​ Expert Offers Tips for Sellers in Hot Real Estate Market

There is no doubt, the U.S. housing market is booming. In April, 47% of U.S. homes were on the market for less than a week before going pending. More than three quarters (76%) were on the market less than a month. That trend is reflected in New Jersey, where according to New Jersey Realtors, the median single-family home sale price increased 23%, and closed sales are up 31%.

Alli Krug, personal moving consultant at Lantern Hill, an Erickson Senior Living-managed community in New Providence, New Jersey, says the robust housing market is having such a profound impact on seniors’ decisions to sell their homes.

“Many of our new residents have been able to sell their homes in weeks if not days, making now an ideal time to move to our vibrant senior living community,” says Krug.

Krug’s tips for a successful home sale in today’s hot real estate market:

1. Set the right price. Your real estate agent can help you choose an appropriate list price, but Krug’s advice can help you make an educated decision: “Keep in mind that value is what someone else is willing to pay, not necessarily what the seller thinks it is worth,” she says. “In this housing market, setting the right price in the beginning will help you get a better price at the end.”
2. Revamp your entryway. Real estate professionals agree, one of the best ways to win over buyers is with a stunning entryway. It’s an often-overlooked area of the home, because most homeowners enter their house from the garage or side door. But buyers will enter through the main entrance, so you have a grand opportunity to give a great first impression of your home’s interior. Spruce up your entryway with a cute coat hook, throw rug, bench, or console table depending on the size and layout of your space.
3. Refresh décor with inexpensive updates. Textiles like pillows, throws, duvet covers, and towels in bright white bring a lively, spring freshness to your space.
4. Kick smells to the curb. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open windows to air out your home. Diffusing essential oils like lemongrass, citronella, and rosemary can refresh your home with a clean scent.
5. Tidy up your yard. Trimmed trees and shrubs, a freshly mown lawn, and mulched flower beds ensure you’ll be the best-looking yard on the block.

Lantern Hill’s Personal Moving Consultant Alli Krug brings her expertise in real estate to her role at Lantern Hill, a distinctive Erickson Senior Living-managed community in New Providence, New Jersey. People moving to an Erickson Senior Living-managed communities like Lantern Hill, Cedar Crest, and Seabrook in New Jersey have direct access to Erickson Realty and Moving Services. This special program offers complimentary coordination of all realty and moving needs, including downsizing, home staging, packing, and choosing a real estate agent.

For more information, visit EricksonSeniorLiving.com or LanternHill.com.

About Lantern Hill: Lantern Hill, one of 21 continuing care retirement communities managed by Erickson Senior Living, is situated on a scenic 26-acre campus in New Providence, New Jersey. The not-for-profit community of more than 500 residents and 300 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight of the community. Additional information about Lantern Hill can be found at LanternHill.com.