Homesellers - Check on These Important Issues!
When selling your Carlsbad home you have plenty to think about. And there are some important things to check on as you get started, beginning with…
The Listing Contract
You want to make sure it reflects your wishes and what you and your agent have agreed on, including price, length of contract, commission to be paid, and any exceptions or terms that should be specified. Make sure the address and APN (our tax ID for the property here in San Diego County; it might be called something else in your area) are correct as is the spelling of the names on the contract (and the deed).
Remember, it’s a legal document. While your agent will no doubt review this carefully with you, be sure it’s correct before you sign – mistakes can happen. Make sure you understand what you are signing, and ask any questions you have BEFORE you sign.
Make Sure the Front Door and Key Work
You may think that’s rather obvious, or even foolish, but I can’t count how many times I have shown property where the front door or the key were very difficult to operate. Sometimes you even see comments to that effect in the listing. Now really, shouldn’t your front door and key operate without any difficulty? The agent shouldn’t have to struggle with it while trying to get in to show your home.
First of all it creates an unwelcoming impression of your home for buyers. And it signals some deferred maintenance (what else might not be working?). Make sure your front entrance looks great, otherwise the buyers are going to be standing around noticing all the issues (peeling paint, cobwebs, cracks on the landing) while their agent is fiddling with the key and getting more and more aggravated.
Check to Make Sure You Are Ready for Prime Time When the Listing goes Live
You may immediately get calls about showings and you need to be show ready right away, not a day or two later.
I showed one property not too long ago the day it hit the market and the sellers were not ready when we arrived and apologized for the mess. Their comment to me? “We didn’t know we would start getting showings right away – our agent didn’t tell us.”
Better to count on showings starting promptly – buyer demand in our area is very high, inventory is low, and those who want to buy are watching for new listings all the time, and want to see them as soon as possible to perhaps beat out the competition.
Check That the Showing Instructions Are Accurate
Again, this might sound obvious, but it’s not unusual that showing instructions stated in the MLS are not easy to understand or follow, and occasionally they don’t reflect the wishes of the sellers. How do I know? Because I have called sellers as directed and found out, or contacted the agent as stated and was told I needed to talk to the sellers. Keep in mind YOU are in charge of how available your home is to the buying public, and it must be VERY available or you’ll hurt your chances. And of course if you agree on certain instructions you need to follow them – that means returning calls and allowing access to buyers.
Review the MLS listing and Check out the Photos
No doubt your agent has done a great job of getting the home listed on the MLS and has uploaded a bunch of photos. You should review the listing to make sure it’s accurate and there are no typos.
Your agent knows what to say, and not say (there are some legal matters), but sometimes spelling mistakes happen (we’re human, too) and proofreading is a good idea. Or there may be some data entry errors.
I saw 2 listings recently that stated there were septic systems but it was community sewer. Another listing did not note the community pool which might be a big selling point for buyers, and recently I saw one that said there was AC but when visiting the house there was not.
Of course you want your home to show well online – that’s your first public open house – so check out the photos. I think the majority of agents do a good job with photos, or use a professional photographer, but some photos are downright embarrassing (there’s the proverbial “open toilet” in the bathroom that we see perhaps more than any other goof in real estate photos) And then there are some that are poor because the house is a mess, which is not the agent’s fault. Good quality photos are not going to fix a property that doesn’t show well in person to begin with. Guess who’s responsible for that?!
If You Have Pets…
Check to be sure you have your plans in place right from the start about how to handle your pets when you have showings, especially dogs.
Preferably you and the pets are out of the house when buyers are there. Yes, it’s inconvenient but not everyone is a dog lover, and few buyers want a dog jumping around, barking or worse, when trying to look at your home.
And cats might be best to be caged so they don’t escape. Make sure those litter boxes are pristine, and as out of sight as possible. And please pick up the dog mines in the yard so buyers can explore it.
Look for the Personal Stuff
Make sure you haven’t left all sorts of personal stuff laying around. I’m not talking so much about personal grooming products and medications, although no one wants to look at this stuff and it clutters dressers, bedside tables and bath room counter.
But I am suggesting that items like check books, bank and credit card statements, and other financial or personal records be hidden away. It’s no one’s business but yours and who wants to risk identity theft? It’s even more important if you are going to have a public open house with hoards of people roaming through your home.
All this might sound like a lot, but it’s just being prudent as a seller, and helping to make the best first impression for those who might want to buy your home.
Check out Home Selling Tips and Advice for some important things you should know as a seller.
Comments (37)Subscribe to CommentsComment