Andrew And Associates

Ten Proven Steps plus one…
for Selling Your Home at Top Dollar

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Selling your home is probably the largest financial transaction you will ever make in you life. Here are ten proven steps to help you sell you home at top dollar and reduce the stress that comes from the process of selling your home.

1. Be sure you know why you are selling your home and keep it to yourself.  The reason you’re selling your home makes all the difference in the selling process. It determines the price you set and the money you’re willing to invest to get your home ready to sell. You know what is most important to you. It may be the time it takes to sell. Perhaps, it is the amount of money you will gain from the sale… or maybe it’s a combination of these two. Your personal goals will largely determine what strategy you use to sell your home. Be sure to keep this confidential. You don’t want this coming back to haunt you when negotiating for a home. If someone asks why you’re selling your home, simply tell them your housing needs have changed.

2. Carefully determine the selling price of your home. To properly set the asking price for your home is a serious matter. You should do your homework. The current market conditions always influence the price of a home For example, if you’re in a seller’s market and set your price too low, you’ll get multiple offers over and above your asking price. On the other hand, if you price your home too high, you may have very few people look at your home. Research tells us most buyers look and compare dozens of homes on the Internet before they even talk to an agent. You want your home to compare favorably with other similar homes on the market. If your home does not compare favorably, it may sit on the market for a long time. That is a problem and will cost you money.

3. Review the comparable sales of homes in your neighborhood over the past three to six month.  Keep in mind that buyers establish the price of a home. The best way to determine the price of your home is to review what other similar homes have sold for in your neighborhood in recent months. This is what the buyers will do.

4. Make sure your realtor understands and represents your needs. Unfortunately, nearly 75% of all homeowners insist they would not use the same real estate agent who sold their last home. They state that poor communication and feedback are the primary problems. This usually results in lower prices and strained relationships.

5. Maximize the potential sale of your home. There is an old saying, “You never have a second chance to make a good first impression”. This is absolutely true. The appearance of your home is critical. Make sure it shows well. You may not be able to change the location of your home, but you can improve the appearance. The look and feel of your home generates and emotional response in the buyer. This is more powerful, for good or bad, than any other factor! The better your home appears, the more money you can expect from the sale.

6. Help buyers imagine living in your home. Buying a home is largely an emotional decision. Prospective buyers try on your home much like they would a new set of clothes. It is best to let the potential buyers tour your home in private. If you can’t leave the home, go to a separate out-of-the-way room and let them have the freedom and privacy to tour your home. Don’t make it difficult for them to feel comfortable in your home by following them from room to room and pointing out the pros and cons. They will leave quickly and not return.

7. Make it easy to get information about your home. Most sellers are surprised to learn that some marketing tools are not very effective in selling a home. For example, traditional open houses account for only one percent of all home sales. When someone wants information about your home, the last thing you want to do is play telephone tag with an agent. Make sure the agent offers a 24-hour service for providing information to your potential buyer. This should include a specific phone number for detailed information. Remember, the more buyers that compete for your home, the better.

8. Ask your agent to carefully screen your buyers. To maximize your potential profit, you must learn as much as you can about your buyers. When it comes to negotiating, the more your agent knows about your potential buyer the better. You don’t want to waste your time on buyers that cannot pay for your home. You want to make sure your agent has the upper hand when the negotiation process begins.

9. Complete your seller disclosure as soon as possible. As a seller, you are required by law to disclose everything about your property. Smart sellers go beyond the normal legal requirements to disclose all known defects to their buyers in writing. If the buyer knows up-front any potential problems, they cannot come back and take you to court after the sale. Be sure to provide a detailed list and have the buyer sign it.

10. Follow the terms of your contract. All terms, costs, and responsibilities have to be spelled out in the contract.  Do not divert from this contract.  For example, if the buyer requests to move in before the agreed upon date, you should say no.  Once these terms are all in place, it is dangerous to deviate and could potentially lead to the collapse of the whole sale.

11. If you move before selling your home, carefully clean it. You should steam the carpets, paint the walls and have someone water and maintain your yard. Your agent should let other realtors know the home is vacant and available for a quick close and immediate occupancy.

Choose your agent wisely.  Choose your agent by asking questions of him or her.  Find out how knowledgeable they are about houses currently for sale in your price range and also of houses that have recently sold.  Can your agent recommend a good lender that has the reputation of excellent customer service and low rates to assist your new buyer with financing?  A good listing agent can get your house sold quickly at Top Dollar and help you find a new home.

Do you have questions or need advice you can count on or just want to discuss this further?

Don’t waste any more time; pick up the phone and call me now!  I’m here to help!

I offer a five star guarantee. I appreciate your business, loyalty, trust and referrals. My goal is to provide the very best counsel and advice to meet your real estate needs. If I can assist you, a relative, friend or co-worker, please give me a call. I look forward to the opportunity to serve you.

For prompt, courteous, professional service, call Larry Andrew: