Written by Derina Malone

The following will help you take the proper steps to having a “For Sale” sign in your yard.

1.    CALL YOUR LENDER

Call your lender and ask for your payoff amount.  They will give you the amount to satisfy your debt that includes the interest owed through the estimated date you plan to pay off the loan. Knowing an estimated pay off amount will be beneficial when pricing your home.

2.    CALL ME, YOUR REALTOR

Call your local Realtor and have them to prepare a Comparative Market Analysis for you.  The C.M.A allows you to see how homes comparable to yours are selling. Most C.M.A’s will have three sections, the “Active”, “Pending” and “Sold” section.

• Active – The active part of the report will show you which comparable homes are currently on the market, their list price, how long they’ve been on the market and if there has been aprice reduction since each home has been on the market.

• Pending – When a home is pending, all parties have agreed on the terms needed to sell a home and are now going through the process that leads to a closing. This part of the report will not disclose the final terms that were agreed upon by the buyer and seller, however it will show you what the sellers were asking when an agreement was made and how long the home was on the market until it turned to a pending status.

• SOLD – The sold section will tell you how long a comparable property was on the market and what the final sales price was. All three parts of the CMA play an important role in how you should price your home however in my opinion, the SOLD section is the most important part of the report. The sold section shows you what the market is willing to pay for a home like yours.  There are exceptions and your Realtor will be able to pull additional reports if needed.

Once you know your pay out and have reviewed the C.M.A, I can then prepare a NET sheet for you. The NET sheet will allow you to have a snapshot of your closing cost and how much you may walk away with, after selling your home at the price you have decided on.

 3.    PREPARE YOUR HOME 

Now that you’ve met with me and decided on the right price for your home, it’s time to prepare your home for showing.

The easiest way to get your home ready is to remember the acronym R.U.D.E.

Repair  – Now is time to complete everything on your “Honey Do” list. If you want top dollar for your home it’s important to make your home move in ready. Fix and repair as much as possible, before the potential buyer discovers it. Repair items can cause you to get less for your home or even lose a sale.

Unclutter – Your home is lived in and probably very clean, however your home now needs to show like a model home; I know this task can be a challenge, especially if you have kids. If a buyer likes your home they will want to imagine it as their own. Remember less is more! You may even want to consider having a professional staging company, come in to assist you in this part of the process.

Depersonalize – Family pictures, awards, trophies, personalized artwork and mementos should be packed away.   Remember your home needs to show like a model not like the Smith family home that the potential buyers are visiting.

Exterior – First impressions are everything!  The first impression can literally turn a buyer off before they even walk through your doors or you can have really good curb appeal and get them really excited to see what’s next. Make sure your lawn is cut and while you’re at it, add a pop of color to your garden. Even a simple hanging basket filled with colorful blossoms could make a difference.

Now your home is ready to sell! Call me to put the “For Sale” sign in your yard quick!