The Inland Empire has long drawn homeowners thanks to its excellent school systems, mountain views, and charming craftsmanship. But with remote work allowing families and young professionals to move more freely, many are flocking out of the urban centers they once called home and moving to San Bernardino. “We’re seeing a lot of people coming from Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, as they’re able to purchase a home here for a little more than their rent in the city,” San Bernardino Realtor Gabby Taylor says. In fact, home sales were up a whopping 22.2 percent in July 2021 compared to the year prior. For motivated homeowners in San Bernardino who want to sell their homes quickly, this might be one of the best times to put your home on the market. As you prepare to sell your Gate City home, here are six tips that will help make your property as attractive as possible to homebuyers — and get you through the selling process fast. The vintage charm of the area’s older homes is a big draw for homebuyers in San Bernardino. The spacious rooms, original woodwork, and custom built-ins have a charm and originality that can’t be found in many newly-constructed “cookie-cutter” homes. However, the bold palette selections that are common in the interior of these homes can be a turnoff for prospective buyers who might have a difficult time envisioning themselves there — and what their unique spin on the property might be. “You have to open up the rooms in your home to the buyer’s possibilities,” Taylor says. “If you have very dark colors on the wall, paint over it with a softer, more neutral tone. The impression is so much different afterward.” A few examples of trending softer, neutral paint tones include: Source: Benjamin Moore Taylor also recommends taking down wallpaper and packing away many of your personal items for the same reason — so buyers can better see themselves in the home. “Consider this the beginning of your move,” she adds.
It’s easy to overlook small repairs and home issues when it’s something you live with every day — and maybe you don’t think it’s a big deal. But to a homebuyer, these issues create concern that the house might be too much work for them — or that it wasn’t cared for well enough by the previous owners. In San Bernardino, this can be a particular problem with the Victorian homes, which require quite a bit of upkeep to maintain properly. With natural redwood siding, these homes must be sanded down and painted periodically — and the foundations need to be held up. “These homes are a labor of love,” Taylor says. Another important home feature to check is the sewage pipes, as they can cause problems in older homes when tree roots start growing through them. While this likely won’t come up during the initial showing, it isn’t uncommon for these issues to be uncovered during the inspection — and then create snags during the closing process. It’s no secret that earthquakes are a real risk when you live in San Bernardino. Between earthquakes, wildfires, and floods, the area is four times more likely to be struck by natural disaster than elsewhere in the country. And yet, many of San Bernardino’s historic homes stand tall almost a century later — with no damage in sight. For some, that might provide relief enough that the risk — while elevated — is still quite low. But for those who are more risk-averse, and want to be sure of their home’s (and their family’s) safety, a bolted foundation can provide that extra bit of assurance. “If you have a bolted foundation, you’d definitely want to highlight it in your listing,” Taylor says. In the temperate climate of San Berardino, you can live and eat outside for nine months out of the year easily — making the backyard a literal extension of the home. Yet, with droughts a persistent problem in the area, homeowners are trending toward landscape designs that are lower maintenance and require less water usage. “Instead of lawns, we’re seeing people building courtyards, pergolas and seeing more desert-scaping,” Taylor says. “There is more of a trend away from higher maintenance yards.” Tammy Sons, the CEO of Tn Nursery, echoed that sentiment. According to Sons, they sell more plants to California than any other state — many of which are drought-resistant natives. “We have a local architect that flips houses in San Bernardino County and he’s been ordering drought-tolerant natives to landscape homes before he put them up for sale.” Sons recommend easy-to-maintain plants such: By adding a few of these to your yard, you’ll give your home greater curb appeal and attract buyers who are looking for that inviting outdoor atmosphere in their new home. Our research has found that September is the best time to sell a house. So if you put your home on the market in June (a popular time with kids getting out of school), you could sell your home four days faster, on average, than you would at other times during the year. Given the timing of the public school calendar, this has always been a popular time of year for families to move, as it gives them time to relocate and get settled before the Back to School season. However, Taylor points out that there are many child-free millennials entering the San Bernardino real estate market and buying homes for the first time who aren’t tied to the traditional school schedule. “We’re seeing these lines become a little more blurred,” she says. The bottom line? Late spring and early summer are hard to beat for a fast sell — but don’t discount the rest of the year if the timing doesn’t work out. With almost two decades of experience behind her, Taylor laughs now when she thinks about everything that she didn’t know when she started selling and buying homes in the San Bernardino real estate market. Remembering back, she says that while she learned the ins and outs of contracts, the rest was up to her to figure out herself. “Thinking back on it now, it’s a little scary,” she jokes. Since that time, she’s become an expert in what buyers are looking for, local marketing strategies, buyer profiles, contract negotiations, and how to best prepare a house in San Bernardino for a fast sale. “We’ve developed a five-prong approach that we use to help sellers ready their homes for market most efficiently,” she says. This includes everything from making necessary repairs to minimizing personal items and staging. This expertise also helps prepare for the minefield of things that can go wrong along the way — such as issues with the appraisal, home inspection, or contract. “Top real estate agents understand what people are looking for and how to deal with it,” Taylor says. “A lot of agents will just focus on getting an offer, but that’s just the beginning, really. You have to be able to manage all of the negotiations from the moment you accept an offer all the way through the closing.” Of all the home selling tips provided, this is certainly the most valuable as a fast, successful sale is far more likely to happen with the expertise and guidance of a top agent in the area. If you need help getting started, HomeLight can help connect you with top local agents in San Bernardino who have experience working with buyers and sellers of homes just like yours.
You have to open up the rooms in your home to the buyer’s possibilities, If you have very dark colors on the wall, paint over it with a softer, more neutral tone. The impression is so much different afterward.
1. Neutralize bold colors and emanate San Bernardino’s charm
2. Make those needed repairs – from redwood siding to sewage pipes
3. Market your bolted foundation to earthquake-wary buyers
4. Create a low-maintenance (and low water) California landscape
5. Sell fast in the late spring and summer
6. Partner with a top agent who knows the San Bernardino market and what to expect
