1. Start with Curb Appeal
First impressions matter! There are several things you can do to spruce up the front of your home for minimal costs, just a bit of sweat equity:
- Pressure wash the siding and gutters
- Replace old house numbers, lighting, mailbox, and a welcome mat
- Paint the front door
- Plant flowers in empty planter beds.
2. Depersonalize
Potential buyers want to imagine themselves in your home and its hard to do when all they see are your personal items. Take down family photos, kids art, and personal memorabilia and replace with generic art pieces.
3. Declutter
Show off your storage! Pack up extra appliances such as the crockpot you only use during the holidays. Box upthat extensive book collectin and any seasonal clothes you do no need. Straighten up the linen closet and add a shoe rack for storage, so when buyers open the cupboards and closets they can see all the potential!
4. Show off the Kitchen
Put away extra items and bring attention to the extensive counter space and storage. Spruce up the kitchen with a deep cleaning, organize the drawers and cupboards with storage containers, and update the cabinet hardware.
5. Make the Bathrooms Shine
Deep clean and clean again. Purchase a new shower curtain, soap holder and a set of towels. Put away the makeup kit, hair dryer and any excess bathroom items.
6. Minimize Signs of Pets
While you love your pets and we do too, a potential buyer may not. Scrub and clean any areas your pet spends a lot of time. Put away food and water dishes, pet beds and toys. During showings, it is best to remove pets from the home.
1. Initial Consultation
The initial consultation will provide an opportunity to walk through the property & see the unique features of the home. Your goals and expectations will be clearly defined. It is also a time for you to get to know us and learn how we will work together with you hand in hand to navigate the sales process.
2. Pricing Strategy
Pricing is key to commanding the highest return on your investment. Pricing a property correctly when it first hits the market provides the highest visibility and the greatest number of showings. Determining the list price of your home requires a careful, detailed analysis of active, pending and sold properties, taking into account quality, condition and features of the home. Algorithms such as Zillow, HomeBot and other auto generated values do not take into account the unique features, upgrades or improvements made to the home and can be misleading. Our diverse team brings both an analytical and creative marketing approach to the pricing, two key ingredients in properly pricing and marketing your home.
3. Listing Agreement
This formalizes our relationship and commitment to working together to achieve your real estate goals. It will allow our team to begin the preparations to market and sell your home.
4. Home Preparation
First impressions matter! Presenting the best version of your home when it goes to market is key. Photos and online advertising is the first place a buyer will go before scheduling a tour of your home. Our team will work with you to create a detailed plan for you to prepare the home for photos and video. De-cluttering, deep cleaning and tidying landscaping should be the minimum preparation. We will work within your budget and timelines to identify potential improvements. We have a network of contractors to help facilitate the process.
5. Marketing
Let our team do the work! We will hire, schedule, and coordinate our professional photographer. Our goal is ensure your property has maximum exposure to potential buyers both locally and out of state. We will cross publish on many real estate websites including Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, Realtor.com, as well as the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Our marketing department will provide the highest quality brochures for both direct mail and e-distribution. We will schedule and host open houses and broker tours, while keeping you, the seller, up to date with all showings and feedback.
6. Showings and Offers
As soon as your home is listed as active on the market, buyers will request to see the home. We will coordinate the showing schedule, maintain a log of all parties, and gather feedback. You should strive to keep the home in a similar fashion as it was presented for photos.
Offers can be presented as they come in or there can be an offer deadline to review all offers at one time. We will review the offers with you and answer any questions. You can either accept, counter, or reject an offer. Once you have accepted an offer, the home will no longer be shown actively to other buyers and we will work with the buyers’ team to ensure the terms of the contract are followed.
7. Inspections, Repairs, and Appraisal
During the escrow timeline, most buyers will have an investigations and inspections contingency period in their contract. This is the time a buyer has the right to conduct their due diligence, reviewing all seller disclosures, complete a general home inspection and any other inspections of interest. From these inspections, the buyer may request the seller make repairs to the home. This is another negotiation period that we will work side by side with you to address. If the buyer is financing the purchase, the lender will most likely require and order an appraisal. This is a third party opinion of the value of the home. We will notify you when the appraisal is scheduled and will coordinate any needed items.
8. Closing
Once all buyer contingencies have been released, the buyer will sign their loan documents if they are financing the purchase, sign the grant deed, and provide the funds needed to purchase the home. The escrow and title company will handle the movement of the monies and release the property to record with the County Recorder’s Office upon receipt of all funds from the buyer. Upon the confirmation of recording of the property with the county, the legal ownership changes to the new owner. This is the official closing and sale of the property.
Price
The price you set to list your home will dramatically impact your profits. Proper pricing not only sells a home faster but nets a seller more money. The goal is to find a price that the market will bear but will not leave any money on the table.
Time
The old adage of time is on your side, is not true in real estate. It is known that the longer the home sits on the market the less the seller will net. When a home is on the market for an extended length of time, buyers will wonder what is wrong with the property and when an offer is submitted on a seasoned listing it is typically substantially under list price. Proper pricing up front will ensure the home will command the most attention in its first weeks on the market, its highest opportunity time to bring the best price and viable buyers.
Value vs Cost
When pricing your home, it is important to differentiate between value and cost. Do not confuse how much you value your home versus what a buyer is willing to pay for it. Be cautious in how you view your home improvements because not every buyer will have the same taste. If looking to make updates prior to selling, try to choose neutral colors and finishes to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible. Many updates do not have a dollar for dollar return, so consult your real estate team prior to making any changes.
Keep it Simple
Because time is of the essence and there are many moving parts in a real estate transaction, flexibility is key. The more open your schedule is to accommodate buyer showing requests and the fewer contingencies on the sale will assist in a smoother sale.