Selling Your Home

The Seller’s Checklist 

• your Abstract of Title or Title Insurance Policy.
• Inspect your property before you sell - hire an inspector and if necessary obtain contractor estimates to repair any major problems.
• Find a qualified local area real estate agent and attorney to represent your interests when selling your home.
• Decide on what types of renovations and staging you would like to complete on your home. Remove and repair all signs of damage and other deterioration, e.g. holes and cracks in ceilings and walls. Restore hardware and bathroom/lighting fixtures as needed.
• Keep track of all money you spend in improvements to your home as you may be able to add it to the cost basis of your home and reduce income tax on your gain from the sale.
• Have your real estate agent do a Comparative Market Analysis to help you price your home. Knowing how much your home can be worth is one of the first steps in beginning to market the property properly.
• Determine your timeline for moving. Depending on how quickly you need to move you may decide to price the home more aggressively.
• Have your agent spell out his or her marketing plan, arrange for property to be photographed and decide if an open house should be scheduled.
• Prepare your property to show. Remember, the main rule of staging is to “neutralize” the environment. Remove personal photos, waste cans, cosmetics and personal effects. The potential buyer should walk in and feel it’s a model home, devoid of clutter.
• For showings, you may want to leave while your home is being shown so that buyers will feel more comfortable to move around and discuss your property with the real estate professional.