 Selling a home is the largest business transaction most of us will ever make. The selling process can be very complex and time consuming, however with the aid of my services, be certain that you will come away satisfied and as stress free as possible.
One of my main responsibilities is to arrive at an accurate estimate of value for your home. My work doesn’t stop there, as I will fully investigate the real estate market and compare your property with similar listings to make sure that you receive the  highest amount you deserve for your home. I will follow a marketing program that will provide you with service that is professional and courteous. In the end, you will be sure that the price you set reflects the true value of your home under current market conditions . . . rest assured that you will be completely satisfied with your selling price once we have completed the proper research and evaluation of your home. Buyers pay a premium for a home that is in top-notch, move-in condition, so once you decided to sell, make sure the home is ready to be sold.. First, you have to figure out what needs to be done to your home. One option is to have a property inspection up front will help to identify problem areas. Having the property inspection done and all the corrections taken care of before you get offers also shows the buyers that you are conscientious homeowners. This will relieve some of their anxiety about buying a home. Also, any buyer will have a property inspection done before closing the sale. Often, this is when they will re-negotiate the price because of any problems that may turn up in the inspection. Having your own inspection done and making all necessary repairs first removes this opportunity for the buyer to try and re-negotiate. Properties in prime condition are generally get shown more often. The more exposure a property gets, the better the chance of selling it quicker and for a higher price. Use the following checklist as your guide to preparing your home for sale. - Paint: Few things you will enhance the salability of your house quite as much as painting the outside. Before painting, scrape or water-blast any blistered or peeling paint; repair gutters and down spouts; and replace wood showing dry rot. Pay special attention to wood, trim, gutters, and wrought iron.
- Front Entry: Give special care to this area. First impressions do make a difference! All woodwork
 should be freshly and neatly painted, including the door if necessary. Replace badly worn or broken doorbells. Polish any door brass. Paint or replace an unsightly mailbox. Put out a new or clean doormat. - Yard: Mow and trim the lawn. Weed flower beds; remove or replace dead plants or trees. Water regularly during the growing season. With desert landscaping, make sure that no underlying plastic is exposed, that rocks and sand are tidy, and that weeds and unwanted grass are removed.
- Driveway, garage/carport: Clean up grease or oil spots; remove the soil at least, if not the stains. See that the garage door opens freely, and if you have an automatic door opener, make sure it's in good working order.
- Air Conditioners: Paint or replace any rusted exposed metal. Correct improper draining.
Patio: A nice spread of outdoor furniture looks very appealing. If necessary, borrow some from a friend to enhance the "showability" of your property. - Swimming pool: Adjust chemicals until the pool sparkles. Hose dust and cobwebs from filtration equipment. Store chemicals and tools neatly. Keep pool area tidy and secure.
- Windows: Repair or replace torn or bent screens. As a last resort, remove them entirely; it's better to have no screens than to have unsightly ones. Replace any cracked or broken panes. Also, notice unsightly foliage near windows. A window framed in ivy can give a warm, homey feeling, but cut it back if the foliage is restricting the light coming into the rooms. Drapery rods should be affixed firmly to walls and work smoothly; draperies should be clean and hang properly.
- Doors: Check to see that all doors open and close freely, including closet doors and patio or sliding glass
 doors. Oil any squeaky doors. Tighten the hardware, particularly doorknobs. And while you're at it, tighten hardware on kitchen and bathroom cabinets, too. - Walls: As with the exterior, painting indoors will pay dividends out of all proportion to the time and effort spent. Wallpaper should be clean and adhere smoothly to walls.
- Floors: Repair or replace missing or damaged pieces of tile; polish if needed. Repair of a loose stair tread plate or loose carpeting on a stairway is a top priority.
- Carpet: Steam cleaning is the best answer for soiled carpets, especially when shampooing isn't enough. If pet odors are present, clean the carpet some time before your home is placed on the market to be sure the odors have been eliminated.
- Lights: Every light socket in and around the house should have a good bulb of adequate wattage. Don't overlook those outside and in the garage. Also remember the utility room, halls, closets, over the kitchen sink, and in the oven and exhaust hood.
- Switches and fixtures: Repair or replace wall switches, outlets, and light fixtures that don't work. Replace any broken switch plates.
- Appliances: Those that will be sold with the home should be in good working condition. If specific equipment doesn't work and you don't intend to repair it, point this out.
- Plumbing: Badly chipped or irreversibly stained sinks and tubs should be re-enameled, patched, or replaced. Leaky or noisy toilets should be fixed, as well as any dripping faucets.
- Sprinkler systems: These should be working properly with no defective heads.
