. Read on for some expert tips.

The best step to ensure a successful sale is to hire an experienced listing agent who knows how to get results. You'll want to interview a handful of candidates before deciding which one to work with. Ask about their previous experience, communication style, and how they plan to market your property. You want to ensure you'll be working with someone available to answer your questions and who will support you if your listing lingers on the market.

Start by sprucing up your property to look freshly updated and welcoming. A fresh coat of paint, new lighting, and new cabinet hardware can significantly affect buyer perception of how well a home has been maintained. You'll also want to start packing and use a storage unit to stow away any items you’ll only need once you settle in your new home.

The best way to determine your home's value is to ask your listing agent for a comparative market analysis, which reviews recent sales in the area, to come up with an accurate listing price. Alternatively, you can have a home appraisal completed to determine the fair market value for your home and set a price based on the results.

You can improve your home's value by making upgrades that lead to a high return on investment. Start with basic maintenance, like ensuring the home's HVAC, plumbing, and electrical systems are in good shape. You'll also want to inspect the exterior to determine if a new roof, windows, or exterior doors are needed. Other upgrades that buyers like to see include new appliances, an updated kitchen, or a luxurious primary bathroom. Conducting a professional home inspection can give you a great idea of any areas that need to be addressed before listing. Your New Canaan real estate agent can also provide you with guidance as to which renovations are most likely to receive the highest returns at the closing table.

Typically, buyer activity picks up in the late spring and early summer before tapering off in the late fall. If you’re able to sell during the “peak season” of May through September, you are more likely to see a higher profit on your sale.

To make your home stand out among other listings when selling a home in New Canaan, you'll want to have the main rooms professionally staged and hire an expert photographer to take photos and video for the listing.

A professional stager brings an editorial gaze to your interior design, rearranging, removing, and adding items to make each room as inviting and warm as possible. A professional photographer's work can draw more interest than photos taken with a basic smartphone. They will know all the tips of the trade to make your home look amazing for the listing photos.

Once your home is ready to list, you should contact your listing agent for assistance with the next steps.

The first task your agent will undertake is listing your property on the MLS to which they are subscribed. The MLS, or Multiple Listing Service, is a regional database shared by brokers and agents to consolidate available listings in the state. This will help connect you with prospective buyers for your New Canaan home.

Your agent will also recommend a few dates for hosting open houses and virtual tours. The virtual tour can be crafted from the videos taken by your professional photographer, allowing long-distance buyers to get a glimpse of the property without needing to travel. Share advertisements for your open house on social media, allowing a more comprehensive range of buyers to tour the home.

As offers roll in, you may have to decide between a cash and a traditional, loan-based offer. The cash offer may seem more attractive due to a shortened closing timeline, but it may also be lower than your asking price since you'll have access to the funds more quickly. On the other hand, a traditional loan-based offer may be less attractive due to appraisal and inspection contingency requirements and the timeline for the buyer to complete the loan paperwork. Your agent will help you understand the terms of each offer and respond accordingly.

If you've already had your property appraised before listing, the buyer's lender may be willing to accept the recent assessment. If you still need to, you'll need to offer several dates when the appraisal and inspection can be scheduled to accommodate the buyer's loan requirements and keep everything smoothly rolling toward closing.

If you contribute closing costs, you'll add them to an escrow fund held by a third party who will ensure the money that you and the buyer submit is dispersed appropriately when the closing conditions have been met.

In Connecticut, the closing costs average 0.88 percent of the home purchase price, but in Fairfield County, they tend to be higher. You can expect to pay 1 to 3 percent of the sale price if you cover the entire amount for the sale.

If you are organized in your preparation, your home can be ready for listing on the New Canaan real estate scene before you know it. If you are looking for expert representation and advice, reach out to the experienced agents on the Marion Filley Team. They will get you where you need to go.

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