Are you thinking of selling your home, or perhaps even you’re selling yourself?  Here are a few pointers to help you get the BEST price for your home and could save you MONTHS of time THOUSAND’s of dollars in lost opportunity and negotiations.

• Consider having a 3rd party (or a trusted friend) help you prepare it for sale.   Make sure the prospective buyer sees the home as what it will be like when it is THEIRS, not as yours.

  • De-Clutter the home and Consider having the home Staged by a professional stager.  (Statistically a staged home will sell for several thousands more than a vacant home or one with furniture and decorations that are not appealing to buyers).

• Consider how you will “Vet” or qualify your buyers.  Often buyer’s working with REALTORs will be vetted and pre-qualified.  Buyer’s that call on your sign or ad may not know the steps to take to do this. 

  • Be familiar with the types of loan programs that Buyers may be qualified for.  Some loan programs could end up costing the seller thousands in unexpected closing costs and / or repairs required by the lender. 

• Have ALL Of the Required Disclosures and Contract documents in place.  Virginia Law requires that sellers provide disclosure documentation and provide it to buyer’s at the time they present a contract (and other requirements prior to closing).

• Know which inspections are the obligations of the seller AND

• Be prepared for the Buyer’s Home Inspection to be another round of negotiation.  All homes are sold As-Is, however the Home Inspection is the area where a Buyer is able to complete a detailed inspection and perform “discovery” where they take the As-Is and compile Valid knowledge to make an educated financial decision.

  • Know who is supposed to pay for the different inspections.  Some are paid by the seller and some are paid by the buyer.  If the Buyer pays for an inspection you can count on the result to favor the buyer… keep that in mind and vice versa. 

• Lastly – Know your home’s full value.  Be wary of internet single source data like Zillow that may not be obtaining full MLS data properly.  Most home purchasers will rely on Bank Financing and an appraisal.  If the home is not priced right, it may not appraise correctly at the time of Sale OR it might be priced too low and you will be leaving thousands on the table.

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What I want more than anything is for you continue to remain healthy and be strengthened with hope.  I hope that you find encouragement in something you read here and that you will call me should you need help with anything Real Estate related (or if you just need to talk to someone).  

Sincerely,

John Polson