One of the best and least expensive ways to improve the "showability" of your home is to open up as much space as possible. Openness stimulates positive feelings in buyers. Overstuffed rooms or closets give the impression of being smaller than they really are. You can't change the size of what you have, but you can try to present it in a pleasing way. - Closets and storage areas: One of the most frequently voiced requirements of buyers is for more closet and storage space. Open up your storage areas by removing items you aren't using.
- Counters and cabinets: The same principle used for closets applies here: overcrowding gives the impression of inadequacy. This applies to bathrooms and kitchens with the kitchen being most important. Store infrequently used appliances.
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- Garage: Buyers will pay a premium for a garage if they can visualize it being of value to them, but it's hard to sell when the garage is filled to overflowing. If your garage has become a two-car attic, move the excess to a mini-warehouse.
- Bathrooms: Few places in the home can get so dirty so fast, and yet few things will "unsell" a house as fast as dirty bathrooms. Vanity, sink, faucet hardware, and mirror are the focal points. But don't forget other potential problems: soap residue in a shower, a moldy shower curtain, accumulated dirt in the track of a sliding shower door, soiled or missing grout, soiled toilet bowls, and dirty or battered bath mats.
- Kitchen: Most buyers will inspect the kitchen carefully, so time invested here is well spent. Clean the stove inside and out. Replace badly stained or corroded reflector plates under the heating elements on electronic range tops. Don't neglect the kitchen exhaust hood; buyers frequently check this area as a clue to general housekeeping.
- Windows: Clean windows are an absolute necessity if a house is to look its best. Weather permitting, open windows to let in fresh air.
- Water heater and softener: Perhaps because it's so unusual, a sparkling clean water heater or water softener really impresses buyers: and it takes so little time and effort.
All this may seem like a lot of work, and it is, but it means a quicker sale with less hassle and more money in your pocket. Moving tips - before you leave your present address: Eight weeks before Six weeks before Four weeks before Three weeks before Two weeks before One week before Two to three days before Moving day At destination Common Mistakes Sellers Make Basing the asking price on needs or emotion rather than market value. Many times sellers base their pricing on how much they paid for or invested in their home. This can be an expensive mistake. If your home is not priced competitively, buyers will reject it in favor of other larger homes for the same price. At the same time, the buyers who should be looking at your house will not see it because it is priced over their heads. The result is increased market time, and even when the price is eventually lowered, the buyers are wary because "nobody wants to buy real estate that nobody else wants". The result is low priced offers and an unwillingness to negotiate. Every seller wants to realize as much money as possible from the sale, but a listing priced too high often eventually sells for less than market value. An accurate comparative market evaluation is the first step in determining a competitive listing price.
Failure to effectively market the property. Good marketing opens the door that exposes real estate to the marketplace. It means distinguishing your home from hundreds of others on the market. It also means selling the benefits, as well as the features. The right REALTOR® will employ a wide variety of marketing activities, emphasizing the ones believed to work best for your home.Not knowing your rights and obligations. The contract you sign to sell your property is a complex and legally binding document. An improperly written contract can allow the purchaser to void the sale, or cost you thousands of unnecessary dollars. Have an experienced REALTOR® who knows the "ins and outs" fully explain the contract you are about to sign.
Failing to take the first offer seriously. Often sellers believe that the first offer received will be one of many to come. There is a tendency to not take it seriously, and to hold out for a higher price. This is especially true if the offer comes in soon after the home is placed on the market. Experienced REALTORS® know that more often than not the first buyer ends up being the best buyer, and many, many sellers have had to accept far less money than the initial offer later in the selling process. Real estate is most saleable early in the marketing period, and the amount buyers are willing to pay diminishes with the length of time a property has been on the market. Many sellers would give anything to find that prospective buyer who made the first, and ONLY, offer.
Using the "Hard Sell" during showings. Buying a home is an emotional decision. Buyers like to "try on" a house and see if it is comfortable for them. It is difficult for them to do if you follow them around pointing out every improvement that you made. Good REALTORS® let the buyers discover the home on their own, pointing out only features they are sure are important to them. Overselling loses many sales. If buyers think they are paying for features that are not particularly important to them personally, they will reject the home in favor of a less expensive home without the features.
Choosing the wrong REALTOR® or choosing for the wrong reasons. Many homeowners list with the real estate agent who tells them the highest price. You need to choose an knowledgeable agent with the best marketing plan to sell your home.
Over-improving the home prior to selling. Sellers often unwittingly spend thousands of dollars doing the wrong upgrades to their home prior to attempting to sell in the mistaken belief that they will recoup this cost. If you are upgrading your home for your personal enjoyment - fine. But if you are thinking of selling, you should be aware that only certain upgrades to real estate are cost effective. Always consult with your REALTOR® BEFORE committing to upgrading your home.
