Is now the right time to put my home on the market?
If you’re moving up, or downsizing, the answer is yes. Market conditions will place you in an advantageous purchasing position that might even offset any compromise on the sale of your home. Interest rates are also worth considering. Attractive rates will yield a larger field of buyers for your property.
- Why is my choice of real estate company important?
My point of view has always been that “Numbers speak for themselves”. I believe in aligning myself with a strong, reputable, productive firm. I value being able to prove our command of the market with solid production figures. Your motivation to choose the right company is perhaps more compelling than mine.
- How do I know that I’m pricing it right?
That seems to be the question of the day. Fortunately, the answer is fairly straight forward. The comparisons an appraiser will use are the only ones that matter. Gone are the days when a seller could name their price and the appraiser would try to accommodate. There are now much more exacting guidelines.
- What repairs should I do?
You need to look at your home with the critical eye of a buyer. Start where you park and do a complete walk-through with a notebook in hand. Notice EVERYTHING; landscaping, scuffed walls, dripping faucets, soiled carpeting. If you see it, they’ll see it. You want potential buyers making only positive notes.
- How long will it take for my home to sell?
Believe it or not, that's entirely up to you! There is no typical "time on market". That will always depend on condition, ease of showing, and most importantly price.
- Should I stay at home during a showing to help out?
A definitive NO. Both you and the buyer would be uncomfortable. If a buyer is uneasy looking around your home, they will leave before they’ve seen everything and what they’ll remember is not your home, but their own discomfort there. In addition, you should never be available to spontaneously answer questions, that’s what you’ve hired me for.
- Is it possible to only schedule showings when we’re at work, so our evenings and weekends are undisturbed?
Possible maybe, advisable no. Ease of showing is one of a listing’s most critical selling points. The harder you make it, the longer it takes. Buyers will just move on to the next home. There are too many to choose from for them to put up with any inconvenience.
- Everyone knows someone lives here, why pack anything away?
Here again, it’s a matter of what you want the buyer to remember. Will your house be “the one I want with the amazing kitchen” or “oh gee, was that the house with all the wedding pictures”?
- What happens if the appraisal does not support the purchase price?
This is not necessarily a deal-breaker. In my experience, all parties generally want to see the transaction close. I'll be right by your side with facts, figures, to evaluate your options.
Contact Coldwell Banker’s Susan Bradley and Associates
