Selling a Home in Castle Rock

Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado. With a population of just over 73,000, this Denver suburb is a charming smaller city that is a great place to live. The population has been trending upward in recent years as people are discovering this gem of a community.

Castle Rock citizens enjoy a dry and mild climate with 300 sunny days per year on average. The winters are snowy and dry, and the community has a nice small-town feel and an excellent school system, making it an ideal environment in which to raise children. 

Stunning mountain vistas of buttes and mesas greet the residents daily, and there are many hiking trails that allow you to get out into nature and enjoy it up close. Castle Rock is home to excellent restaurants, shops, and stores and also has a thriving arts scene. You can golf in the summer, ski in the winter, and if you desire a day in a big city, Denver is just 20 miles away and Colorado Springs a mere 35. 

If you are selling a home in Castle Rock, there should be no shortage of potential buyers. There are important steps to take when putting your house on the market. 

Selling a home in Castle Rock requires preparation. This is the time to do all those repairs you’ve been putting off. Although some buyers are looking for projects, your home will appeal to more people if it is move-in ready.

Next is a thorough, deep cleaning. This should be done floor to ceiling without exception. Polish wood floors, have the carpets cleaned, and scrub the walls, windows, doors, moldings, and even your ceilings. Don’t forget sinks, toilets, tubs, tile, and appliances. 

Another vital part of this process is to declutter. You want every room, and that includes closets and storage spaces, to look large and roomy. While you’re at it, remove photos and other personal items that make the house look like yours. When you have people come to look at your home, you want them to see themselves living there.

Expert help and guidance are essential in any field. You need a realtor to sell your home. Finding the right realtor is like finding any other professional. Ask for referrals from family or friends. You can also look for reviews with a Google search. When you find a few agents with potential, interview them.

Make sure they are members of the National Realtors Association and have experience and knowledge in selling homes. Ask questions such as how long they’ve been a realtor and whether they work full-time or part-time. You want an expert who will be comfortable to work with. When you find the right realtor, it’s on to the next step.

In order to set your asking price, you need to know the value of your house. Your realtor will be very helpful in this process. They can provide information on the current state of the market in your Castle Rock neighborhood and will know the median price homes like yours are selling for. 

Hiring a professional appraiser is a great way to get information and a reasonable value for your home. If you set your asking price too high, you may have trouble selling your home. Too low, and you lose out on money when you sell it. 

If you have money to spend on upgrades, it might be a good investment to increase your home’s value and thus sell for a higher price. Your realtor will know what features will add the most value.

Upgrading kitchens and bathrooms are generally a good idea. These rooms are important to buyers. New appliances, cabinets, counters, flooring, tiles, and lighting can make a huge difference.

If you have carpeting over hardwood floors, consider having it removed. Most buyers love hardwood, so get those floors looking good.

Curb appeal also adds value. Power wash the exterior of your home and repaint where needed. Adding some landscaping and a stone veneer can be very helpful in attracting buyers. Repainting or replacing your front door and getting a new mailbox also boost curb appeal. 

The best time for selling a home in Castle Rock is when the market is geared toward sellers. This happens when there are more people looking to buy than there are houses on the market. A demand higher than supply leads to multiple parties making an offer on your home. This can start a bidding war and significantly increase the amount you ultimately sell for. 

Fortunately, for Castle Rock homeowners who are planning to sell their houses, the local market has been geared toward sellers for the past year, and the trend is expected to continue. This is in large part because of the number of people who are moving to Castle Rock. 2023 is a good year for selling. 

One of the most important aspects of preparing a home for sale is staging. This goes beyond mere cleaning and interior design. You want your house to look like something you would see in Better Homes and Gardens. Details such as proper lighting, accents on the walls and furniture, and the views from your windows are often overlooked but essential to impress people who come to see your home.

Before potential buyers come for a viewing, they are going to find your listing, most likely on the internet. High-quality photographs are essential. Descriptions are helpful, but pictures speak volumes. Hire a professional photographer who is experienced in shooting homes for sale. The lighting, angles, and framing used in real estate photography require specialized skills.

Once you’ve finished your prep work, it’s time to list your home. Your realtor will help you to determine that you’ve done everything necessary and help you with the next steps.

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a great internet tool used by most realtors. These are private databases that are maintained by agents. Listing your home on the MLS gets it in front of more people who are looking to buy. 

The database is shared by a network of agents. Those who represent buyers use it to search for homes that meet the parameters of their clients. It can help your home sell faster and for more money.

Another excellent internet tool is the virtual tour. Interested buyers can use their computer screens to interact with your realtor while they use the internet to give a tour. The advantage of the virtual tour is that interruptions are less likely, and they are easy to set up. You don’t need to print pamphlets or put together snacks.

Viewing a home in person is still preferred by many buyers. An open house can attract a large number of buyers. They do generally take more effort to set up than a virtual tour, but viewers can see your home and its features in real life. This often generates interest from multiple parties and can be beneficial to a quick and profitable sale.

When a buyer is interested, they will make an offer. You have the option of accepting it or countering it. Your realtor will be able to help you negotiate. There are two kinds of offers you may get.

A cash offer is when the interested party offers to pay the entire cost upfront without a mortgage. These kinds of buyers are usually flippers. The advantages of a cash offer are that you don’t have to wait for the buyer to go through the loan process, and often there are no appraisals or inspections since there is no lender.

A traditional offer is more common and involves a down payment and borrowing the balance. The process requires an appraisal and inspection, and the closing takes longer. However, the upside is that sellers usually accept larger offers than on a cash bid. 

A buyer will have the house appraised as mortgage lenders will require it. This is where the repairs and improvements you made will pay off. The appraiser will give the buyer a value for your home.

Many sellers worry that an appraisal lower than the offer will ruin the sale. This is rarely the case. Sometimes, especially in a seller’s market, the best offer will be significantly higher than the value of the home, and the appraisal will reflect this. The mortgage lender will usually not loan more than the value specified by the appraisal. The seller and buyer negotiate to come up with a solution to this problem. If the buyer really wants the house, they will find a source to make up for the gap.

Closing costs usually end up being between 3 and 6% of the purchase price. They are the responsibility of the buyer. However, the party making the purchase may negotiate to have the seller pay part of or all of the closing costs. You can also offer to make some part of the payment in order to close more quickly.

Castle Rock is a community with beautiful homes, and people have been relocating there. If you are planning to sell your house in this wonderful town, follow these tips. Be sure to hire a realtor. The Ford Fountain Team has agents who know the market and have the experience and savvy to guide you from prepping your home all the way to close. Contact them for expert help and advice.