Deciding And Preparing To Sell
DECIDING TO SELL
You've made the decision to sell your property, which is great! Before you get started, take a moment to think about why you're selling and create a basic timeline for the process.
Why Sell?
What's prompting you to sell your property? Are you looking for a bigger place, or perhaps a change in neighborhood, school district, or even city? While your reasons might seem clear, it's worth considering the impact of each option on your lifestyle, opportunities, and finances. Being clear about your intentions will help us find the best solution for your financial, lifestyle, and real estate goals.
When Should I Sell?
Let's talk about your timeline for selling. If you're in a hurry, we can speed up the process with a thorough market analysis and action plan to meet your goals quickly. If you're not in a rush, you can sit down with one of our friendly agents to review the current market conditions and find the best time to sell.
What Is The Market Like?
When you choose to work with us, you're getting more than just a real estate service. You're getting our knowledge, expertise, and negotiation skills, all dedicated to securing the best market prices and terms for you. We'll keep you informed about market trends, pricing, financing options, and the conditions of competing properties. With us, you'll have the insight you need to price your property correctly and decide on the best time to sell.
How Do I Optimize My Finances?
Deciding to sell your property is a big step that requires careful consideration of your current financial situation and future possibilities. Our qualified agents can help you assess the impact of these changes, estimate potential proceeds from selling your property, and plan effective tax savings and estate planning strategies. We'll work with you to take control of your finances and maximize their potential.
PREPARE TO SELL
There are many ways to enhance the appeal of your property and leave a lasting impression on potential buyers.
What To Do To Prepare:
Here are some key factors to consider when listing your property:
1. Curb Appeal
Maintaining a pristine landscape and adding creative touches,
like colorful annuals, can instantly impress passersby and
potential buyers.
2. Property Repairs
Simple upgrades like repairing windows, polishing doorknobs, and applying a fresh coat of paint to frequently used rooms can instantly brighten up your property.
3. Cleanliness and Staging
To make your property more appealing, keep it uncluttered, smelling fresh, and well-lit throughout. Pay attention to details: tidy up, add fresh flowers, bake something inviting, and ensure your carpets are clean. Your agent will assess the property before listing it for sale and suggest ways to enhance its staging.
4. Disclosures and Inspections
We are well-versed in the legal procedures for disclosures and can assist you in creating a comprehensive disclosure statement that benefits both you and the buyer. We can also recommend home improvement measures, such as termite and pest inspections, before listing your property on the market.
5. Showtime
Presenting your property to potential buyers is a task we'll handle for you. Buyers often feel more at ease discussing the property with the agent when you're not present. Additionally, your agent will know which information is most useful in representing your interests when speaking with prospective buyers.
Why use a REALTOR®
Can you wait a year to sell your home?
Are you comfortable having open houses or showing strangers your home?
Do you know how to price your home competitively?
What do you do when negotiations stall?
Do you know how to properly execute a real estate contract?
Do you know which lenders have the most competitive rates?
Do you know what a title company can and can't do for you?
Do you know what an escrow agreement is?
Do you know what prorations are?
Does your home have lead based paint?
Do you know a good home inspector?
Does you home have Chinese drywall or mold?
Do you know what disclosures are needed?
If you are not sure about any 1 or more of the answers to the above questions, you should ask yourself…You NEED to contact us?
ANYONE CAN PLACE A SIGN IN THEIR YARD, BUT ONLY A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL CAN TAKE YOU FROM SALE TO SETTLEMENT!
Timothy Peterson
MVP Realty Associates LLC
📌 1495 Pine Ridge Road
Naples, FL 34109
Social Media
Get your property valuation today!
Did you know we're offering a valuation for your property?
It's as easy as can be!
Interviewing a REALTOR®
To assist in making the decision on which agent to choose, here is a list of possible questions to ask the agent:
Where do you think the buyer for my home will be coming from? Will it be a Move up Buyer (Upgrade), or a Renter
(First Time Home Buyer)?How will you market to this particular buyer? What proactive steps will you perform to reach this specific targeted buyer other than the 5 P’s? (Please see the 5 P’s listed below)
What do you do as an agent that is exceptional that sets you “above” the average Realtor in your area? (Please do not quote me your company’s statistics, show me and tell me what you personally do to promote your listings.)
What could I do to improve the marketability of my home?
What is the biggest drawback to my home? (Possible buyer objections), please be candid with me now so that I know what to expect.
Do you think that a buyer incentive is called for on my home? What incentive would you recommend?
When you are interviewing agents, it is also to your advantage to select an agent who not ONLY performs the 5 P’s, but also have many of the following “proactive marketing strategies” such as:
Installing a Brochure Box/Information Box on the Yard Sign;
Uses QR codes on sign riders and advertising;
Advertises listings on Facebook and other social media;
Creating a Color Highlight Brochure for Buyer Showings;
Internet Capability;
Cable TV Advertising;
Direct Mail Program;
Personal Advertising Above and Beyond What Their Real Estate Company Advertises; Interior Highlight Cards;
“800” Information Sign Rider Installed on the Yard Sign;
Personal Brochure and/or Professional Resume;
Broker Caravan Tour with Lunch/Raffle Provided to Entice Additional Agents to View the Home
The “average” agent will do the 5 “P’s” on a listing property. They will:
Put A For Sale Sign in Your Yard;
Put Your Home in the Multiple Listing Service;
Put Your Home in Advertising; Put Your Home on Broker Caravan Tour; and,
Put Your Home on Public Open House.
