How to Sell your House

In these troubled economical times selling a house or real estate is not a simple task. I recommend hiring a respected Realtor® to help market your home. Typically, the seller pays no upfront costs to the Realtor®. The Realtor® pays for all advertising and marketing, and is responsible for showing the property, even when you are on vacation. Property will also have more exposure when represented by a Realtor®. Commission is paid when the property sells, and is taken out of the proceeds. But, there are still things a seller needs to do, to help sell the property.

Instructions

1. Start packing. Pack away all those family pictures and nick knacks. You plan to move anyway, so get a jump on the packing. Prospective buyers want to imagine themselves in the home, and it is difficult to do with all the reminders of your family and clutter. Get rid of the clutter.

2. Rent a storage unit. If you have too much "stuff" that you plan to keep, sometimes the best answer is to box up the items for the eventual move, and store at a rental storage unit. If your house has lots of boxes and "stuff" stored, it will make the property look smaller. A garage is more appealing when practically empty and tidy, as compared to one piled with boxes and clutter.

3. Imagine it is a model home. A house shows better with some furniture, providing it compliments the home, rather than distracts. Visit a few model homes, which have been professionally decorated. You may be able to create similar room settings with things you already own. In real estate, this is called staging.

4. Keep it clean. Clean your house from top to bottom. Get in the habit of making the bed, keeping the counters wiped down, and marks off the windows. If the agent calls and has a prospective buyer, don't tell them the house is messy, so they need to come back at another time. You must be prepared to accept a prospective buyer at a moment's notice. In this market, you haven't the luxury of setting appointments on your terms.

5. Pick up the dog poop. If you have dogs, keep the dog poop cleaned up daily. And use room freshener to keep the home from smelling like a kennel. Buyers will be turned off by a yard full of dog crap.

6. Stop smoking indoors. Air out the house and do all you can to eliminate the smell of smoke. Many people today are non-smokers, and walking into a home that smells like smoke is.....gross. Also a big turn off.

7. Bake some cookies. Yes, that old seller's hint of baking a batch of cookies before showing the house works, yet who can be baking cookies at a moment's notice? Fortunately there are scented candles that smell like home baked cookies. But, please don't burn the house down.

8. Scrub and if necessary, paint the front door. The front door is the first part of the home the prospective buyer sees. If it is ugly and dirty, they will keep that feeling with them as they look at your property.

9. Don't get insulted. In this market, be prepared to have low (and I mean rock bottom) offers on your property. Instead of getting insulted, have your agent counter the offer. Counter at the amount you seriously will be willing to accept. Don't get all huffy and tell your agent to tell the buyers to stick it. Counter. And if they make another counter, that is lower, counter again. Even if it is the SAME amount as your first counter. If you refuse to counter, the offer may be totally off of the table. But, if you continue to dialogue, the buyers might surprise you, and accept your counter.

10. Buy a home warranty for the buyer. A home warranty insurance policy typically lasts for one year. It covers specific repair items during the first year, such as an air conditioner that breaks down, or a leaky roof. The covered items vary from policy to policy, and they must be in working order at the time of purchasing the property. Don't expect to buy a home warranty to fix a bunch of already broken appliances on your property. Home warranties help keep sellers out of court. If the air conditioning breaks down the month after the house sales, you don't want the buyers to come back at you.

Tips & Warnings

• Listen to your agent's advise.

• Never fail to disclose material information on your property to the buyer.

Resources

• Real Estate Agent
• How to Choose a Real Estate Agent