Whether you’ve sold one home or ten homes, there are things that you need to know before listing your home for sale. The home selling process is one that could be as smooth as freshly poured blacktop or it could be one with twists, turns and speed bumps galore; but if you are being guided by the right real estate professional the process is vastly simplified.
Selling a home can be an inconvenient. It can create stress and anxiety as well as lead to thoughts of uncertainty. This doesn’t always have to be so; these feelings can be minimized with the right preparation and game plan from the beginning. Before you begin the home selling process, there are several things that you need to know before you begin. Here is a start:
Hire a great Real Estate Professional
Often the most overlooked step when selling a home is the importance of hiring a REALTOR®. They are not all the same! You should have high expectations of the individual that you hire to sell one of your biggest assets! Interview many to ensure you have the one that meshes with you and your family. Answers all of your questions properly and will satisfy your needs. A Real Estate Professional that listens to your needs is often a good one.
All Information, Paperwork, and Documents on the home are crucial
Your Realtor® knows what vital information should be included in the information of the house they’re selling. What does this have to do with gathering paperwork and documents? Having information on the major mechanics of the home and also any updates that have been done to the home will be extremely helpful for a buyer to make decisions. It not just about putting up a sign and waiting for it to sell. They should know how to incorporate and compelling information about your home to attract potential buyers in addition to creatively market the home.
Examples may be:
- Roof age and any warranty paperwork, if applicable
- Furnace age and any instruction manuals
- Central Air conditioning age and any instruction manuals
- Dates of any home improvement projects, such as, kitchen remodels, bathroom remodels, window installation, carpet installation, etc.
- Any certificate of compliance (permits) that apply, such as, deck permits, shed permits, fence permits, etc.
Choosing your launch date wisely!
Every real estate market is different. There are great times to sell and other times that may not be the most ideal. Generally speaking, the spring months are what everyone else considers the peak seasons. Real estate is situational in my opinion, meaning people don’t pick spring or summer to divorce or pass on – Life just happens. Your
When selling a home, it’s important that you choose to sell your home when it’s most convenient for your individual situation. Your Real Estate Professional should have his or her finger on the pulse of the market and be able to guide you through when the best time to sell may be. They look at the market holistically as well as segmentally to determine when they can list your home to maximize what you put in your pocket.
A Pre-Listing Inspection Is A Good Idea
Before putting your home on the market, it can be a good idea to have a professional home inspector perform an inspection on your home. Home inspections are standard conditions of Offer to Purchase these days. By completing this pre-listing inspection, you can address the issues that the home inspector may note during the inspection. Ensure that the home inspector you hire for the pre-listing inspection will provide you with a detailed report and also pictures relating to anything they note in their report.
Preparing Your Home For Sale. It’s important!
Selling your home means you need to work a bit as well. The Real Estate Professional you hire should be able to identify items you may need to address during a walk-through of your home. They will identify items that may need to be corrected or repaired or may suggest painting, cleaning, de-cluttering; these are just a handful of low cost preparations that can be made, prior to selling a home.
First impressions are crucial when selling a home. By not preparing your home for sale, this can often lead to a poor first impression and also can cost you thousands of dollars in the long run. It may take the extra time and effort to prepare your home, but you will totally be glad you did.
Pricing The Home is Critical from the Start
The most important factor to whether a home sells or doesn’t, relates directly to pricing. If you price your home too high from the start, it can actually cost you money. The price a home enters the market at will do the majority of the marketing of the home. It’s important to understand today’s buyers and know they are loaded with information and data at their fingertips. Buyers often will see many homes and understand the market, which will in turn give them an idea of where your home sits in the current market. Plus, lets face it – no one wants to pay the list price for anything.
Choosing a Realtor® because they suggest the highest price or because they offer the lowest commission can be a mistake, so it’s important to educate yourself and avoid common real estate pricing mistakes.
Preparing Your Home For Showings Can Be An Inconvenience
When selling a home, you want to make your home appealing for potential buyers. What do you think the a potential buyer who walks through a home that has piles of dirty clothes on the bedroom floor or dirty pots and pans in the sink would think? Most buyers would be either distracted or disgusted, possibly leading to them not being interest in that home at all.
Preparing your home for showings can be a job in itself and an inconvenience. Making sure the clutter is minimized, pet odors are eliminated, and that the curb appeal is attractive are just a few tips that can help prepare your home for showings. It’s possible that a home that is well prepared for showings will sell before an unprepared home just because the image that it portrays to potential buyers walking through the door.
Evaluate Whether Open Houses Are Worth It Or Not
To host an open house or not to open house? Some real estate agents will swear that open houses are worth it and others will swear they are a huge waste of time. Ultimately, the decision whether they are worth it or not is yours, the homeowner. It’s true, you will most likely just be displaying your home to some nosey neighbors or people just walking by,; but it just takes the right person, perhaps the people walking by didn’t know they wanted a new home until they saw yours! Open houses is part of what I do and I have always found them to be beneficial to my clients.
The above items are worth considering before selling your home. This process may result in added stress, anxiety, and unwanted uncertainty. These feelings though will be greatly reduced if the proper preparation is taken in advance. Understanding the importance of these things and how to make the proper decisions can make the difference of your home selling experience being a disaster or a success.
By Carma Gramyk, Realty Times