Things to know when selling a home
- Listings / Lockboxes / Yard Sign
- Touch-Ups / Cleaning
- Repairs
- Staging / Painting
- Open House
- Expenses: Painting / Window Washing / Fix-Ups / Landscaping / inspections
Find an agent that you trust!
Ask around. Generally, a referral from a trusted friend, family member or a well-networked community member is an excellent way to find an agent. Not all agents are there same. Just think of the thousands of vehicle types. They might all drive, but they all drive differently with different features. The same goes for agents. Interview them and make sure whomever you pick is the right fit for you and for what you are trying to accomplish with your real estate goals.
Be ready to negotiate.
Your agent should be ready and willing to negotiate all terms of the contract. The price is not the only item to negotiate. Determine what you want and need to accomplish when structuring your offer to ensure that you are set up for negotiation that benefits you. Successful negotiation also takes into account the wants and needs of a seller, so consider the motivations of a seller if possible and then structure the offer accordingly. Your agent should be able to offer you advice.
Home Staging
We do complimentary home staging for all our listed properties.
Benefits of staging
- Professionally staged homes present and show better than competing houses for sale, including new construction homes and higher-priced houses.
- Staged properties will sell faster when compared with houses that have not been staged. From the date of listing until the day of closing, home staging shortens this time frame, even in a slow real estate market.
- Staged properties look the very best in MLS photos, and more than 90% of home buyers begin their search online.
- Staged properties can increase the number of offers and selling price in hot markets.
- Buyers view professionally staged listings as “well-maintained.’
- Buyers’ agents recognize that professionally staged listings are “move-in” ready and are inclined to show staged properties.
Time is of the essence.
The buy-sell agreement is designed to get people to perform and with deadlines for each item to be completed. The deadlines generally end at 5:00 PM on any given day so make sure you stick to the terms of the contract or your earnest money could be in jeopardy. Ask for extensions in writing if needed. If it’s not in writing, it doesn’t exist!
Identify a home inspector that is licensed and insured.
Not all inspectors are equal. It is not a state requirement of the state that home inspections be licensed and insured. Make sure to ask for a referral if possible or do some research in advance, so when you do get a home under contract you know who to call and the costs associated.