Messages From Diane

I am thinking about selling my home, now what?

1.  Call two or three TOP Realtors in your area and interview them.  Here are some great interview questions to ask a Realtor who applies for the job.

2.  Listen to each of the agents as you glean some insight into what to do to prepare your home for sale, what to do while it is on the market, and how to transition to your next home.  Each agent brings with him individual experiences and a  knowledge base from which to learn from.

3.  Evaluate your why.  Selling a home is not always easy.  In fact, sometimes it is really difficult.  You need to be sure your reason for moving is big enough to go through some of the hassles and hurdles to selling your home.  Some of these hurdles include keeping your home pristine while it is on the market, leaving the house when there is going to be a showing, scoffing down your food because you got a last minute showing as you were sitting down for a romantic dinner with your spouse, changing the sleeping patterns of your newborn to accommodate the showing… you get the point.  It’s not always a picnic so remember the big picture.  Remember your reason why.

4.  Prepare the home to go on the market! Do NOT make the mistake a lot of sellers make…. do not put the home on the market until it is “Show Ready”.

• Is the curb appeal desirable? The lawn must be cut, doggie doo-doo picked up, bushes and trees trimmed, fresh flowers and mulch, etc.
• Have you gotten rid of EVERYTHING that you won’t need between now and moving day? Rent a storage unit, borrow the corner of your best friends basement, give to charity, but get rid of it.  Your house has to look LARGE and decluttered.  Remember, when your prospects come in the house they will be trying to evaluate if their stuff will fit in the house and if it’s big enough.  If you closets are stuffed to the gills and every inch of your home has something in it…. it sends a message.  The wrong message.
• Vanilla.  Put a vanilla plug in on each floor.  Fido might stink and you don’t know it.  If you are a smoker, your house does stink. If you cook ethic food, or seafood, or spicy food, it will leave an odor.
• Neutralize.  The bedrooms should be as non-gender specific as possible.
• Define your space.  Every room should be able to be called something.  In other words, your prospect should be able to communicate what room she is talking about by saying, the office or the hobby room, or the workout room.  If you have a room that is currently being used as a workout room, your office and your hobby room, it is confusing.  Decide what type of room you need and what your buyer profile would want and get rid of the other stuff.
• Create the image you want to convey to the buyer.  The photographer is going to come soon.  Make sure you have the rooms clean, dishes put away, beds made, lights on, drapes open, atmosphere a 10…. then get ready for the pics!

5.  Determine which Realtor to hire.  I always tell people to hire on two things…. Results and Connection.  If the agent can’t produce results, pass.  They can’t produce them for a reason.  If you don’t seem to connect with the agent, pass.  The process can be several months.  A connection is important.  You don’t need to be best friends, but you need to connect, trust and like her.

6.  Go LIVE! It’s the big day! You are well prepared.  You did your homework.  You hired the right agent.  Your home looks great.  Your home smells great.  The pictures are awesome.  Get going! But be sure you priced it right to begin with!!! (That’s a different chapter)!

Live well my friends!