Are you planning to sell your home this year?
Putting
your home for sale can be a daunting and stressful experience. No
matter how many times you've done it before, home selling is an
emotionally-draining, time-consuming, extra-challenging journey. It’s
no wonder many sellers make costly mistakes.
If
this is your first time to put your home on the market, or if you're
considering to sell your Kirtland OH home and would like to be more
familiar with the intricacies of home selling, this post will help
you learn everything you need to know so you can sell your home
smoothly and successfully.
Here’s
a handy list of the different steps involved in home selling.
Step
1: Work with the right real estate agent
Step 2: Determine your selling price
Step 3: Get your home ready for sale
Step 4: Market your home
Step 5: Show your home
Step 6: Receive offers and negotiate
Step 7: Go under contract
Step 8: Close the deal
Step 1: Work with the right real estate agent.
Putting
your home up for sale entails a lot of decisions.
One
such decision is whether you should sell on your own (also called
FSBO or For-Sale-By-Owner) or sell with a
real estate agent.
While
you can certainly save on the agent’s commission, listing your home
with the right real estate agent will sell your home faster and for
its best price - enough to cover the commission with a little more to
spare.
According
to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) 2016 Profile of Home
Buyers and Sellers, the average FSBO price was $185,000, while homes
represented by agents averaged $245,000. That’s a $60,000
difference!
How to find the right REALTOR®?
With
the number of real estate agents in Kirtland OH, how do you know
which one to choose?
Here
are three easy steps to help you know which agent to hire.
1.
Do your research. Ask
friends, family members, neighbors, anyone who you think may know an
agent. Put the word out there that you are looking for a great
REALTOR® and you'll be amazed by the result.
A
good agent leaves an amazing impression. Most people remember them,
or at least a portion of their name.
Another
form of research you can do is to look for agents with a strong
online presence.
Create
a shortlist with three names and set a meeting with each of them.
2.
Sit down for an interview. Give
the agents time to get to know you, and vice versa. You want to find
someone who is not just good, but the best.
Bring a list of questions to ask. A few sample questions might be:
-How long you have been working as an agent/REALTOR®?
- Do you full-time or part-time?
-How long have you been working as an agent in Kirtland OH?
-How do you plan to market my home?
-How long you have been working as an agent/REALTOR®?
- Do you full-time or part-time?
-How long have you been working as an agent in Kirtland OH?
-How do you plan to market my home?
3.
Decide. When
you've done your homework, choose the one you think is the best.
Home
selling can be stressful, so pick someone who you're comfortable
with, one who listens to what you want.
Your
home is your biggest financial investment, so choose someone who is
not just good, choose someone who is excellent, like me, Christine
Pappas. Visit http://ChristinePappas.com/Testimonials/ to
know more about me and how I work.
What can I do for you?
1.
I will price your home right.
Your
home’s price is crucial if you want to sell it successfully. If you
make the mistake of overpricing your home, your property will stay on
the market and stay there for months on end, until it goes stale.
As
your agent, I will conduct a comparative market analysis (CMA) and
take into account the different factors to come up with your home’s
valuation. My intimate knowledge of the real estate market, access to
different data and various tools at my disposal will all come in
handy in determining your home’s market price.
2.
I can help save you time and make things more convenient for you.
Home
selling takes much time and effort. If you’re working, do you still
have the time and energy to market your home?
As your agent, I will take care of things for you. You don’t have to take time out from work to meet with possible buyers for home showings. You don’t even have to worry about finding the plumber, electrician, cleaners, and all who might be needed to work on your home because I can do that for you. I can make sure that the home-selling process does not interfere with your daily life.
3.
I will take care of all the legalities and paperwork.
There are a lot of paperwork involved in home selling. I will go through each of them with you, ensuring that you understand everything you are signing, answering your questions and clarifying your concerns. I will make sure that your sale is done correctly and efficiently.
4.
I will ensure that your home is staged and well-presented.
I
will make sure that your home is at its best when it is photographed
for marketing. I'll ensure that your home is beautifully staged
before any home-showings. You can be sure that your home will be
presented at its best when you have my assistance.
Step 2: Determine your selling price
If
you're thinking of putting your property on the market, you've also
likely considered how much it is worth and how much you’ll sell it
for.
Do you know your home's value?
There
are many ways to find out your home’s worth.
