Buying or selling a home is a huge decision, especially if you have lived on the property for a long time. That said, once you are ready to sell the property, you have to prepare to sell it. Since you only get one chance to make an impression, it is important to have the property ready so that things can go smoothly. Here are a few points to remember as you prepare to sell your home.
Distance Yourself
Distancing yourself from a home you have lived in for some time might be harder than you think, but it can be done. The first step in doing this is changing your mindset from selling your home to selling a house you own. Once you do this, you also need to remove all your personal belongings from the house. This way, your ties to the house will be weakened with every personal item you remove.
Find a Realtor
While you can sell your home by yourself, it is so much harder to do without a realtor. A realtor will know where to list the house, how to appraise it, as well as how to attract the kinds of offers you are looking for. It is important to choose a realtor who understands what you want from the sale so that there is no confusion during the process.
Get Your Documents in Order
To make sure everything goes according to plan, it is important to have all the relevant paperwork ready. Ensuring these documents are ready makes it easy to present them to the realtor, lawyer, or even potential buyers if they request them. Some of the documents you should have at hand include the deeds, mortgage documentation, utility and tax bills, and permits. If you worry that some tax issues may arise during the sale, ensure you talk to your lawyer.
Repairing and Replacing
In some cases, you may choose to sell the house as is. But if you want to get a better price for the home, you need to do some repairs and replace anything that needs it. Painting the rooms, floors, and garages lightens up the house, replacing the electronics in the kitchen increases the home’s value, while cleaning up the front yard increases the home’s appeal. Fixing locks, broken windows, sliders, and screens can also increase the home’s value by making it feel more secure.
Some Restrictions May Apply
If you have an order for protection, you need to let your realtor know. Sadly, domestic violence happens, and when it does, applying for an order for protection (OFP) is the best move to protect you and your children, but getting one may have some unseen repercussions. If you own property together with the person on the OFP or restraining order, the law may restrict you from selling the property. It is therefore important to talk to a lawyer and show them the OFP documents so they can tell you if it will be possible to sell the property.
Selling a home is complicated, but you can make things easier on yourself by preparing the home and the relevant documents beforehand. Additionally, you can spruce up the home so it looks a bit better before the first buyers walk through the door.
Comments(1)