Selling a Home
December 15, 2008 by Carl Chapman
Filed under Arizona Real Estate
Selling a Home
The first thing on your “to do” list for selling your home is to find a real estate agent. A real estate agent knows the market, as it is today. They can market your home to the world—literally. They’ll know what to fix now, and what to use in negotiations later. They know how to write a contract with your best interests in mind. In short, they can take of the headache, the worry, and the stress out of selling your house. Their fee for working for you will be well earned.
The next step is to clean house! Get rid of any clutter, organize closets, and keep your home picked up and will lit. Have a garage sale and get rid of anything that you really don’t need or want. It is money well spent to hire a professional house cleaner to come in and wash your windows (and screens), dust, scrub the kitchen floor and cabinets, and don’t forget the baseboards. Having the carpets steam cleaned is another good investment. Spot paint any walls that might be marred and replace any light bulbs that may now be working. Don’t forget your yard. Keep it mowed and watered.
Remember a clean yard and a clean home are essential to home selling! If any major thing needs repair or replacing—stained carpets, washing machine, etc. let your real estate agent know and they can use that as a negotiating tool. Once your home is tidy, the real estate agent can work his magic. He can photograph the home for the advertising and host an open house and show off your home to potential buyers.
Your real estate agent will sit down with you and explain the contract to you, he will negotiate with buyers on what you will or won’t replace or fix. Your agent will be your voice in the nitty-gritty details of the house selling process. Again, hiring a professional real estate agent is money well spent.
