HOW TO SELL YOUR HOME FAST & FOR TOP DOLLAR

You have decided to sell your home and move to a new community in Central Florida. Like most sellers, you want to sell your home fast, for top dollar and with the least inconvenience to you.

What is the first step you should take? Without question, the first step is to consult with a professional REALTOR®. Unless you have a top producing agent as your REALTOR®, you should call the Real Estate Board and ask for recommendations of at least three top producers in your selling area. Then, call each to interview for the job of selling your home. Let them know that you are interviewing several agents.

Once you decide which agent you want to sell your home, tell the agent what your plans are. When would you prefer to close on the sale of your home? How much would you like to walk away with after all of the expenses are deducted from the proceeds of the sale? Why? — So the agent will be able to determine how realistic your expectations are. The agent will perform a thorough Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to determine the approximate market value of your home. You and your agent should then develop a specific marketing plan for the sale of your home.

Once you have agreed to the marketing plan, implement it! Don’t over-price or under-price your home. The CMA establishes the listing price. If you over-price your home, you will eliminate many buyers who would otherwise look at your home. Why? Because the agent with whom they are working will advise them that the home is overpriced. If you under-price the home, you are simply leaving money on the table for the buyer to keep.

Keep the home in move-in condition at all times. Get rid of extra boxes and furniture that you don’t intend to keep. Rent a storage unit to store things that you will want in your next home but don’t need while the home is being sold. Box up and store things that are cluttering your closets and rooms to make them appear as big as possible.

If necessary, have the home cleaned by a professional. That will make it easier for you to keep it that way once the home goes on the market. The carpets should be cleaned prior to putting your home on the market. Then vacuum them every morning and after every showing. While this may seem extreme, it will help you sell your home fast and for top dollar.

Turn on all lights in the home prior to each showing. Open the blinds to allow in as much sunlight as possible. Then, each morning, bake some bread or your favorite pastry. The aroma makes the buyer think pleasant thoughts. And leave a conspicuous note inviting the buyer and REALTOR® viewing the home to enjoy the treat.

The kitchen and bathrooms are absolutely critical in the sale of your home. Ensure that the kitchen is spic and span with all dishes washed and properly stored. Thoroughly clean the refrigerator. The oven should be spotless. If the stove has burners, ensure that they are clean and in good repair.

The beds in all bedrooms should be made and fully dressed. The closets should be free of clutter and all clothes pressed and neatly hung. The drapes and blinds should be open for natural illumination.

Clean bathrooms may be even more important for obvious reasons. Shower curtains should be cleaned or replaced. Shower walls and bathtubs should be sparkling clean. Tile grout should be repaired and cleaned. Toilet bowls should be scrubbed and a product like Tidy Bowl used to deodorize and to color the standing water. Exhaust fans should be cleaned often. Mirrors should sparkle. Faucets and their base should be cleaned and shined daily. Decorative linens should be clean, pressed and constantly on display.

When the home is being shown, you and any other family members should find a reason to go outside so that the buyers can feel comfortable making comments to each other and their REALTOR® without fear of offending you.

If you have pets, you should gather them and leave the property. While most buyers like pets, they want to concentrate on the home they are viewing and not worry about the pet harming them or vice versa. Have a good friend visit to determine if there is a pet odor or other odor in the home that should be addressed. Emphasize to your friend that you really want to know if there is an odor and to not worry about them offending you. Pet odors can kill a sale before it happens.

The REALTOR® should provide you with a stock of Feature Sheets that accurately describe your home. It will contain a color photo of the home, the room sizes, the interior and exterior features, the appliances that convey with the home, the living area square footage, the latest taxes paid and other information that a prospective buyer would want to know. Ensure that each potential buyer receives one. When your supply gets low, notify your agent that you are about to run out so you can get re-supplied.

If a potential buyer returns later in the day without their agent, they are probably trying to find out if you are desperate to sell the home. If they ask you why you are selling, simply say, you have personal reasons for leaving. That is a polite way of saying that it is none of their business. If they persist with probing questions, tell them that your agent advised you to refer any questions about the home, other than the listing price, to your agent.

If you listen to your REALTOR® and follow these simple procedures, you WILL sell your home fast and for top dollar!