If you plan on selling your Olympia home in 2016 it might become very overwhelming, but we have put together a checklist with the top 8 things you will need to consider, decide on and prepare for.
OLYMPIA HOME SELLER CHECKLIST
1. Where are you going?
Before even listing your Olympia home for sale you will need to determine where you're going next. Have you already moved out of your Olympia home? Are you going to buy or rent once your home sells? Knowing where you're going next will help alleviate stress.
2. Who's going to Sell your Olympia Home?
The next step to selling your Olympia home is deciding who is going to sell it. Are you going to try selling it on your own or hire a professional Wellington REALTOR? If you plan on hiring a REALTOR I highly recommend interviewing 2-3 different agents and hire the one you feel is honest, has positive reviews from past clients, a great marketing plan and is knowledgeable about your neighborhood and the market conditions.
3. Is your Olympia Home Show Ready?
First impressions are everything, so it is imperative that the interior and exterior of your home looks it's best. Make sure to do all repairs, declutter and stage your Olympia home prior to listing it for sale because you only have one opportunity to impress a buyer.
4. Understand the Real Estate Market
Whether you're going to sell on your own or hire a REALTOR it is important to understand the current market conditions when listing your Olympia home for sale. Is Olympia a seller's market? Is Wellington a seller's market? What's the absorption rate? How strong is the competition? What are similar homes selling for? How quickly are similar homes selling? While you may be able to find general information online, like recent neighborhood home sales, it is unlikely you will be able to access more detailed and pertinent information that can impact the value of your Olympia home. Such as, how many days was a home on the market before it went under contract? Were there any price reductions prior to soliciting an offer? What type of financing did the buyer obtain, if any? Were there any seller concessions? Were there any liens on the property that the buyer had to pay for? Were there any major repairs that needed to be made?
5. Pricing your Olympia Home
Deciding on an asking price for your Olympia home is by far one of the most important decisions you will have to make. Once you decide on a list price and your home is listed there is no turning back. Sure you can always reduce your price down the road, but once a buyer rules your home out it's unlikely they will reconsider it even after a price reduction. Plus, some syndicated information will never change, so even though your list price has been reduced $20,000 some marketing may never be updated and reflect the new price. In addition if your home is entered into the MLS the pricing history will always stick with the property, which the buyer's agent has access to and could impact the terms a buyer will offer you. In my experience new Olympia home listings priced right tend to sell quickly and for top dollar.
6. Marketing Your Olympia Home
If you decide to become a For Sale By Owner you will have to come up with a marketing strategy to find potential home buyer's. Since Olympia is a guard gated community that doesn't allow uninvited guests through the gates or For Sale signs you will not be able to stick a sign in your yard and rely on drive by traffic to drum up interest. If you hire a Wellington REALTOR do they have a marketing strategy, one that isn't solely based on your Olympia home being syndication from the MLS? How will your Olympia home be presented in the MLS and online? Will professional photographs be taken to showcase your home at it's best or will an iPhone be used to take pictures? Will the property description clearly paint a picture of what your home, Olympia and the area has to offer or will it consist of description like "great 4/3 single family home?"
7. Showing Your Olympia Home
If a potential buyer can't see your home they won't be able to buy it, so making it easy to show is a must! Will you or your agent be there for all showings or will you allow a lockbox? If you're a FSBO will you have time to field phone calls and show your home day or night with minimal notice? Will you allow random unqualified strangers into your home, if not how will you qualify them and verify their identity?
8. Negotiations and Closing
Negotiations don't stop at the purchase price, there are also secondary terms to consider and once your home is under contract negotiations may continue especially if the home doesn't appraise or there are unforeseen or even foreseen items that came up during the inspection. Do you know what closing costs are involved with the sale of your Olympia home? Will you walk away with money or need to bring money to closing? If you don't hire a REALTOR to walk you through the negotiation and closing process will you hire an attorney to do so or go at it alone? Do you have access to real estate contracts and disclosures? Do you understand the different types of contingencies, which one's are common and which one's are not? Do you know what price and terms are common for your type of home in Olympia? Will you be able to keep track of due dates? Will you be able to coordinate and attend the inspection, appraisal, re-inspection and/or final walk through?
If you plan on selling your Olympia home in 2016 I will be more than happy to guide you through the entire process from start to finish! To find out the value of your Olympia home feel free to call me directly at 561-333-0446.
Originally posted at http://wellingtonhometeam.com/selling-your-olympia-home-in-2016-heres-a-checklist/
Comments(3)