Selling Tips
Ready to sell your home?
- Decide to Sell
- Hire an Agent
- Price your Home
- Prepping & Staging
- Understanding the Buyer
- Market your Home
- Show your Home
- Receive an Offer
- Prepare to Close
- Close
1. Decide to Sell Explore your reasons for selling. Everybody has a reason to sell, but if you aren't truly motivated or committed to selling, you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.
2. Hire an Agent Choose Raines Realty to list your home. We will represent you and have a fiduciary responsibility to look out for your best interest. Including negotiating the listing contract and terms to meet your needs.
3. Price your Home The asking price you set for your home significantly affects whether you will profit in the sale, how much you will profit and how long your home will sit on the market. Our knowledge of the overall market and what's selling - or not selling - will be very helpful to you in determining the price. The objective is to find a price that the market will bear but won't leave money on the table. Every home should sell if it is priced correctly. The true value of a house is what you are willing to sell it for and what a buyer is willing to buy it for. A comparative market analysis should help you determine a price. Here are some points to consider: Time. Time is not on your side when it comes to real estate. Although many factors influence the outcome, perhaps time is the biggest determinant in whether or not you see a profit and how much you profit. Studies show that the longer a house stays on the market, the less likely it is to sell for the original asking price. Therefore, if your goal is to make money, think about a price that will encourage buyer activity (read: fair market value). Value vs. Cost. Pricing your home to sell in a timely fashion requires some objectivity. It's important that you not confuse value with cost - in other words, how much you value your home versus what buyers are willing to pay for it. Don't place too much emphasis on home improvements when calculating your price, because buyers may not share your taste. For instance, not everyone wants hardwood floors or granite countertops. Keep it simple. Because time is of the essence, make it easy for the buyers. Remain flexible on when your agent can schedule showings. Also, avoid putting contingencies on the sale. Though a desirable move-in date makes for a smoother transition between homes, it could cause you to lose the sale altogether.
4. Prepping and Staging your home Pack up personal photographs and family heirlooms. Buyers tend not to see past your personal artifacts. You want buyers to imagine the walls as their own. If you haven't used it in over a year, why is it still sitting in the room? You probably don't need it. Rearrange Bedroom Closets and Kitchen Cabinets. Buyers love to snoop and will open closet and cabinet doors. If you take the time to clean a closet or cabinet it leaves the impression that you have taken great care of the rest of the house. Remove/Replace Favorite Items. If the chandelier in the den is a family heirloom, replace it now. If a buyer never sees something, they won't want it. Make Minor Repairs and CLEAN. Remember that first apartment you owned that you wanted to make sure you got the security deposit back on? Clean. Clean. Clean. And then clean again. Check Your Curb Appeal. If a buyer won't get out of the car because they don't like the exterior of the house, you'll never get them inside to see how great it is. Mow the yard and trim the bushes. Does the front lock and handle work? Is the paint chipped? A little flowers always adds some cheer. But if you plant them, don't forget to water them!
Check list:
Exterior
- Keep the grass cut and remove all yard clutter.
- Weed and apply fresh mulch to flowerbeds.
- Apply fresh paint to wooden fences.
- Tighten and clean all door handles.
- Have your A/C Serviced.
- Clean windows inside and out.
- Powerwash home's exterior.
- Ensure all gutters and downspouts are firmly attached and functioning.
- Paint the front door.
- Buy a new welcome mat.
- Place potted flowers near the front door.
Interior
- Evaluate the furniture in each room and remove anything that interrupts "the flow" or makes the room appear smaller. Consider renting a storage unit to move items off-site.
- Clean and organize cabinets, closets and bookshelves.
- Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
- Shampoo carpets.
- Remove excessive wall hangings and knick-knacks.
- Repair all plumbing leaks, including faucets and drain traps.
- Make minor repairs (torn screens, sticking doors, cracked caulking).
- Clean or paint walls and ceilings.
- Replace worn cabinet and door knobs.
- Fix or replace discolored grout.
- Replace broken tiles.
- Replace worn countertops.
5. Understanding the Buyer As the seller, you can control three factors that will affect the sale of your home: * The home's condition * Asking price * Marketing strategy However, it's important to note that there are numerous other factors that influence a buyer, and you need to understand these consumer trends when you enter the sellers' market. The more your home matches these qualifications, the more competitive it will be in the marketplace. Your us can advise you on how to best position and market your home to overcome any perceived downsides. Location Unfortunately, the most influential factor in determining your home's appeal to buyers is something you can't control: its location. According to the National Association of REALTORS(r), neighborhood quality is the No. 1 reason buyers choose certain homes. The second most influential factor is commute times to work and school. Size While some buyers want to simplify their lives and downsize to a smaller home, home sizes in general have continued to increase over the decades, nearly doubling in size since the 1950s. Smaller homes typically appeal to first-time home buyers and "empty nesters," or couples whose children have grown up and moved out. Amenities Preferences in floor plans and amenities go in and out of fashion, and your us can inform you of the "hot ticket" items that are selling homes in your market. If your home lacks certain features, you can renovate to increase its appeal, but be forewarned: That's not always the right move. Using market conditions and activity in your neighborhood as a gauge, your agent can help you determine whether the investment is likely to help or hinder your profit margin and time on the market.
6. Market your Home Now that you're ready to sell, we will set up a marketing strategy to sell your home. There are many ways to get the word out including the MLS, Yard Signs, Open Houses, Social Media, Media Advertising, Agent to agent. We will use all of these tactics to bring the most buyers to your home.
7. Show your Home Try to accept every appointment made for a showing. You only get once chance to make a first impression. But an impression is better than no impression. It's difficult to do, but the longer you keep your house in showing condition the better off you are!
8. Receive an Offer and Negotiate When you receive a written offer from a potential buyer, we will first find out whether or not the individual is prequalified or preapproved to buy your home. If they are, then we will review the proposed contract, taking care to understand what is required of both parties to execute the transaction. At this point, you have three options: accept the contract as is, accept it with changes (a counteroffer), or reject it. Remember: Once both parties have signed a written offer, the document becomes legally binding. If you have any questions or concerns, be certain to address them with us right away.
9. Prepare to Close Once you accept an offer to sell your house, you will need to make a list of all the things you and your buyer must do before closing. The property may need to be formally appraised, surveyed, inspected or repaired. We can spearhead the effort and serve as your advocate when dealing with the buyer's agent and service providers. Depending on the written contract, you may pay for all, some or none of these items. If each procedure returns acceptable results as defined by the contract, then the sale may continue. If there are problems with the home, the terms set forth in the contract will dictate your next step. You or the buyer may decide to walk away, open a new round of negotiations or proceed to closing. Important reminder: A few days before the closing, you will want to contact the entity that is closing the transaction and make sure the necessary documents will be ready to sign on the appropriate date. Also, begin to make arrangements for your upcoming move if you have not done so.
10. Close the deal "Closing" refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. We will be present during the closing to guide you through the process and make sure everything goes as planned. By being present during the closing, we can mediate any last-minute issues that may arise.
Throughout the course of your selling experience, you’ve probably spent a lot of time with us and you’ve gotten to us fairly well. There’s no reason to throw all that out the window just because the deal has closed. Even after you close on your house, we can still help you with various things like buying a new property. And lastly, you can help us! The best compliment is a referral!