Home Sellers - Tips

Selling your home shouldn't be a stressful ordeal. Making the smart move of choosing a REALTOR® is your first step to ensuring that your investment in your home pays off. Our services and experience allow you to focus on your move while We manage your home sale from our initial consultation to the closing deal, and beyond. We pride ourselves on repeat business and hope you'll come to understand why.

As Your Agent, We Will:

Complete a comparative market analysis that will compare your home's value to that of your neighbors.
Compile a comprehensive plan detailing all the efforts we will employ to sell your home, including Internet and local media.
Present your home to as many qualified buyers as possible getting your home maximum exposure.
Help you stage your home and generate curb appeal to ensure you get the highest price.
Assist with obtaining offers and help you in negotiating the best deal as smoothly as possible.
Help you find your next home and answer all of your questions about the local market area, including schools, neighborhoods, the local economy, and more.

Recent Home Sales

What are homes selling for on your street?

Getting the Highest Price for Your Home

Curb appeal is key and could make a difference whether people stop and take a flyer, or drive right by. Staging your home is important. Many buyers will stay in your home longer if it's staged appropriately.

Closing Costs to Expect:

Title insurance fees depend on the sales price of the home.
Broker's commission is a full-service fee and will cost anywhere between 5% to 7%.
Local property transfer tax, county transfer tax, state transfer tax, and state capital gains tax are the charges that you'll pay for the privilege of selling your home. Credit to the buyer of unpaid real estate taxes for the prior or current year are variable and depend on when you close and when your taxes are due.
FHA fees and costs are all fees are now negotiable between an FHA buyer and seller.
Home inspections fees are in some circumstances paid for by the seller and include pest, radon and other inspections.
Miscellaneous fees can accrue from correcting problems noticed during the home inspection.

Here are some Home Selling Tips

Kitchen

The kitchen is the most important room in the house. Make it bright and attractive. If it needs help, paint it and/or try new curtains.
Make sure the kitchen is spotless. Check the stove, floor, windows, cabinets, etc.
Clean the ventilating hood in the kitchen.
If the kitchen floor is badly worn, replace it with new flooring.
Replace any loose tiles on the counter and walls.
Remove any appliances or knick-knacks you keep on the counters. Clean, uncluttered counters will make the room look bigger.

Bathroom

Repair any dripping faucets.
Keep fresh towels in the bathroom.
Remove any stains from toilets, sinks, bathtubs and shower.
If the sink, bathtub or shower drains to slowly, unclog it.

Outside

Make sure the front door and porch area are clean. Repaint the front door if necessary.
Keep the lawn and shrubs trimmed and neat looking. Freshly planted flowers are attractive and inviting.
Sweep walkways.
Paint your house if necessary. This can do more the the sales appeal than any other item. If you don't want to paint, consider touching up shutters or window frames.
Check the roof and gutters..any missing shingles to replace? Gutters and downspouts in place?

Living Areas

Have all walls in top shape. Repair all cracks, nail pops or visible seams in drywall.
Wash the windows.
Replace broken glass and torn screens. Make sure windows open and close.
Check ceiling for leaks or stains. Fix the source of the leak, repair the ceiling and paint. (Contract will require this to be done)
In painting or redecorating, avoid offbeat colors. Stick to white or easy to work with pastels or neutrals.
Replace or re-dye faded curtains or bedspreads.
If you have a fireplace, clean it out and put in fresh logs.
Replace burned out light bulbs. Put in brighter light bulbs. Make sure light switches work.
Clean floors and vacuum rugs.
Straighten up the closets and get rid of excess items.
Use air freshener to eliminate musty or unpleasant pet or cooking odors.
Fix any doors or sliding glass doors that stick.

Garage

Clean out the garage and dispose of anything you are not going to move. Box up everything you won't need until you're in your new house.
Make sure the garage door opener is in good working condition.

Additional "Inside" Tip

Neatness makes a room look bigger. Put excess furniture in storage. Avoid clutter.
Avoid having dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter.
Keep toys in the children's rooms. Bikes, in-line skates and skateboards should be made as inconspicuous as possible.

When you Home is Being Shown

Open draperies and shades to let in light. This will make rooms appear larger.
Keep radios, stereos and TVs off or turned way down.
Take pets outdoors when your house is being shown. Children should be quiet.
Be courteous but don't force conversation with potential buys. They want to inspect your house, not pay a social call.
Don't mention furniture or furnishings you may want to sell unless asked. Trying to dispose of such items via the potential buyer before they have purchased the house often loses the sale.
Let the Realtor discuss the price, terms, possession and other factors with the buyers. He/she is eminently qualified to bring negotiation to a favorable conclusion.
Take your family away for the day, if your Realtor is holding an open house.