12 Things To Do Before Listing Your Home

Selling your home can be a daunting experience if you are unprepared and going it alone. It’s important to know what things should be done prior to listing to help it sell quicker and for the greatest net to you. That’s why we put together this handy list to help you think through the process and know what to expect along the way.

1. Hire A Great Real Estate Agent. Some sellers think that they should wait till everything is ready to put the home on the market, but just a buyer should starting working with a lender at the very beginning so should a seller start working with a real estate agent even in the initial decision making process. There is no up front fee to hire a real estate agent. They are paid a success fee only if your home sells and that is great motivation for your agent to do his/her best for you. If you don’t already have someone you trust to guide and help you, don’t be afraid to interview a few agents to see who you connect with and who has the experience and services you need. Listing agents bring not just transactional know how but also local market knowledge. They also do much of the heavy lifting in the listing, marketing, negotiating, contract compliance for your home, which takes a lot of pressure off you. Sage Property Group would be honored to apply for that position.
2. Determine Your Home’s Market Value. This is another area where your real estate agent can help. They can prepare a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) which not only compares your home to other homes that have sold recently but also compares your home to other similar homes that are still on the market or pending. The properties that are currently on the market are your competition. Once you have a fair market value for your home you can set a selling price based on your goals. Then with the outstanding balance of your current mortgage, your agent can create an estimated net sheet (the cash settlement you can expect at closing).
3. Focus On First Impressions. While it’s true that most buyers will have seen your home’s photos and videos prior to actually coming to your home, non-the-less, first impressions are critical and hard to overcome. You want to look at your home with a buyer’s eyes and nose. Focus on how your home looks from the road (curb-appeal), then how it looks walking up to the front door, what is the first impression walking into your home, and finally what is the first thing you smell. Don’t trust your own nose. Ask an honest friend or neighbor to do the smell test for you. Improvements in this area are relatively easy and low-budget. Here’s some suggestions; Paint entrance and/or garage doors, Power wash exterior of home, Wash windowsTrim trees/shrubs, Mow grass, rake leaves, weed landscaping beds, Plant flowers/shrubs (in season), Repair front walkway (if hazardous), Replace mailbox (if necessary), Add something that says “Welcome", Declutter entry-way, open curtains and blinds (get as much natural light as possible), Fix or enhance space that your eye naturally goes to when you enter the home, Fix source of foul or stale odors. Clean and use odor removers. Don’t try to cover it up by using a strong air freshener. Clean areas and use a light non-food smelling air freshener.
4. Deep Clean and Declutter. Property condition is a critical element to your home selling. Focus your on-going attention and effort on cleaning, organizing, and decluttering your home before photos and before potential buyers are coming for a showing or an open house. Less is definitely more when it comes to stuff in your home. If cabinets, shelves, closets, and storage spaces are full and overflowing, your buyers might think that the space is small and won’t be adequate for their needs. Donate excess stuff or things you no longer need or use. Pack up and store things you want to keep but don’t need till you are in your new home. This prepack helps make it easier when it is time for you to move out. You can’t clean too much or too soon. Photos, showings and open houses need your home to look and smell its best. Plus you’ll want to keep it clean through the entire selling process so it’s ready at a moments notice even when you are at work or out of town.
5. Repaint Interior (as needed). Use light neutral tones. They help the space look brighter and feel larger. You might love that dark accent wall but you don’t want to eliminate buyers who don’t like your color palette. If you are not completely repainting, pay special attention to touching up walls, doors, windows, and trim. Buyers don’t want a home that comes with a to do list. You want your home to be move-in ready. That will get you more offers and more quickly.
6. Take Care of Deferred Maintenance. You probably know most of the things that need fixing but you haven’t gotten to yet. Also a professional pre-inspection can bring a great deal of clarity to what is not working. Your real estate agent can help you find a good inspector and then can help you analyze the list to determine priority and need. It’s not just things like the foundation or the roof. You’d be surprised the negative impressions left on a buyer when there is a loose handle, a missing/ burnt-out light bulb, a door that doesn’t shut, a light switch plate that is broken, a toliet that runs continually, a fan that is is noisy, a broken fence slat, oil stains on the garage floor, carpet stains, dog waste in the yard, ... You get the idea. Buyers are likely making the largest purchase of their life so far. We don’t want them making a list in their heads because they don’t want to buy a home that comes with a list of necessary repairs.
7. Lock Up or Store Weapons, Valuables, and Confidential Things. From cash to credit cards, jewelry to art, tools to collectibles, weapons to ammunition, extra keys and work badges to financial/confidential documents - either secure them in a locked place or store them off-sight to keep them safe. Expect that everything that can be opened will be opened. You can’t trust everyone who comes into your home just because they are a buyer even when they are escorted by a real estate agent.
8. Use a Professional Stager. Does your home scream 1980’s? There are a few homes because of their location, history, finishes, and furnishings can pull off a “vintage” look but most just look “dated.” Professional Home Stagers can evaluate the current condition, architecture, and style of your furnishings and determine a plan to present your home in the best possible way. They might recommend items to remove, items to purchase, items to rent, or they might just reorganize and rearrange your belongs. Stagers know the current styles and what is selling in the local market, so it’s important to implement their suggestions and not take offense. Their job is to help your home look its best and facilitate a quick sale. Remember buyers don’t need to like your stuff. We want them to fall in love with your home.
9. Budget for Selling Costs. There are some unavoidable costs when selling your home. Some costs are up front (usually for pre-sale services). These costs are for marketing, pre-inspections, staging. If you have hired a real estate agent many of these up-front costs are paid by the listing agent. The other costs typically can be paid out of the proceeds of the sale at closing. They include, seller concessions (costs the seller picks up for the buyer like closing costs, home repairs, inspections, appraisals), real estate agent success fee, seller’s portion of closing costs, any final prorations (HOA fees, utility, taxes). Your real estate agent can help here too by providing you an estimate for these costs. Some people think that they can save money by not hiring a real estate agent, but that’s often not the case. Sellers who sell on their own often suffer more out-of-pocket costs, longer selling cycles, and lower net proceeds. Another thing to remember is that attorneys must be paid regardless of whether your home sells. Real estate agents, however, are only paid if and when the home sells.
10. Collect Repair, Remodeling, and Service Quotations, Invoices, and Receipts. At the time of accepting an offer to purchase your home you will be required to provide a Seller’s Property Disclosure (SPD). Providing records of maintenance and remodeling together with all warranty and service paperwork is required for disclosure to the buyer and it demonstrates the care you have given your home. Disclosure is ALWAYS better than trying to hide something. It will be revealed at some point and you don’t want to deal with legal issues down the line.
11. Collect Invoices/Bills of Regular Homeowner Costs. These include utility (water, sewer, electric, natural gas), trash removal, property tax bills, HOA documents and contact information, appliance warranties and owner’s manuals, pest/bug spraying service, lawn maintenance service, cable company, Internet supplier, land line phone company
12. Begin Your Search for Your New Home. If you are selling your home and intend to purchase another right away, then you want to start that process right away. Selling your home before you’ve found your next home can be problematic. Not the least of the issues is having somewhere to live. Probably the first step is to select your lender and start the process of loan qualification. They can help you understand the financial market you’ll be purchasing in. And your real estate agent that is handling your sale can help educate you on the market you will be buying in. If you are moving out of the area, your real estate agent can pre-qualify agents in in the area where you are moving and give you the best possibility of a smooth transition to your new community.