Minnesota Home Selling Strategies by Joe Houghton

The Importance of Home Staging When Selling Your Home Sell Faster, for More — by Making Buyers Fall in Love In today’s competitive real estate market, great staging isn’t a luxury — it’s a smart selling strategy. Whether you're listing a starter home in Robbinsdale or a luxury lakefront property in Wayzata, how your home looks online and in person can dramatically impact your final sale price. As a full-time Realtor , licensed home builder, and investor, I’ve seen staging make the difference between a home that sits... and one that sells in the first week. In fact, staged homes consistently sell faster and for more money than unstaged ones — and there’s solid data to prove it. Why Staging Works Buyers shop emotionally – When a space looks clean, welcoming, and move-in ready, buyers imagine themselves living there. That emotional connection leads to stronger offers. Staging highlights your home’s strengths – The right layout, lighting, and minimal décor make rooms f...

Pricing Your House Right the First Time Set the Right Price. Maximize Your Results. One of the biggest mistakes Minnesota homeowners make when listing their property is overpricing it from the start. As a full-time Realtor with over 22 years of experience, I’ve seen firsthand how critical it is to price a home correctly right out of the gate. Those first 7–10 days on the market are your sweet spot — that’s when your listing is freshest and gets the most attention. It’s your best shot at generating buzz, showings, and strong offers. If your price is too high, you risk losing serious buyers before they ever walk through the door. Why Pricing Correctly Matters First impressions count – Buyers (and agents) are constantly comparing listings. If your home looks overpriced, they’ll scroll right past it. Online activity peaks early – Sites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and your MLS feed give your home a quick visibility burst — but only once. Price reductions can backfire – Dr...

Pet Odor Can Chase Away Buyers — Here's How to Fix It Love Your Pets? So Do I. But Buyers May Not Love the Smell. As a pet owner and longtime Realtor, I totally understand the challenge: your home is clean, well-maintained, and ready to sell — but there’s a lingering odor that’s hard to ignore. Unfortunately, pet smells are one of the top deal-breakers for buyers , even if they love animals themselves. When you're selling your home in the Twin Cities, first impressions are everything. If buyers walk in and are hit with the scent of dogs, cats, or litter boxes, they immediately start to question whether the home has hidden issues — or worse, they can’t envision themselves living there at all. Why Pet Odors Matter So Much to Buyers It triggers emotional reactions — Buyers don’t want to feel like they’re inheriting someone else’s problems (or pets). It raises concerns about cleanliness — Even if the home looks spotless, lingering odors suggest deeper issues. It...

How to Handle a Lowball Offer on Your Home Stay Strategic, Not Emotional — and Turn a Low Offer into a Better Deal Imagine this: you’ve spent weeks preparing your home, it’s finally on the market, and then the first offer comes in… but it’s tens of thousands below your asking price. Ouch. Lowball offers are more common than many Minnesota homeowners expect — especially in shifting markets or when buyers are testing seller motivation. But a low offer doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker. In fact, it’s often the starting point for a successful sale. Step 1: Don’t Take It Personally As someone who’s helped hundreds of sellers across the Twin Cities navigate offers — from fair to frustrating — I can’t stress this enough: keep your cool. Buyers may be gauging your flexibility, reacting to market headlines, or simply aiming low to see what happens. It doesn’t necessarily reflect their true willingness to pay. Step 2: Evaluate the Full Offer Before rejecting it outright, consider th...

Quick Interior Painting Tips to Help Sell Your Home Faster Fresh Paint. Fresh Appeal. Stronger First Impressions. One of the simplest — and smartest — ways to increase your home's appeal before putting it on the market is a fresh coat of paint. But not all paint jobs are created equal. If you're a Minnesota homeowner preparing to sell, your color choices, prep work, and finish details can have a big impact on how quickly your home sells — and how much it sells for. Why Paint Before You Sell? First impressions are everything. When buyers walk into your home, they immediately start forming opinions — and scuffed walls, outdated colors, or dark tones can make them feel unsure about the overall condition of the home. Painting is a cost-effective way to make your property feel clean, modern, and move-in ready. Top Interior Painting Tips from a Local Realtor Stick to neutral colors – Light grays, soft beiges, and off-whites help create a clean, welcoming space. They al...

How to Use Comparable Sales to Price Your Home Understand the Market Like a Pro Before You List One of the most powerful tools in pricing your home accurately is the use of “comps” — comparable sales. These are recently sold homes that closely match yours in size, layout, condition, location, and features. If you're planning to sell your home in Minnesota, understanding how comps work can help you price your property to sell quickly — and for top dollar. What Makes a Good Comp? Not every sold home qualifies as a strong comparable. The best comps will have the following similarities: Same neighborhood or school district – A home just a few blocks away might not be comparable if it’s in a different zip code or feeds into a different school. Similar square footage and layout – Split-level vs. two-story, 1,800 vs. 2,800 sq ft — big layout or size differences skew pricing. Sold recently – Ideally within the past 3 to 6 months. In fast-moving markets, even 90 days ag...

The Do’s and Don’ts of Homebuyer Incentives Should You Offer Buyer Incentives When Selling Your Home? As a seller, it's natural to want your home to stand out. But should you offer buyer incentives — like covering closing costs, paying for new carpet, or throwing in a flat-screen TV? The short answer: sometimes. But it depends on the market, the property, and how your offer compares to the competition. When Buyer Incentives Can Help In a buyer’s market — or when you're selling a home with dated features or unique floorplans — strategic incentives can tip the scale in your favor. I've seen incentives used successfully to: Offset cosmetic flaws — Like offering a $3,000 flooring allowance instead of replacing outdated carpet. Attract first-time buyers — Covering part of the buyer’s closing costs can be a big win for FHA or VA buyers. Differentiate from the competition — If your home is comparable in price and features to nearby listings, a thoughtful inc...

Cost vs. Value: Which Home Improvements Are Worth It When Selling? Before You Spend Thousands Getting Ready to Sell, Read This As a licensed Realtor and home remodeler in Minnesota, I get this question all the time: “Should I redo the kitchen before selling?” Or: “Will finishing the basement increase my home's value enough to justify the cost?” The answer depends on your home, the local market, your price point — and the type of buyers you're trying to attract. The key is understanding the concept of Cost vs. Value — how much an improvement costs vs. how much it actually adds to your sale price. Why "Cost vs. Value" Is So Important When Selling It's easy to assume that spending $50,000 on a new kitchen automatically adds $50,000 in resale value. But the data — and experience — show otherwise. Some updates return more than others, and most improvements don’t return 100% of what you put in. In fact, the Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report shows that minor ...

Should You Move or Remodel? Deciding Whether to Stay and Improve — or Sell and Upgrade Outgrown your space? Tired of that outdated kitchen? You're not alone. Many Minnesota homeowners reach a point where they wonder: “Should we remodel, or is it time to move?” Questions to Ask Yourself Can remodeling meet your needs? — Would a basement finish, addition, or kitchen upgrade solve the problem? Are you happy with your location? — If you love your neighborhood, remodeling might be worth it. What's the ROI? — Some renovations offer better resale value than others. I can help you crunch the numbers. If you're on the fence, I offer honest, experienced advice. I can even connect you with trusted contractors or help you evaluate what your home might sell for right now — no pressure, just perspective. Joe Houghton Licensed Realtor & Home Builder 📞 (763) 300-2702 Let’s talk about your options →