Do you enjoy dreaming of moving into a new home? Do you find yourself scrolling through neighborhoods to see what’s available? You are curious about what a new construction home looks like and getting ideas for your next home. Maybe it has the backyard and patio perfect for entertaining. Maybe it has a light and bright kitchen with an apron sink and an island that seats six. You can envision yourself enjoying the master suite with a soaker tub and a walk-in shower. Can this dream become reality?
New neighborhood. New house. New view.
It’s one thing to browse and dream, but after much consideration, you’re ready to do more than browse and screenshot your favorites. You’ve decided it’s time! The market is right. Your house is getting too big (or too small) and it’s time to make the move to that beautiful neighborhood you’ve been eyeing for a few months now.
Now what?
Do you start purging your house? Paint? Remodel that room you’ve been putting off for the last year?
Let’s break down what to consider before you schedule the moving van.
Know what you can buy in Boise
It’s fun to look at homes and pick out a new place to call home, but in a seller’s market, it’s one thing to pick out a home, it’s something else to actually get the home you want.
What is a seller’s market? It’s when there are more buyers looking for a home and there are fewer homes on the market for sale. This puts more of the power in the hands of the seller, which is good for you when you sell your home, but more competitive when you’re looking to buy a home.
So what can you do?
Whether you are a first-time homebuyer or a seasoned buyer looking to purchase your next home, getting pre-approved for your next home will help you stand out from the rest of the buyers looking for a deal. Make sure you get a strong pre-approval letter from a lending institution or underwriter that will help you stand out from other buyers on the market. Different lenders will require different documents but before you make a call to a lending office, you might want to gather a few documents so you can provide them with the information they need to get you approved quickly and determine the amount you can spend on your next home.
- W2 & Tax Returns from the last 2-years
- 2 most recent Pay Stubs
- 2 most recent Bank Statements, 401(K), Liquid Assets, Investment accounts
- Last 2-years Tax Returns – Self-Employed
- Last Quarter P&L Statement – Self Employed
These are important documents for when you have steady employment or income from your business, but what happens if you’ve had a gap in work or own an Airbnb? Here are some additional documents you might need to get your pre-approval letter.
- Lease Agreement or Mortgage Payments if you own other properties.
- Letter of Explanation of Gap in Employment or New Line of Work
- Bankruptcy Discharge
- Child Support Documents
Talking to an experienced lending officer who understands the competitive market in Boise and the surrounding area will be key to helping you secure what you need so you know the home you can afford and can begin your search.
Beyond the lender, another key person to reach out to in a seller’s market is an experienced REALTOR®. In a competitive seller’s market, they not only help you find a lender and guide you through the process, but they negotiate on your behalf and make sure you are getting what you need out of your next home.
An experienced REALTOR® who understands the area can keep an eye on the location you want to move to and keep you informed as soon as a home comes on the market. They also save you time from searching on your own and finding homes that look like they are available, but are already under contract.
Getting a pre-approval letter and building a relationship with an experienced REALTOR® in the area, sets you up to begin your home search in Boise and the Treasure Valley. Now that you know what you can buy and have a REALTOR®, it’s time to start searching for your next home.
WAIT!
You still need a plan for selling your current home. As we mentioned, it’s a seller’s market and as anxious as you might be to find your next home, you’ve got to get your home ready to sell!
GETTING YOUR HOME READY TO SELL
Once you’re pre-approved, you can prepare to get your home ready to put on the market. Although you may want to clean the house and get it listed as fast as possible, there are a few things you should do to make your home appealing to buyers and possibly increase the value of your home with just a few simple steps.
Step 1: DECLUTTER
We’ve all got that drawer in the kitchen that is affectionately called the “junk drawer”. You’ve stuffed pens, pencils, business cards, that random bouncy ball from the gumball machine, and a random set of keys that you’re really not sure what they even go to. There is no telling what is in that drawer, but those things can definitely be pared down and organized.
Beyond the junk drawer, there are other places in our homes that collect clutter and things we might “need” someday, but over the years these catch-all areas in the house have just continued to collect space-taking items – like clothes that have gone out of style, blankets you inherited from your grandma, or possibly a stash of paint cans from when you painted your child’s room years ago.
In our post, Organize the New Year, we break down decluttering into quick steps to help you get rid of excess clutter in the different areas of your home. Breaking down room by room such as the kitchen, bathroom, and even the garage, we help you get through the clutter areas of your home so you’re ready for step two!
STEP 2: PRE-PACK
You don’t want to pack up everything initially, but you can put yourself a step ahead by packing up things that you don’t use often or that are in the way of buyers envisioning themselves living in your home. When you list your home with the Mike Brown Group, we arrange a free staging consultation. Our home staging expert provides a report offering all of her suggestions of changes the homeowner should make and gives feedback to help you declutter to showcase your home at its best for potential buyers.
Beyond the staging expert, you can also pack up these items and store them in the corner of your garage or at a storage unit. Here are some of the items you might want to consider packing away before you put your home on the market.
- Extra blankets, sheets, and towels
- Off-season holiday decorations
- Kitchen appliances and plates you don’t use often
- Off-season clothing
- Excess toys
- Personal items like photos, decorations, or wall art
As real estate experts experienced in selling homes, we will also provide you with suggestions of things you can do to help increase the value of your home, including items in Step 3.
STEP 3: HOME PREP-LIST
You’ve got your pre-approval letter, found a REALTOR® in Boise who knows the market, and have decluttered your home, packing away items you won’t need for a few months. Now what?
When you speak with your REALTOR® and the staging consultant they might point out a few places inside and outside your home that need a little refresh so your home is ready for potential buyers. Fixing chipped paint, the dripping faucet, and the holes from the hanging pictures you packed away are some of the few areas you might want to address before you put the for sale sign in your front yard.
We’ve compiled a Prep-List for Selling Your Home to get you started if you’re still in the “just-looking” stage of finding your next home. By working your way through this list and the recommendations from above, your home will be ready for eager buyers who are looking to make an offer on your home, giving you the freedom to move into your new home, too!
Looking and dreaming of your next home is fun and a great way for you to see where you might want to live next. When your home searching goes from browsing to buying, you want to make sure you have what you need so your home is showcase ready for eager buyers as well as set yourself up to get the home you want when it comes on the market.
By going through these steps to get ready to buy and get your home ready to sell, you’ll be a step ahead of other buyers looking for a home in Boise and the Treasure Valley. If you aren’t sure what steps you need to take or discover you need more help fixing a few areas of your home so it’s showcase ready, we have experienced REALTORS® who are ready to help you. They can recommend professional service providers who can patch holes, fix plumbing, or add landscaping so you can maximize the value of your home, giving you the leverage you need to move into your next home.
