Top 10 Things To Do Before Sellling Your Home

Your home is likely to be the single biggest investment in your lifetime. Therefore, whether selling your home, you’ll want to take the proper steps to help you avoiding losing money in such a monumental transaction. If you find the entire production of selling a home too overwhelming, you may wish to speak with a good real estate broker. And on that note, we offer item number one on our top 10 list of things to do before selling your home.

Number 1: Selecting the right broker is probably one of the most important things you’ll do in selling your home. Sitting down with a broker will enable you to map out a selling plan. How will the home be advertised? Will there be open houses? How will all the logistics of the sale be coordinated? If you’re staying local, the same broker could cover the transactions for the home you’re selling as well as the one you’re buying, which can translate into discounts for you.

Number 2: Set a commission with your broker. Brokers today are no longer playing by the rules of two decades ago where a standard 6-percent commission was cast in stone. Today, a broker will be willing to negotiate with you about lower commissions or flat rate commissions. It may depend upon the supply and demand in your neighborhood, but real estate brokers today are very approachable on this element of a home sale.

In this same vein, survey your home for things that might not make it through another year. If your boiler, hot water heater, air conditioning system, plumbing and electrical is adequate, you’re in good shape. That means you’ll have more money in your budget for the custom cabinets you envision for the kitchen. However, if one of them looks like it’s on its last leg, you may want to replace this before jumping into unnecessary home improvements.

Number 3: Bring in a home inspector to conduct an inspection of your home. Through this, you will be made aware of the status of the home’s major operating systems and be made aware of any structural deficiencies. If the buyer wishes to use his inspector as a means of lowering the selling price on your home, you’ll be armed with the knowledge of the actual state of everything in your home. In this same vein, have the paperwork related to renovations, major appliances and surveys readily available for your closing attorney to review. Although the title and abstract company will obtain some documents, you’ll want to have documents ready if the need should arise.

Number 4: Determine the value of your home. You may do this as part of the operation of speaking with a broker or when an inspector comes. Whoever you get appraise the value of your home, have it as one of the initial items on your checklist. Today’s buyers smell blood and they’re looking for houses on the chopping block. If you’ve had your home appraised by a real estate professional that has insight about a house like yours, what comparables in the area go for, and what the pluses and minuses of your particular house are, you’ll be in a position not to be blindsided and intimidated by the predatory buyer.

Number 5: Based on the value of you home, set a realistic selling price. Realtors sometimes say, “The price of a house is what the market will fetch.” That’s true in any market-driven system. However, be realistic in terms of your own particular situation. If you’ve already purchased a home in Florida and are carrying two mortgages, you may be more “motivated” than the average seller. Not that you have to reveal this to everyone who visits your home in an open house. If carrying a house that you should sold six months ago has strained your finances to the point of placing you in jeopardy of missing a mortgage payment, the prospect of holding on for another $10,000 in selling price might be less important in the grand scheme of things.

Number 6: Think about how much money you’ll need for your next home if you haven’t already purchased it. In most parts of the country, home prices are still falling. It’s worse in some areas than others. Consider the cost of moving and taxes in a different area if you plan to relocate.

Number 7: Clean your home as if it were about to stand at attention for an admiral’s inspection. Cleaning supplies are cheap. A bucket, some cleaner, a few stiff bristled brushes and some elbow grease will make your home much more appealing to a prospective buyer. Remove dust and cobwebs, vacuum rugs and remove stains that are eyesores. Rings in the bathtub or stains in a toilet are unforgivable. Make sure to make your home looks as spotless and pristine as possible.

Number 8: Remove clutter and arrange furniture to give at a homey feel. If your home has many windows, take advantage of them to let light in. No one is interested in a table of menageries or sentimental picture frames of grandchildren. It’s sweet, but if your buyers are inclined to make an offer, those things are already gone as far as they’re concerned. Let them see how spacious and airy your home is instead of how confined it can be if carelessly filled with furniture.

Number 9: Buy paint and touch up the walls. If you want your home to move, you have to make it look its best. In today’s economy, cash-strapped sellers have sometimes found that it’s difficult to do this. However, there is no item that will give as much “bang for the buck” as a simple can of paint.

Number 10: Some brokers say that little touches go a long way. Burning candles or baking something that smells appealing can be a good way of improving the mood of prospective buyers. The technique is used in casinos, where they discovered that introducing certain scents to their playing areas can make visitors more inclined to spend money. Introducing nice scents will also cover up pet odors and musty rugs that you may have become totally oblivious to

And although it’s not on the list, perhaps the single most important thing to do before selling your home is to realize that the market is tough, and that if things don’t go as you planned, it may take a little patience to get the price you want. To find a home inspector, visit HomeInspector.com, where you can request a free, no obligation quote and find a local professional home inspection service provider.