The Right Team to Sell Your Home
We know the best way to get your home to SOLD!
Homebuyer Workshop
Get in on this homebuyer education workshop to help you navigate through your homeownership journey with confidence!
We’ll Find The Perfect Buyer For Your Home
Congratulations on beginning the selling process! Consider this your go-to guide, with insights provided by your agent along the way.
Showing Your Home
Once you and your agent have prepped your house for sale and set a price, you’re ready for the public to see your property.
When you’ve chosen your agent, and together you’ve prepped your house for sale and set a price, you’re ready for the public to see your home.
What is Showing?
A showing takes place either at an open house, which is a scheduled session when anyone can come by without an appointment, or during an appointment scheduled with you or your listing agent.
How Do I Prepare my House for a Showing?
Your agent is a great source of advice on specifics for your home preparations so that your house is positioned competitively in the market. They may have recommendations for professionals such as renovators, decorators, and stagers who can help. Preparations will likely include two phases.
Review Offers
When you receive one or more offers on your property, your agent will rank them based on your priorities and help you analyze, clarify, and compare your offers.
Home Inspection
Most buyers request a home inspection as a condition of their offer. While a home inspector will dig more deeply into your home than a buyer, the preparation you made before your first showing should help you get ready for the inspection. Your agent can give you personalized advice too
What is a Home Inspection?
A home inspection is a thorough review of your home’s structure and systems by a professional home inspector. A buyer can use the inspection report to decide to rescind their offer if a major issue is uncovered, or to request repairs if the contract is contingent on a satisfactory report. In some cases, a home inspection is solely for the buyer’s information and can’t be used to negotiate.
Appraisal
As you near the end of your home sale journey, one of the last remaining steps is getting your home appraised. Your agent can help you gather materials and prepare for the appraiser’s visit.
What is an appraisal?
An appraisal is an objective valuation of your property that serves as a safeguard for the buyer and the buyer’s lender. While the buyer pays for an appraisal, the appraiser actually works for the lender. While an appraiser may look at some of the same things as a home inspector, the result is an appraised value of your property rather than a condition report.
Close
You’re one step closer to selling! There’s quite a lot to consider when closing on the sale of your house. Here’s what you can expect.
While you may want to focus on your next move, your agent is likely to remind you that until the closing is over, you have some final responsibilities as a seller.
Sellers may or may not attend the closing, so you should consult your agent and the settlement company to decide what’s best. You can sign all documents before the official closing.
What’s Next?
After the closing, you’ll:
- Receive the proceeds from the sale, usually by wire transfer.
- Cancel your homeowners insurance “post-close” – to make sure you’re covered on that day.
- Save your closing documents and home improvement records for taxes.
Congratulations! You can now shake hands with your agent … you’ve successfully sold your home.
Showing Checklist
Phase One Checklist
During phase one, before photos are taken and before the first showing, you should
✔ Clean deeply.
✔ Paint some or all of your house.
✔ Do minor repairs such as caulking tubs and windows.
✔ Make major repairs – if needed and in your budget, such as replacing your counters or appliances.
✔ Stage your furniture to showcase your home’s best features.
✔ Remove personal items such as family photos.
✔ Declutter every surface and storage space.
✔ Reorganize your closets and pack excess items.
✔ Eliminate odors by cleaning the fireplace or shampooing rugs.
✔ Create an appealing color scheme with curtains or pillows to warm up your home.
✔ Upgrade your lighting or lightbulbs to make your rooms brighter.
✔ Spruce up the landscaping.
✔ Power-wash your decks and sidewalks if needed.
Phase Two Checklist
Phase two, the last-minute prep just prior to any showing you should
✔ Turn on the lights and open the blinds for maximum light.
✔ Take out the garbage.
✔ Make the beds.
✔ Clear and dust surfaces.
✔ Take your pets with you and put away pet bowls.
✔ Hide your valuables.
✔ Turn off your computer.
✔ Set the temperature.
✔ Put out fresh towels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I expect when showing my house?
Three important things you can do to help get your house sold are:
1. Leave when your house is being shown. Buyers prefer to look at homes when they can move around freely and the owners aren’t there.
2. Make your house as available as possible. While it may be inconvenient to show your home at dinnertime or on weekends, buyers who can’t see a property when they’re eager may cross it off their list.
3. Listen to any feedback from buyers or agents about ways you can make your home more appealing.
Always coordinate with your agent for maximum exposure and a faster sale.
What is an Offer?
An offer to buy your home is a purchase agreement signed by the potential buyer that includes:
- The amount of the offer
- An explanation of how the buyer will pay, such as cash or a pre-approval for financing
- The terms – such as a request for closing-cost help or contingencies such as the sale of the buyer’s house, a final mortgage approval, a satisfactory home inspection, and an appraisal
- A target date for closing
- An earnest money deposit
- A time limit for the offer
How do I evaluate each offer?
