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Tips for Selling Your HomeBuying and selling real estate, whether it's your own home or one of many investment properties, needs careful consideration. Timing, pricing, presentation and other marketing strategies are all factors that make a big difference in selling your home quickly and at the highest price possible. It is important that your Realtor focus on you--the client--and your needs. Each client has different needs and objectives which must be factored into the marketing plan and adjusted as necessary to make sure you get the best results possible.Call us today to tell us your needs and objectives. We won't pressure you into listing your house. That's your decision to make. We know you have questions and we will do our best to answer them. We are here to give you the most informed, up-to-date advice we can in helping you make your decision TIP #1: Price Your Property Appropriately For Current Market Conditions If you need to sell your house, then it is critical the your property is priced appropriately. Of course your goal should be to maximize the sales price of your house. However, there are dangers in both overpricing and underpricing your home. Setting an asking price too high with the hopes of receiving an offer may have the adverse affect. Qualified buyers may not even view your house because it would be out of the normal range for other similar homes. Overpricing your property may cause your home to sit on the market longer than normal. Conversely, underpricing your home may be detrimental as well. At the very least, it may cause some buyers to wonder if there is something wrong with your house or a problem that is hidden from view. At the most, it means you may sell your house for far less than you could have received in the same time period. By working closely with you, Pride of Austin Realtor® will help you make the correct pricing decision for your home. TIP #2: Prepare Your Home To Sell Quickly Be sure to make any necessary repairs and give your home a good cleaning. Leaky faucets and squeaky hinges don't cost much to fix, but they make a big impact on how potential buyers see your home. Failure to use a little "elbow grease" and not making minor repairs will lower the value of your home and even turn away some buyers. See our Seller's Checklist for ways you can prepare your home to sell more quickly. TIP #3: Be Ready To Show Your Home Be flexible with property showings. It may be inconvenient, but by making your home available to more buyers, you increase its chances of being sold quickly. Make the house accessible. That means it should always be ready to show. Many buyers won't bother viewing a house that takes 24 hours to get into. Make sure your home is inviting by keeping it clean and well-lit. Air out rooms that may smell like pets, smoke or cooking odors, and place a few scented candles around your home. To increase curb appeal, maintain a healthy lawn and add a splash of color to your front porch. Keep pets away. They detract from your home’s appeal, so arrange for them to stay with a neighbor while your house is being shown. If that’s not possible, put them outside or confine them to one room, and let your REALTOR® know where to find them. TIP #4: Use All Methods To Market/Advertise Your Home There are so many ways to market and advertise your property that you may overlook some obvious options for your situation. Pride of Austin employs a wide variety of marketing techniques to market your home in addition to the traditional methods you may be used to seeing. At Pride of Austin Realtor®, we are committed to selling your property; we are readily available for every phone call from a perspective buyer. It is important for you to know that we are full-time Realtor® since most contacts are made by qualified and motivated buyers during business hours. TIP #5: Pre-screen Potential Buyers Unfortunately, not everyone who asks to view your home is a realistic potential buyer. Frequently, people who do not come through a Realtor® are not really in the market to buy a home, many are more interested in browsing through the available houses than they are in actually buying. Others are not prepared to make a purchase because they have not sold their home yet, are not financially prepared, or may not have made the decision as to whether they really want to buy a home at this time. By working with a Pride of Austin Realtor® we can often save you from wasting your time with unqualified buyers. TIP #6: Understand Your Contract Rights & Responsibilities It is extremely important that you understand the details of your real estate contract. Real estate contracts can often be very complex and confusing, and you should know that they are legally binding documents. It is important that you know what you are responsible for before signing the contract. Not being familiar with your contract could cost you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars on repairs and/or inspections. Forms You Will Need Know About To Sell Your Home Home In Addition To A Listing Agreement
Sellers are typically responsible for having the home inspected and paying the closing fees, as well as taking care of any repairs deemed necessary by the inspector. Typically, you can expect prorated costs for your share of annual expenses, such as property taxes, home owner association fees, Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees. By working with a Pride of Austin Realtor® you will be made aware of and prepared for these costs as they occur. TIP #8: Calculate Your Estimated Proceeds Check Your Mortgage Payoff. Call your lender to check the payoff for your current home mortgage. Deduct your mortgage payoff from your home's fair market value. Deduct your costs to sell from the remainder to get an estimate of the proceeds you will be paid at closing. Will your closing proceeds cover your costs to buy a new home? If not, do you have cash or other funding to make up the difference? TIP #9: Make Financial Preparations To Buy Your New Home If the reason that you are selling is that you want to move to a new home, do a little pre-planning about the home you want to move into. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan. Often sellers sign a contract to sell their house before they knew if they were qualified to buy another. Either their financial circumstances had changed since their last purchase, and they could no longer qualify for a loan, or they weren't able to sell at a price that allowed them to buy the type of replacement house they wanted. They ended up renting or buying something that was far from ideal. Before you decide to sell the house, get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement. TIP #10: Preparing To Move Get your paperwork in order. The buyer will want warranties and manuals for appliances included with the house and you won't want to search for them while you're busy moving. Give your forwarding address to the post office, bank and your friends and family. And consider holding a yard sale so you don't end up paying to move things you really no longer want or need. When you are selling your home… Our Pride Delivers for YOU! |