You
can use any of the online home value evaluators as a starting point
and to get an
idea of how much homes cost in your area.
The
best way to find out your home's value for your listing price is with
my help. I will prepare a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis), a list
containing data on recently sold properties similar to yours. A
comparison of the properties, along with the necessary adjustments,
will yield an estimate of value for your property.
I
don't just rely on data of sold homes, I’ll also prepare a
comparison of homes currently for sale in your area (also called
comps or comparables). I’ll check out your close competitors. Doing
this will provide me with a much better and more accurate estimate
for your home.
Step 3: Get your home ready for sale
When
you’ve decided on your listing price, the next step is to get the
home ready for listing. It’s time to roll up your sleeves because
this is where you’ll be doing some hard work.
Prepare
your home for selling by doing the following:
Declutter.
After
living in your house for many years, you have undoubtedly collected a
lot of items you don’t use anymore. Declutter your home by throwing
away these things.
Dispose
of any broken tools and busted kitchen appliances. Donate bags,
books, shoes, clothes, and other belongings you rarely use. Throw
away broken toys, torn magazines, old bills, and dusty, moth-eaten
books.
Start
packing.
You
want the house to look spacious, but that won’t happen unless you
take some stuff out. Decluttering gets rid of many items, but you’ll
still be left with things you want to keep.
The
solution? Start packing.
Pack
things you don’t need every day. Basically, you want to lessen the
number of clothes and linens in your drawers and cabinets, so pack
away your seasonal clothing.
Keep
your CD and DVD collection in a box, together with all those books
and art materials your kids may need in the future.
Don’t
forget to include your mementos, photos, and wall decor!
Clean,
clean, clean.
I
know, you’ve heard of this a million times over, but I cannot
stress it enough.
When
I say clean, I don’t just mean a good sweep or vacuum over the
floor. The house must be thoroughly clean. It must be spotless, it
must sparkle.
Clean
your cupboards, over the cupboards, cabinets, drawers, the bathrooms,
the kitchen, the bedrooms, the walls, the baseboards, the windows,
vents, everything!
It
takes time to clean a home, and it’s a continual process. I know I
said you don’t have to spend anything for the preparatory steps,
but if you don’t have enough time to clean, have a professional
cleaning crew do it. They’ll do it so efficiently your house will
literally sparkle.
Many
times I’ve heard buyers say “This home is so clean and
well-maintained!” Buyers think that if you keep your home clean,
you also maintain the home well, which means the house is in great
condition.
Depersonalize.
The
day you made the decision to sell is the day you start removing your
identity from the house. This is what it means to depersonalize.
You
want to make your house neutral because a lot of buyers will be
coming in and checking it.
Start
by removing anything religious, political, superstitious and personal
in your home.
Think
of the model homes and expensive hotels you go to. You love its
inviting feel, the cozy atmosphere, but you don’t see any huge
photos of the owner in the suite.
It’s
the same thing when you sell a house. The potential buyers are not
interested in seeing photos of your kids hanging on the wall. They
would have an easier time connecting to your property when your
personal belongings are not on display.
Do
minor repairs.
When
you want to sell your home for its best value, you need to get it in
top shape. After living there for many years, no matter how great
you've had it maintained, there'll always be things to fix.
What are some of the repairs you should consider?
Here
are some typical areas where damage occurs which you should fix
before selling.
1.
Flooring fixes.
This
tops the list because it is the most prone to wear and tear due to
its daily usage. If you have carpet floors, it may be stained and
worn down after many years. Consider getting your carpets deep
cleaned or better yet, replaced with new carpet or hardwood floor.
If
you have hardwood floors, you'll notice that the area with the most
traffic will appear most scratched or worn. Have your floor
refinished so that it looks good as new.
If
you have tile floors, check out for chipped or cracked tiles and have
them replaced.
2.
Walls, doors and ceiling paint.
Another
minor fix you should consider is the paint on your walls,
door and ceiling.
After many years of use, the paint would have faded and there'll be
signs of the normal wear and tear. Giving your walls a fresh coat of
paint will not only revive its color but also hide any other
imperfections in it like marks and scratches. The same applies to all
the doors and ceilings.
3.
Kitchen repairs and maintenance.
The
kitchen is one of the first places buyers visit when they come in for
showings, so make sure that your kitchen is clean and comfortable.
