Selling Your Home Category

Finding an experienced, reliable real estate agent whom you like and trust is the first step in locating your new home. Here is an approach to finding the right agent.

Call or stop by a real estate office and ask to speak with the manager. Describe the type of home you are looking for. The manager can refer you to an agent who knows that market very well. You might also use weekend “open houses” as opportunities to look for a real estate agent, as well as a new home. It is really a matter of chemistry! If you meet someone who is knowledgeable and with whom you feel comfortable, call that person!

Once you establish a strong working relationship with a real estate agent, your agent can show you a number of homes for sale, even if they are listed with other companies. Often the agent can show you a property as soon as it is placed on the market. Many of the best homes never even make it to the weekend classified section of the newspaper!

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Selling a home is one of the most complex transactions that people are ever involved in. Finding a buyer is often the easy part! When you find someone who wants your home and who has the money to buy it, it is still a long way to the closing table.

You must first negotiate a purchase contract that covers the price and all the terms of the agreement. How much of a deposit will the buyer put down? When and how will the transfer of title occur? Under what conditions can either the buyer or seller back out of the contract? A professional home inspection will inform all parties about the condition of the property.

Having a good agent to handle the details after a home inspection can make the difference between a successful transaction and a failure. The buyer must obtain financing, and the lender’s appraiser will have to agree with the sale price. When clear title has been established, you can sign all the necessary papers to finalize the sale.

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If your home has been listed for a number of weeks and you have only seen it featured in one newspaper ad, you may start feeling anxious. Although your house is being shown regularly, you wonder if the agent is doing enough.

Home sellers often equate effective marketing with classified ads in the weekend Sunday real estate section. However, the most skilled real estate agents know the market well enough to be aware of where the prospective buyers for your home are likely to come from. They will look for the best ways to reach those people through direct mail, telephone contact or specialized ads in neighborhood publications. They will also work to get their colleagues excited about your house, especially agents who have many listings or sales in your neighborhood. And remember–it is important for you and your agent to communicate often so you will know exactly what is being done to sell your home.

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Looking good is important when you want to make a great impression, whether for a job interview or a social function. The same is true of a home that is on the market. When the “For Sale” sign goes up in front of your home, it should be “dressed” for the occasion.

Since the first impression will be of the front of the house, a well-groomed exterior is crucial, from the landscaping to the paint. The interior of your home should be clean and tastefully decorated. Take care of any minor cosmetic repairs that are needed, such as cracked plaster or peeling paint. A sparkling kitchen and shiny bathrooms, clean windows, and the absence of clutter will help your home “show well”. Keeping your home looking good at all times is hard work, especially if you have children and are packing for a move. However, the dividends are impressive, because a home that looks well cared for has an excellent chance of selling quickly and for the best price.

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The most inconvenient aspect of having your house on the market is the constant housekeeping required. Even if you are naturally neat, it requires a lot of hard work to constantly keep your home in top “showing” condition.

Do whatever it takes to make your home shine and to keep it looking beautiful. It may mean getting extra help from the children or hiring short-term professional help. The importance of making a good impression on the real estate agents and buyers who come through your home cannot be overstated. Many interested buyers may call for last-minute appointments to see your home. Buyers may associate a messy home with poor maintenance of the structure, systems and appliances, which can discourage offers or result in a lower offer than the house might otherwise bring.

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If you are selling a home, the buyers will probably include a home inspection clause in the offer. This will allow them to hire an expert to make sure that the house is structurally sound and all the systems are working properly.

The time to get ready for the home inspection is before you sell your house! Owners usually know about most of the defects in their house, such as plumbing or electrical problems or leaks that occur when it rains. When you decide to put your home on the market, you should repair any defects immediately. Most purchase agreements require sellers to convey the property with all systems and appliances in working order. You won’t save money by delaying repairs, and buyers may be frightened away by an inspection report that contains a long list of needed repairs.

Eliminating maintenance as a potential issue in the sale can help you ensure that the transaction goes as smoothly as possible. This is especially important when there is active construction of brand-new homes in the area.

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As you prepare your home for the market, keep in mind that some of the people who will look at your home may bring along small children. Families with children may be looking for a larger home with more bedrooms and a bigger yard.

Prospective buyers will be accompanied by a real estate agent while touring your home, but that doesn’t guarantee that the children will be supervised the entire time they are in your home. Every real estate agent has a story of a little person grabbing a Steuben apple from a low shelf, or of a toddler running full speed to the edge of a high deck.

Preparing your home to show involves common sense, such as removing sharp or breakable objects from low shelves and making sure that electric appliances don’t have dangling cords that little hands can reach. If there is a possibility of falling from a porch or deck, place a visible note advising parents to supervise small children. Some sellers keep a few toys around to entertain young house hunters while their parents are looking at the home.

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Sometimes a real estate agent will walk into a home that is basically attractive, yet communicates the feeling that something is lacking. Then the agent notices that all of the drapes are closed, interior lights are off and there is a lot of overgrown shrubbery blocking the sunlight that might otherwise pour through the windows.

A dark house is not as appealing to most buyers as one that is flooded with light. As a part of your preparations to market your home, try to maximize the light in your home. Make sure that all the windows are clean and the drapes are open when the house is being shown. A fresh coat of light paint can do a lot to brighten up the interior. If your house has very dark paneling, and you do not wish to repaint the walls, you may want to consider adding additional lamps. Your real estate agent may be able to provide other simple and cost-effective ideas about how to maximize your home’s appeal.

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There are two schools of thought about whether it is better to show a house empty or with the furnishings in it. An empty house is like a blank canvas, and prospective buyers can more easily imagine what their things would look like in it. But buyers could take the fact that the house is vacant as a sign that the sellers are very anxious to sell and, therefore, might entertain a low offer.

Our recommendations are usually based on how the house would look. Personal taste is highly subjective. Unless your furniture looks really wonderful and is neutral in color and conservative in style, it could distract buyers from the most attractive qualities of your home. The fact that your home is vacant could give it a competitive edge when they make their final selection. Will it attract low offers? It might, but if the price is right, it will attract reasonable offers, too.

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Many home sellers are disappointed by the first offer they receive. For example, when your agent calls to say that she has an offer on your home, your adrenaline might start flowing profusely. You get really excited, but your happy bubble bursts when you are presented with the contract. It’s just not enough! The buyers asked for your new washing machine, and they also want to postpone the closing for three months. You don’t see how it can work!

Before rejecting any offer on your property, you should consider making a counter offer. Rarely does an offer look the way it would if you had written it yourself. Consider the good and bad points of the offer, and work with the agents to find a middle ground that you and buyers can live with. You may have to go back and forth several times, and there will probably be compromises on both sides. Unless you are lucky enough to be selling in a strong sellers’ market, the buyers will expect to do some bargaining. With a little patience, you and your agent can create a “win-win” situation for you and the buyers.

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