Before Putting Your Home Up For Sale

Here are a few items to take care of before selling your home. This can make the sale process quicker and easier in the long run.

Find Your Listing Agent

The first step? You need to find a listing agent who can market your home to the greatest number of potential buyers.

The key is to work with an agent who knows your market. This agent can tell you when you’ve received a fair offer and when you’ve received one that’s below market value. Agents can also help with the most important aspect of selling a home – setting the right asking price. If you set your price too high, you won’t receive many, if any, offers. If you set it too low, you might sell your home quickly, but you’ll also reduce the profit you otherwise could have earned. A skilled agent will study other home sales in your area and help you set the right asking price to avoid either of those mistakes.

When interviewing real estate agents, ask them how long they’ve worked in your market. Ask them, too, for a list of recent sales they’ve closed. That way, you can determine how successful agents have been in getting top dollar for their listings. You should also ask for a list of past clients. You can then call these referrals to ask about how responsive an agent is and if they were satisfied with the agent’s performance.

Would you rather sell without a realtor? You won’t have to pay the commission real estate agents to charge – usually 6% of a home’s final sales price – but you do run the risk of not promoting your home to the widest number of potential home buyers. This can result in a lower sales price. Make sure you can handle the marketing aspect of selling a home if you decide to skip working with a real estate agent.

Consider a pre-sale home inspection 

An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you’ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.

Organize and clean 

Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and seasonal items. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets, walls, lighting fixtures, and baseboards to make the house shine.

Get replacement estimates

Do you have big-ticket items that will need to be replaced soon? Find out how much it will cost to repair an older roof or replace worn carpeting, even if you don’t plan to do so. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home, and they’ll be handy when negotiations begin.

Locate warranties

Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer/dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain in the house. It may seem like this task can be left until closing, but you don’t want lost paperwork or last-minute scrambling to cause the deal to fall through.

Spruce up the curb appeal 

Walk out to the front of your home, close your eyes, and pretend you’re a prospective buyer seeing the property for the first time. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Do the lawn and bushes look neatly manicured? Is the address clearly visible? What do you see framing the entrance, if anything? Is the walkway free of cracks and impediments?