Real Stories

Couple Finds Opportunity to Sell, Despite Concerns

When faced with a difficult market and the need to sell their townhouse in Edison, Ellen and her husband, 16 year residents of the home, were skeptical.

“We had already moved to our new home, and we first looked to rent our old property because we were afraid to sell in this market,” Ellen explained.  “We knew it was a tough market for sellers and were worried that we wouldn’t get the price we wanted for the home.”

It’s a concern that many sellers face.  Ellen and her husband carefully considered their options though, and realized that maintenance costs would be too much for them if they rented and waited for home prices in their area to increase.  They contacted a REALTOR® to help them sell the home.

“We were confident with the house and took steps to shop it aggressively,” said Ellen

The couple started by making some improvements and fix-ups around the home and held many open houses, something Ellen says is especially critical in today’s market.

“If you present an attractive home to someone in the market, you’ll sell it, even though you might hear horror stories,” Ellen said.

“Take good care of the place, make whatever improvements – be it a repainting or otherwise – that you could make.  The first impression is the most important one.”

In the end, it worked for Ellen and her husband, and they sold the townhouse at a price they were comfortable with after it was on the market for a few months.  They now own a single family home in a neighborhood nearby their old house. 

“We’re happy with the outcome.  At the end of the day, especially considering the market, we got the price we were looking for, and were able to comfortably move on to our new home,” Ellen said.