Fix
cabinets and drawers that are falling off, and if necessary replace
or refinish cabinet doors. The countertop laminate should be
impeccable, so make sure that whatever your countertop is, it's clean
and gout-free.
Leaking
faucets and old sinks should be replaced to give your kitchen that
well-maintained look.
4.
Bathroom repairs.
One
of the best things you can do for your home's bathroom is to replace
its old, rusty faucet. Replacing chipped or damaged floor tiles is
another repair to look out for.
5.
Electrical system and plumbing repairs.
This
is best left to professionals. If your home has plumbing or
electrical issues, its best to get it fixed so it won't cause further
damage.
6.
Home exterior repairs.
Walk
outside and take note of any obvious signs of disrepair.
Cracks on the
driveway cement should be taken cared of. Check out for any roof
issues, you could be missing a shingle. Your siding could be looking
faced.
Taking
care of all these simple repairs will help your home look well-kept
and maintained.
And don’t forget to boost your curb appeal!
You’ve
probably heard this before, but in real estate, the first impression
is the only impression. It only takes seven seconds to make an
impression so you have to make it count!
For
your home to have that wow! factor, you need to work on your curb
appeal. An outstanding curb appeal will get many sellers through your
door.
Step 4: Market your home
The
first step to marketing your home is getting excellent photographs
and videos.
According
to the NAR Real Estate in a Digital Age 2017 Report, 99% of
Millenials search online websites, while 89% of Older Boomers
and 77% of the Silent Generation do.
89%
of home buyers find photos to be very useful. That alone should tell
you why you need excellent photographs of your home.
As
your agent, it’s my job to market your home.
I
will list your home in the MLS so that the other agents can also have
access to your home.
I
will market it through fliers, advertisements, videos, social media
and various real estate online platforms to ensure that the Internet
is flooded with your listing.
Step 5: Show your home.
When
your home has been marketed, it’s time for showings!
If
you’re wondering if you should be home during the showings, I
highly encourage you to drive around town while the showings are
going on.
Potential
buyers want to feel comfortable when they ask questions, and with you
hovering around, they may not be able to do that.
My
task is to help you prepare your home for showings, and
to be there as
your representative for the showing.
Your role is to prepare your home for showings and open houses, ensuring that your home is clean, well-presented, odor-free and in its best form.
Step 6: Receive offers and negotiate
Your
wish came true! You’ve received multiple offers!
What’s
next?
You
need to carefully consider all, going through the prices and terms of
each offer.
Here
are three things to remember when evaluating offers:
1. Identify
the terms that are important to you. Do
you want to sell your house before a specific date? Do you want to
stay within a certain price range? Do you want buyer credibility?
Know your priority.
2. Review
all the terms of each offer. Carefully
consider the terms of each offer. Find out the strong points and
drawbacks. Know what concessions the buyer is asking from you.
3. Find
the best one you like and make a counteroffer to make some
changes. You’ll
surely have terms of your own, so after reviewing each offer with me,
find the best one and we’ll make a counteroffer to add some terms
of your own. The key to the best negotiation is to remain flexible!
Step 7: Go under contract
You’ve accepted an offer. Is the home selling process over?
You’re
almost there, but not quite. There are still a few more things to be
done. At this point, I will be working closely with the buyer’s
agent to work out the details of the sale, making sure that both
parties are meeting the legal and financial requirements.
This
is the step where the earnest money comes in, the property title is
taken care of, the property transfer of deed is prepared and the home
inspector comes in.
Step 8: Close the deal.
Closing is the meeting of both parties - the buyers and sellers together with their official representatives like agents and attorneys. This is where the final disclosures are given, the signing of documents takes place and the payment or closing costs are transacted.
When
you’ve received the cashier’s check and have given up the key,
you’ll need to leave the property, taking everything with you and
doing a final sweep before you go.
And
that’s the end of your Kirtland OH home-selling journey.
Congratulations!
Selling
your Kirtland home is not difficult if you know what to do and who to
ask help from.
Call
me, Christine Pappas, (216)-956-7635. I am your real estate
professional in the North Eastern Ohio area. My goal is to help you
sell your home successfully. I will be with you from the start to the
end, connecting the dots, analyzing the data, and guiding you through
the home selling process.
In case you cannot view this video here, please click the link below to view How to Sell Your Home : Everything You Need To Know on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ1g39-GApM&feature=youtu.be