When you receive an offer to buy your home, you and your agent should review it and consider whether you want to accept it. Whether you have one offer or several, you and your agent will look at:
- The amount offered
- Whether the buyer has included or waived contingencies
- Where the funds are coming from, such as all-cash, a reputable local lender, a well-known online lender, or an unknown out-of-town lender
- The proposed closing date and date of possession of the house to see if it aligns with your needs
- Any special requests for items to convey or for special inspections
What happens if I receive multiple offers?
If you receive multiple offers, your agent can advise you on one of these options:
- Accept the best offer. If one offer stands above the rest, you can accept that one right away. But be careful not to be swayed by a high offer if the financing seems uncertain or if the buyer hasn’t explained a plan for a possible low appraisal.
- Counter all the offers to get a better price and terms. You can ask all potential buyers to give you their best offer by a certain deadline.
- Counter one offer that’s close to what you want. If you like one offer but think the buyer could do a little better, you can send them a counteroffer to see if they’ll accept.
You and the buyer can negotiate until you both agree on the final contract. Your agent is your best ally during the negotiations and is equipped with the data and expertise to guide you.
What can I expect when closing?
Sellers may or may not attend the closing, so you should consult your agent and the settlement company to decide what’s best. You can sign all documents before the official closing.
Seller expenses, which are deducted from the proceeds of the sale, include:
- Final balance on your mortgage
- Real estate commissions
- Prorated property taxes, utility bills, homeowners insurance, and homeowners association dues
If you can’t move before the closing, you may need to arrange a rentback from the buyer. A rentback agreement would allow you to remain in your home for a specified amount of time after closing. Your agent can help you complete appropriate paperwork for a rentback.
If you are moving, the buyer will do a walk-through of your home within 24 hours before the closing to check that the property is in good condition. If the buyer finds something that needs to be fixed, your agent can help you decide how to handle it.
Whether or not you attend the closing, you’ll need to provide house keys to your buyer, along with all alarm codes, remote controls for the garage, and mailbox or gate keys.
What is looked at during a home inspection?
The inspector will check:
- Structural conditions such as the foundation, beams, and floors
- Roof condition
- Mechanical systems such as heat and air conditioning
- Appliances – to make sure they’re working, although some inspectors skip appliances that are not built-in
- Plumbing – for leaks, rust, and water pressure
- Electrical systems such as grounded outlets and code violations
- Safety issues such as stairs, handrails, mold, or chimney maintenance
The inspector won’t check some items that are unusual or inaccessible, such as:
- Septic systems
- Wells
- Underground pipes and sprinkler systems
- Swimming pools and spas
- Playground equipment
What Happens after the Inspection?
Once the inspection report has been generated, you and your agent can discuss how to handle any possible issues a buyer mentions. You can negotiate with the buyer, decide to fix an item, provide money for the buyer to fix it, or provide documentation that the problem has already been addressed. Your agent can help you handle any inspection issues.
How is my house appraised?
Appraisers use as many measurable pieces of data available to provide an accurate value of your property, including:
- Comparable properties in your area that are of similar size, age, and condition
- The condition of your home’s systems and structure
- The square footage of your property
- The number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Your location
- The quality of your flooring, plumbing, and electrical systems
Appraisers include research about other properties and neighborhood values, as well as an in-person visit for their evaluation of your home.
How should I prepare for an appraisal?
Preparing for an appraisal is similar to prepping for an inspection. You should:
- Provide a list of all major improvements to the home and the age and condition of your roof, heating and air conditioning system, and appliances.
- Provide any permits required for home improvements.
- Clean your house.
- Provide full access to all rooms and spaces, including the garage, sheds, attic, and crawlspace.
- Remove or crate your pets.
- Leave the house, or at least stay out of the appraiser’s way.
How can an appraisal affect my home sale?
An appraisal could require a renegotiation if the property value comes in lower than the sales price. The appraised value dictates the maximum amount the lender will allow the buyers to borrow, minus their down payment. Depending on how the contract was written, if the appraisal is low, you can:
- Ask the buyer to come up with extra cash to make up the difference between the loan amount and the purchase price.
- Reduce your price to the appraised value.
- Split the difference with the buyer.
- Cancel the contract.
Your agent can advise you on your options in the context of the contract and market conditions.
Denise really went above and beyond in selling our home. Not only did we succeed in getting a very good price but she did an enormous amount of work in finding contractors for pre-sale repairs and staging.
Denise is a great agent. She helped us purchase our dream home in a very competitive market. She's really easy going and has the perspective of a parent and working professional. I highly recommend her.
Denise was absolutely great at helping us to sell our home. She's very knowledgeable and helped us get our house ready for presentation. She was able to bring in several offers and help us choose which one was best for our family. 10/10 would recommend her to family and friends!