Ready to put up the For Sale Sign?

When thinking of selling your home, there are many things to do before calling a Realtor and having a sign put in the yard.

Many people assume that they should first have the house put on the market, and THEN start to fix the things that need repair. First things first, you should Think like a Buyer! If you were out looking for a new home, would you be impressed with one that the seller “promises to repair”, or one that is freshly painted, clean, and ready to move into?

Start Making a List! Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes. Walk out your front door, go right out to the street, and then turn around. Now take off your owner’s goggles (you know, those rose-colored glasses you wear when looking at your home), and look that house in front of you. What do you see? When you look at your house from a buyer’s perspective, you will be amazed at what pops out at you. That gutter that is hanging a little, the shutters that are weather-beaten and in need of paint, the tarnished door knob . . . all those little things that you have been meaning to get to, but just haven’t found the time. How impressed would YOU be if you were a buyer coming to see this house for the first time?

Do Everything Before Putting Your Home on the Market! Of all the things homeowners control when selling their home, the condition of the property is one of the most important. If the carpets need to be cleaned, then call a professional. Believe it or not, dirty or worn carpets could cost you $10,000 on your asking price. And don’t forget that leaky faucet, or loose toilet. Buyers are going to scrutinize every aspect of the house. Don’t give them any ammunition when it comes time to negotiate.

I highly recommend for a seller to have a licensed Home Inspection, to see if there are any issues that need to be addressed. This puts you in a better position in your pricing when you already have made repairs, and can present to a buyer a home free of defects. Nothing is worse than having a buyer who wants your home, and then when they have a home inspection completed, problems arise and they have the opportunity to back out of the deal.

I have seen many deals lost because something was discovered, after the contract, and it spooked the buyers. Even if you offer to take care of things, the buyer may have that nagging feeling in the back of their mind that they should have seen it and now they’ve lost that warm fuzzy feeling about buying the home.

The moral of the story is that you should remove all worries ahead of time in order to be in a better position to get more money for your home.

by Michelle Fradella, Broker, FHS, CNHS

Pinnacle Real Estate Services - Picayune, MS http://www.prchomes.com