Failing to "Showcase" the home. A property that is not clean or well maintained is a red flag for the buyer. It is an indication that there may be hidden defects that will result in increased cost of ownership. Sellers who fail to make necessary repairs, who don't “spruce up” the house inside and out, and fail to keep it clean and neat, chase away buyers as fast as REALTORS® can bring them. Buyers are poor judges of the cost of repairs, and always build in a large margin for error when offering on such a property. Sellers are always better off doing the work themselves ahead of time.
- Unpack first-night items and mover's survival kit.
- Be at the destination to welcome the movers and be on hand to answer any questions.
- After the job is completed, pay what is owed. The driver is obligated by law (a federal requirement for interstate moves) to collect payment upon delivery.
- Scrutinize the unloading of your items and account for each one on your inventory sheet. Check promptly and carefully for any damaged or missing items.
- Place moving and other important documents in a safe place.
- Go to the post office and collect held mail.
- Be home to answer any questions your mover may have.
- Record all utility meter readings (gas, electric and water).
- Stay until your movers are finished.
- Complete information on the bill and carefully read the document and the inventory sheet before signing it.
- Keep your copies of the bill and inventory until your possessions are delivered, the charges are paid and any claims are settled.
- Take one final look around to see if you forgot anything.
- Give movers the directions to your new home, and an emergency number where you can be reached during the move.
- If you're not doing it yourself, have your mover pack.
- Defrost refrigerators and freezers.
- Consider gathering all valuables and giving them to family or friends to hold until the move is completed.
- Disconnect all major appliances.
- Contact your moving company for any updates.
- Pack first-night items and a survival kit. Keep them in separate boxes in your car. First night items may include: sheets, towels, toiletries, phone, alarm clock, change of clothes and flashlight
- Mover's survival kit may include: scissors, utility knife, coffee cups, instant coffee/tea or a coffee maker, water and soft drinks, snacks, paper plates, plastic utensils, paper towels, toilet paper, soap, pencils and paper, local phone book, masking and/or duct tape, trash bags, shelf liner and aspirin or ibuprofen.
- Prepare detailed directions and an itinerary with emergency numbers for your moving company.
- Settle outstanding bills with local retailers. Pick up dry cleaning, and return library books and rented videotapes.
- Take pets to the veterinarian and get copies of their records.
- Drain gas and oil from power equipment.
- Give away plants not being moved.
- Cancel newspaper delivery.
- Buy two-weeks worth of medication and have your prescriptions forwarded to your new pharmacy.
- Buy traveler's checks.
- Make arrangements to pay for your move.
- Arrange special transport for your pets and plants.
- Service your car for the trip.
- Contact your moving company and review arrangements for your move.
- Make your travel plans.
- Arrange to close current bank accounts and open accounts in your new locale (if necessary).
- Notify your state's motor vehicle bureau of your new address.
- Arrange for childcare on moving day.
- Start packing!
- Send furniture, drapes and carpets for repair/cleaning as needed.
- Gather auto licensing and registration documents, medical, dental and school records, birth certificates, wills, deeds, stock and other financial documentation, etc.
- Contact gas, electric, oil, water, telephone, cable TV and trash collection companies for service disconnect /connect at your old and new addresses. Also ask for and ask for final readings.
- Request refunds on unused homeowner's insurance, security deposit with landlord, and prepaid cable service.
- Notify your gardener, snow removal service and pool service (if applicable).
- Contact insurance companies (auto, homeowner's, medical and life) to arrange for coverage in your new home.
- Contact the IRS and/or your CPA for tax-deductible information.
- Evaluate your possessions inventory. Can you donate anything? Do you need it all?
- Notify your friends, relatives, professionals, creditors, subscriptions, etc.
- Subscribe to a local paper in your new community and familiarize yourself with local government, community and social news and activities.
- Begin the off-site storage process (if applicable).
- Locate high-quality health-care professionals and hospitals in your new location.
- Complete post-office change of address cards for the following: banks; charge cards; religious organizations; doctors/dentist; relatives and friends; income tax bureau/Social Security Administration/union; insurance broker/lawyer/CPA/ stockbroker; magazines; post office; and schools.
- Clean your closets.
- Hold a moving/garage sale or donate items to charities.
- Choose a mover. Contact your mover to make arrangements and inquire about insurance coverage.
- If relocating due to a job, contact your employer to see what costs, if any, they will cover.
- Remove unnecessary items from your attic, basement,storage shed, etc. Use things you can't move, such as frozenfoods and cleaning supplies.
- Obtain information about your new community.
- Secure a floor plan of your new residence and decide what household items you want to keep.
- Start a possessions inventory.
- Solicit estimates from at least three moving companies.
- Call your homeowners insurance agent to find out to what degree your move is covered.
- Create a file for documenting all moving papers and receipts.
- Arrange to transfer your children's school records.
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