Pricing your home
THE BENEFITS OF PROPER PRICING
There are several benefits of properly pricing your home. They include:
1) FASTER SALE:
When your home sells faster, you save carrying costs which include mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, and maintenance.
A QUICKER SALE CREATES LESS INCONVENIENCE TO YOU. If you have moved before, you know the energy it takes to prepare for a showing: keeping the home clean, arranging for pets, children, and altering your lifestyle.
PROPER PRICING CREATES LESS DEMANDS ON YOU, BY HELPING YOUR HOME SELL FASTER.
AT MARKET VALUE YOUR HOME WILL GAIN EXPOSURE TO MORE PROSPECTS WHO CAN AFFORD THE PRICE.
SELLERS WHO LIST AT THAT HIGH PRICE ARE LOOKING FOR THAT ONE BUYER WHO WILL PAY IT. Sellers often do not realize that they have discouraged many potential buyers who could have afforded the home.
THE FINAL SALES PRICE IS PROBABLY ONE THAT WILL BE AFFORDABLE BY MORE PURCHASERS.
SELLERS OFTEN ACCEPT A MUCH LOWER PRICE AT A MUCH LATER DATE SINCE THAT ONE BUYER WILLING TO PAY THE HIGHER PRICE NEVER COMES, COSTING YOU MORE IN TIME AND CARRYING COSTS.
THE THREE MAJOR THINGS THAT AFFECT A SALE ARE LOCATION, CONDITION, AND PRICE. You CAN NOT control the Location, but YOU DO control the CONDITION and the PRICE.
2) INCREASED SALES AGENTS RESPONSE:
WHEN SALES PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT A HOME AND ITS PRICE, THEY MAKE SPECIAL EFFORTS TO CONTACT ALL OF THEIR POTENTIAL BUYERS. Knowing that it is priced properly for its market, they expect it to sell soon and encourage their prospects to act quickly. Their excitement is contagious!
3) BETTER RESPONSE FROM ADVERTISING AND SIGN CALLS.
Ad calls and sign calls to Realtors OR By Owners turn into showings when price is not a deterrent.
SERIOUS PROSPECTS ARE WELL EDUCATED ABOUT ASKING PRICES IN THE AREAS THEY ARE SEEKING.
SERIOUS PROSPECTS DO NOT WASTE THERE TIME ON A HOME THEY CONSIDER OVERPRICED.
4) HIGHER OFFERS:
BUYERS FEAR they might LOSE OUT on a good home when it is PRICED RIGHT.
SELLERS are LESS likely to receive “LOW BALL OFFERS.”
Better pricing ATTRACTS MULTIPLE offers, too!
5) MEANS MORE MONEY TO SELLERS:
If a home is PRICED RIGHT, the excitement of the market produces HIGHER SALE prices.
SELLERS NET MORE IN TERMS OF ACTUAL SALE PRICE AND BY LESS CARRYING COSTS.
THE THINGS THAT AFFECT A SALE ARE LOCATION, CONDITION, AND PRICE. You can change two out of the three of these. You cannot change the LOCATION. You can control the CONDITION by how you maintain your home inside and out. Good Maintenance shows Pride of Ownership and gives a possible buyer a comfortable feeling on the condition of the home. PRICE should be determined by recent sales of comparable homes in your immediate area. Pricing a home right at the time you first put it on the market is important since that is when it will get the most attention from buyers. You may think you want to start out higher and test the market but this usually results in you LOSING BUYERS that may have been interested from the 1st day on the market, not 6 weeks down the road. Think of it this way, for every month that your home is not sold due to being priced too high, you have lost money due to another Mortgage payment, taxes, utilities, possible association fees, insurance, and maintenance and by not being able to make the move you want to make. A quicker sale can save you thousands so being priced right at the beginning is very important.
Preparing Your Home to Sell
Exterior:
Make sure your lawn is mowed and edged. The first impression a buyer will get of your home is from the outside. Curb appeal is very important. If you don’t have the time to keep the lawn mowed and edged, now is the time when hiring a service would benefit you. This way you don’t have to worry about making sure it always is done in time for a buyer to see it or an open house.
Trim all the trees and shrubs on your property. If you can’t reach some of your trees or have the equipment to trim the trees and shrubs, we suggest you hire a landscape company to get it in shape for you. You can also rent the equipment from a rental company if you would prefer to do it yourself.
Plant some flowers or display large flower pots. This is the best way to brighten up your yard and enhance that curb appeal. You can pick up inexpensive pots at a pottery place, K-Mart, Target, Home Depot, or even at a Garage Sale. These same places carry all types of flowers and shrubs too at good prices.
Sweep and clean all sidewalks and pathways. If you are in a climate that has snow and ice, make sure you clean the sidewalks and pathways and also the decks and put down salt so it clears and no one falls. Make sure no toys, papers, or outside tools are left in the walk-ways.
