When you are getting ready to put your home on the market, you may be lying awake at night wondering about the logistics and the financial ramifications of your decision. Here are ten questions that you should ask an agent in order to set your mind at ease and feel more prepared for the road to the closing table.
1. How will you determine what price we should charge for my home?
I will take a thorough look at recent comparable sales in your area as well homes that are active and under contract. I will also check the big box sites for their "opinions". I will explain to you how these things may help or hurt your pricing strategy. I will give you an estimated high, low and medium price point for consideration. You will make the final decision as to what number you would like like to go with after we review them.
2. What improvements should I make to optimize my home’s resale value?
We will do a thorough walk-through of your home and land discuss any needed repairs or extremely out-of-date fixtures or finishes that might deter a buyer. Beyond that, we'll discuss updates that can add value while offering a solid return on investment.
You don’t necessarily want to put in a whole new kitchen or all new baths, because you probably won’t get the money back in the sale price. However, if your home is severely out of date, you may need to give it an overhaul in order to realize a sale price comparable to those of other, more updated homes in your area. These decision will be yours to make and will affect our pricing strategy
3. Is bigger always better when it comes to pre-sale home improvements?
Actually, no. According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), some of the most cost-effective improvements with the highest ROI include those items related to curb appeal. A new front door or a fresh coat of paint can make a huge difference in the way that the home is perceived. In addition, interventions like deep cleaning or decluttering cost little or nothing, yet can have a big impact on potential buyers.
Don’t forget the outdoors, which offers some of the most affordable improvements with the highest ROI. Get your lawn in check, plant a new tree, and spruce up the landscaping to improve both curb appeal and the home’s value at sale time. It's the first thing buyers see, it's important to get it right.
4. What if I don’t want to make any improvements to my home before listing it?
For a variety of reasons, you may be unable or unwilling to make changes or improvements to your home, or you may not be in a financial position to do so. You are certainly not required to make any improvements and I can list your property for sale as-is, indicating to potential buyers that you do not intend to negotiate on repairs or damages. This is more common than you think.
Keep in mind that an as-is sale can affect our pricing strategy and your ability to get top dollar for your home, even if it is in good overall condition. In addition, many mortgage lenders require certain baseline repairs to major systems, so if there are plumbing, electrical, or structural issues, you may be required to make needed repairs in order to get your home sold.
5. How will you pre-market my listing?
The home sale doesn’t start the day the listing goes live in the MLS. We can get started with a Coming Soon Strategy while we're getting your home buyer-ready before the first buyer or agent arrives. This may involve staging the home, bringing in a professional photographer, and otherwise advising you on preparing the home for sale. The home may be put into the MLS as a Coming Soon listing and an agent may use yard signage and direct mail to let people know that about your listing. Viewings are not permitted during the Coming Soon phase, but sight-unseen offers may be (and often are) made.
6. How will you market my listing?
I will market your listing in many different ways, depending on your property’s unique features, and other factors. Marketing may be as simple as signage, photography, and a well-written property description or as elaborate as print and TV ads, drone videography, and outreach to international buyers.
I have a PROVEN 19 point Marketing Plan for selling your property. We are a team throughout the entire process.
7. Can you market my listing without bringing lookie-loos through the home?
If you are interested in limiting access to your home, you have a number of options. I will market your home to qualified buyers only. I will use professional photographs & videos & tours of the home to satisfy curious neighbors and others who just want a peep inside. If we hold an open house, anyone may attend & we will discuss if this is a worthwhile option for you.
8. We’ve agreed on a price and gone into Due Diligence What happens next?
The buyers will bring in inspectors to check out the home and recommend any needed repairs or improvements. The inspectors may identify a major problem and the buyers may ask for a more in-depth inspection. The inspector may identify only minimal issues and the process may proceed. We will review all requests together and make decision on how to proceed
I recommend that you absent yourself from the home during the inspection process. If you have some special features you would like to show the buyers or if you want to provide them with service records and information about the home’s systems, let me know so I can bring it to their attention.
9. The buyers submitted a list of requested repairs. Can I say no?
You are free to say no to any repairs that are requested from your buyers with the understanding that they may choose to walk away from the deal based on their home inspection contingency. We will discuss whether or not you should make some, all, or none of the requested repairs, whether to provide a credit at closing toward the repair costs, or other options available to us
Remember that if the repairs requested are legitimate, the next home inspector will likely identify them as well. We'll fully discuss how to proceed if this is the case.
10. We did some damage during the move-out. What will happen now?
Accidents happen and it is not uncommon for there to be scuffs on the flooring or paint after the movers have finished clearing out the home. If you notice that this has occurred, or if your buyers see damage during their final walkthrough, the closing can still occur. In most cases, you can either provide additional funds at closing to cover the damage or you can prepay a reliable contractor or repair professional to make the needed repairs on your behalf. I will help you through this.
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