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Investment Florida Realty's Simple Steps to Selling your Home
1. Establish your reasons for Selling.
Write down all the reasons for selling your home. Ask yourself, “Why do I want to sell and what do I expect to accomplish with the sale?” For example, Your family is growing and you need a larger home, a job opportunity in another city may force you to move or the kids have moved on to college and you want to downsize. For your goals, write down the certain time frame you wish to make this happen or what particular profit margin are you hoping to achieve.
Investment Florida Realty will map out the best path to achieve your objectives and set a realistic price and time frame for the sale.
2. Decide on a List Price.
Your next objective should be to determine the best possible selling price for your house. We will help you by explaining current market conditions in your area. Setting a fair asking price will generate the most activity from other real estate agents and buyers. You will need to take into account the condition of your home, what comparable homes in your neighborhood are selling for and state of the overall market in your area. It’s often difficult to remain unbiased when putting a price on your home, so our expertise is invaluable at this step. Investment Florida Realty will know what comparable homes are selling for in your neighborhood and the average time those homes are sitting on the market. If you want a truly objective opinion about the price of your home, you could have an appraisal done.
Helpful Hint: You’re always better off setting a fair market value price than setting your price too high. Studies show that homes priced higher than 3 percent of their market value take longer to sell. If your home sits on the market for too long, potential buyers may think there is something wrong with the property or that the Seller is unreasonable to work with. Usually when this occurs, you drop the price too late and end up selling for less than you could have.
3. Get your home Ready.
Most of us don’t keep our homes in “showroom” condition. We tend to overlook piles of boxes in the garage, broken porch lights and doors or windows that stick. It’s time to break out of that owner’s mindset and get your house in tiptop shape. Taking the emotions out of the selling process and treating it like a business keep you focused on the main objective, SELL the home for quickly and for TOP dollar! The condition of your home will affect how quickly it sells and the price the buyer is willing to offer.
First impressions are the most important. As your, we will help you take a fresh look at your home and suggest ways to stage it and make it more appealing to buyers.
A home with too much “personality” is harder to sell. Removing family photos, mementos and personalized décor will help buyers visualize the home as theirs. Clutter is a problem. Removing small items, makes rooms look bigger and helps buyers visualize their personal belongings in the home.
Make minor repairs and replacements. Small defects, such as a leaky faucet, a torn screen or a worn doormat, can ruin the buyer’s first impression.
4. Put the Home on the Market.
Now that you’re ready to sell, Investment Florida Realty will set up a marketing strategy specifically for your home. There are many ways to get the word out, including:
- The Internet
- Yard signs
- Brochures
- Window listings at our Office
- Open houses
- Media advertising
- Agent-to-agent referrals
- Networking
- Direct mail marketing campaigns
In addition to listing your home on the MLS, your we will use a combination of these strategies to bring the most qualified buyers to your home. Investment Florida Realty will structure a marketing plan so that the first three to six weeks are the busiest.
Keep in mind, 87% of all Buyers search the internet to find a home. Investment Florida Realty uses many different websites to market our listings. The more exposure, the better.
5. Getting an Offer.
When you receive a written offer from a potential buyer, your we will find out whether or not the individual is prequalified or preapproved to buy your home. If so, then together, we will review the proposed contract, taking care to understand what is required of both parties to execute the transaction. The contract, though not limited to this list, should include the following:
- Purchase Price
- Address
- Legal Description
- Down payment
- Financing arrangements
- List of fees and who will pay them
- Deposit amount
- Inspection rights and possible repair allowances
- Method of conveying the title and who will handle the closing
- Appliances and furnishings that will stay with the home
- Contingencies
- Closing Date
6. If Applicable, Negotiate the Contract.
Most offers to purchase your home will require some negotiating to come to a win-win agreement. Investment Florida Realty are well versed on the intricacies of the contracts used in your area and will protect your best interest throughout the bargaining. We help you understand which items are the most important to negotiate and why. Here are some of the items usually negotiated:
- Price
- Closing Costs
- Repairs
- Deposit amount
- Financing
- Commission
- Appliances
- Landscaping
- Painting
- Move-in date
7. Prepare to close.
Once you accept an offer to sell your house, the contract is now called Exectued. The property may need to be formally appraised, surveyed, inspected or repaired. We will help expedite the process from here and serve as your advocate when dealing with the buyer’s agent and service providers. If each procedure returns acceptable results as defined by the contract, then the sale may continue. If there are problems with the home, the terms set forth in the contract will dictate your next step. Sometimes items of concern occur from things happening during this due diligenece period. If this takes place, you or the buyer may decide to walk away or to open a new round of negotiations or proceed to closing.
8. Closing Day!
“Closing” refers to the meeting where ownership of the property is legally transferred to the buyer. We will be present during the closing to guide you through the process and make sure everything goes as planned. By being present during the closing, we can mediate any last-minute issues that may arise. Never consider your home sold until the closing has occured. Things can happen in the last minute to surprise you.
After the closing, you should make a “to do” list for turning the property over to the new owners. Here is a checklist to get you started.
Cancel all utilities: electricity, gas, lawn care, cable and other routine services.
- If the new owner is retaining any of the services, change the name on the account.
- Make sure all your belongings have been removed.
- Gather owner’s manuals and warranties for all conveying appliances.
Contact us Today to receive a FREE Market Anyalysis for your home and community! Or Simply fill out the info request form below
Investment Florida Realty - Your Local Full Service Real Estate Firm
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