Repair and clean all windows. Replace any cracked or broken windows and make sure they are clean for a well maintained look.
Clean all eaves and drain spouts. Blocked eaves and drain spouts can lead to damage that will cost more than keeping them clean. A ladder and either your hand or a small broom can clean them out or you can hire a handyman to do it for you.
Paint exterior areas that need painting. Peeling or chipped paint should be taken care of for a fresh well cared for look to your home.
Clean or replace door knobs. The entrance to the home should be perfect from the finish on the door to the door knob and locks. If they are dated and can’t be cleaned, then they should be replaced.
Keep Garage Door closed. First impressions are important and even though the garage is an important space, it should not have the door left open at anytime. You also don’t want people to think they should enter through the garage because it is open.
Interior:
Remove all family photos, trophies, personal crafts, etc. Personal items such as pictures, trophies with names, home made crafts, etc. often keep people from being able to visualize the home for themselves and distract from other features of the home.
Remove all “clutter” (ie: newspapers, boxes, etc.,) it will make your home feel bigger. Make sure the counters in baths and the kitchen are clutter free and papers either put away or in the trash. Dishes should always be done and put away, not left in the sink.
Clean all your carpets. If the carpet needs to be replaced, do so and make sure it is a neutral color. If it does not need replacing, have it cleaned or do it yourself by renting a carpet cleaning machine.
Repair or paint any chipped or dirty walls. Remember to choose neutral colors when painting your walls, not everyone likes the bold colors or blue or red tones. If all that is needed is to wash the walls, do the entire wall, not just spots.
Make doors and windows open correctly and easily. Just use a little A-1 oil where needed so that everything opens and closes easily.
Repair and minor damages. (ie: plaster, wallpaper, creaking floor boards, etc.) If you have wall-paper and the seams are opening up, a small tube of wall paper paste can be purchased at K-Mart or a wall paper store. Creaking floor boards need to be repaired. You may need to hire a flooring person to lift up the flooring to repair the boards if you don’t want to attempt it yourself. Plaster repairs also may need the attention of an expert.
Add some indoor plants. Plants add a warm feeling to a home. Green and flowering plants both work well.
Additional Tips if you are going to have an “OPEN HOUSE”:
If possible, keep all pets out of the house. Pets need to either be out of the home or in a crate when the home is shown or an Open House is planned. Even the best Pet can have an off day and bite someone, and many buyers may be afraid of certain pets.
Add some fresh flowers in a vase. Colorful fresh flowers add warmth to a room.
Make all the rooms in your house smell good. If you don’t like to bake fresh cookies, just add a cinnamon stick to water and put it in the oven on low for a nice smell or a scented candle always adds a nice aroma.
Clean and clear all table tops, desks, shelves, etc. Clutter takes away from the features of the home.
Create as much light as possible. Open all blinds and curtains. The brighter the home the better. Windows need to be clean, blinds and curtains open, and lights on when needed.
Add fresh towels to the bathrooms. New fresh towels and even small soaps in a soap dish add a lot to the bathrooms.
Turn off all TV’s computers, etc. During showings and Open houses, TV’s and computers should be off. They tend to take away the attention of the buyer.
Add a little music softly in the background. Soft music can add relaxation to the buyer’s mood as they go through the home.
Never hold an Open House alone. You are allowing strangers into your home and it is better to have another person with you. This person should be another adult, not a child. Also have a cell phone with you at all times if possible and an auto dial button for 911. When showing the home, always have the buyer enter the room ahead of you so that the exit is never blocked. If there is a basement in the home, have the lights on and have the buyer go ahead of you, again always leaving the exit open for you if needed. Open houses can be on any day, not just week-ends, but should always be during the day, with hours that end before dark.
Making a GREAT first impression
In today’s age of consumerism, every buyer is comparative shopping. Making a small investment in time, money and effort in your home will give you a solid advantage over competing properties. Pay attention to detail now because first impressions count with buyers and you have one chance and it starts with curb appeal.
Exterior Appearance:
Keep lawns cut: A uncut lawn will make a buyer feel there are other things about the home that are also neglected which could lead to not wanting to see the home.
Trim hedges and shrubs: As with the lawn, this affects the curb appeal when left neglected.
Weed and edge gardens: What is the point in having a garden if it doesn’t add beauty to the home and yard? Freshen up the plants by taking off any dead leaves and flowers, weed & edge the area and add some fresh mulch to add a new fresh feel to the garden.
Clear driveway and clean up oil spills: Make sure the driveway is always clear of toys, bikes, trash cans, and other items. If there is oil on the driveway, clean it with some solvent from an auto store or K-mart, then wash it so it is clean of all spills.
Clean out the Garage: The garage should be viewed as a garage to be able to put a car in, not a storage shed. When a buyer sees that the garage is used for storage they will assume the home to too small and has a lack of storage. It will also free up your driveway making curb appeal better if the car is in the Garage and the garage door closed.
Touch up paint: If the exterior of your home, garage, or any other out building is in need of paint or repair, do it before the home goes on the market. Again, first impressions are everything!
