A Timeline to Prep Your Home for Sale

Seller’s Checklist: A Timeline to Prep Your Home for Sale

We’re still in a seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean your home is guaranteed to easily sell.1 If you want to maximize your sale price, it’s still important to prepare your home before putting it on the market.

Start by connecting with a real estate agent as soon as possible. Having the eyes and ears of an insightful real estate professional on your side can help you boost your home’s appeal to buyers. What’s more, beginning the preparation process early allows you to tackle repairs and upgrades that can increase your property’s value. 

Use the checklist below to figure out what other tasks you should complete in the months leading up to listing your home. While everyone’s situation is unique, these guidelines will help you make sure you’re ready to sell when the time is right. Of course, you can always call us if you’re not sure where to start or what to tackle first. We can help customize a plan that works for you.

AS SOON AS YOU THINK OF SELLING

Some home sellers want to plan their future move far in advance, while others will be required to pack up on very short notice. Whatever your circumstances, these first steps will help assure you’ll be ahead of the listing game.

• Contact Your Real Estate Agent

We go the extra mile when it comes to servicing our clients, and that includes a series of complimentary, pre-listing consultations to help you prepare your home for the market.

Some sellers make the mistake of waiting until they are ready to list their home to contact a real estate agent. But we’ve found that the earlier we’re brought into the process, the better the result. That often means a faster sale—and more money in your pocket after closing.

We know what buyers want in today’s market, and we can help devise a plan to maximize your property’s appeal. We can also connect you with our trusted network of contractors, vendors, and service professionals, so you’ll be sure to get the VIP treatment. This network of support can alleviate stress and help ensure you get everything done in the weeks or months leading up to listing.

• Address Major Issues and Upgrades

In most cases, you won’t need to make any major renovations before you list. But if you’re selling an older home, or if you have any doubt about its condition, it’s best to get us involved as soon as possible so we can help you assess any necessary repairs.

In some instances, we may recommend a pre-listing inspection. Although it's less common in a seller's market, a pre-listing inspection can help you avoid potential surprises down the road. We can discuss the pros and cons during our initial meeting. 

This is the time to address major structural, systems, or cosmetic issues that could hurt the sale of your home down the line. For example, problems with the frame, foundation, or roof are likely to be flagged on an inspection report. Issues with the HVAC system, electrical wiring, or plumbing may cause the home to be unsafe. And sometimes outdated or unpopular design features can limit a home’s sales potential. 

Remember, when you’re dealing with major repairs or renovations, it’s best to give yourself as much time as possible. Given rampant labor and material shortages, starting right away can help you avoid costly delays.2 Contact us so we can guide you on the updates that are worth your time and investment. 

1 MONTH (OR MORE) BEFORE YOU LIST

Once any large-scale renovations have been addressed, you can turn your attention to the more minor updates that still play a major role in how buyers perceive your home.

• Make Minor Repairs

Look for any unaddressed maintenance or repair issues, such as water spots, pest activity, and rotten siding. This is the time to take care of those small annoyances like squeaky hinges, sticking doors, and leaky faucets, too.

Many of these issues can be handled by going the DIY route and using a few simple tools. Tackle the ones you can and be sure to call a professional for the ones you’re not comfortable doing yourself. We can refer you to local service providers who can help.

Remember that it’s easy to overlook these small issues because you live with them. When you work with us, you get a fresh set of eyes on your home—so you don’t miss any important repairs that could make a big difference to buyers.

• Refresh Your Design

This is a great time to think about some simple design updates that can make a significant impression on buyers. For example, a fresh coat of paint is an easy and affordable way to spruce up your home. One survey found that interior paint offered a 107% return on investment.3 For broad appeal, opt for warm, neutral colors.

And never underestimate the importance of good curb appeal. Homes with good curb appeal sell for 7% more, on average, than similar homes with an “uninviting exterior.”4 If weather permits, lay fresh sod where needed, plant colorful flowers, and add some new mulch to your beds.

Even just repositioning your furniture can make a huge difference to buyers. A survey by the Real Estate Staging Association found that staged homes sold faster, and 73% sold over list price.5 We can refer you to a local stager or offer our insights and suggestions if you prefer the DIY route. 

• Declutter and Depersonalize

Doing a little bit of decluttering every day is a lot easier than trying to take care of it all at once right before your home hits the market. A simple strategy is to do this one room at a time, working your way through each space whenever you have a bit of free time. 

Start by donating or discarding items that you no longer want or need. Then pack up any seasonal items, family photos, and personal collections you can live without for the next few weeks. Bonus: This will give you a head start on packing for your move!

1 WEEK BEFORE YOU GO TO MARKET

With just one week before your home is available for sale, all major items should be crossed off your to-do list. Now it’s time to focus on the small details that will really make your home shine. Here are a few key areas to focus on during this last week. 

• Check-In With Your Agent

We’ll connect again to make sure we’re aligned on the listing price, marketing plan, and any remaining prep. We will be there every step of the way, ensuring you’re fully prepared to maximize the sale of your home.

• Tidy Your Exterior

You’ve already done the major landscaping—now it’s time to tackle the last few details. Make sure your lawn is freshly mowed, hedges are trimmed, and flower beds are weeded.

In addition, now is the time to clean your home’s exterior if you haven’t already. Power wash your siding, empty the gutters, and wash all your windows and screens.

• Deep Clean Your Interior

Your house should be deep cleaned before listing, including a thorough deodorizing of the home’s interior and steam cleaning for all carpets. Consider hiring a professional cleaning company to ensure the space smells and looks as fresh as possible. 

In addition to cleaning, take some time to tidy up. Buyers will look inside your closets, pantries, and cabinets, so make sure they are neat and organized. Small appliances and toiletries should be cleared off the countertops.

DAY OF SHOWING

Now you’re all set to go and there are just a few small things you need to handle on the day of showings or open houses. Do a final walk-through and take care of these finishing touches to give potential buyers the best possible impression.

• Pre-Showing Prep

Happy and comfortable buyers are more likely to submit offers! Make them feel at home by adjusting the thermostat to a comfortable temperature. Open any blinds and curtains throughout the house, and turn on all lights so buyers can see all the potential in your home.

Then tidy up by vacuuming and sweeping floors, emptying (or hiding) trash cans, and wiping down countertops. In the bathrooms, close toilet lids and hang clean hand towels. 

Don’t forget to secure firearms, jewelry, sensitive documents, prescription medications, and any other items of value in a safe or store them off-site.

Finally, it’s best to have pets out of the house during showings. If possible, you should also remove evidence of pets (litter box, dog beds, etc.), which can be a turn-off for some buyers.

DON’T WAIT TO PREP YOUR HOME FOR SELLING

If you want to get top dollar for your home, don’t put it on the market before it’s ready. The right preparation can make all the difference when it comes to maximizing the offers you get. The upgrades and changes you need to make will depend upon your home’s condition, so don’t wait to speak with an agent.

Call our team if you’re thinking about selling your home, even if you’re not sure when. It’s never too early to seek the guidance of your real estate agent and start preparing your home to sell.

Sources:

1. Fortune -
   https://fortune.com/2022/02/08/should-i-buy-house-sellers-market-housing-real-estate-fannie-mae/

2. Forbes -
   https://www.forbes.com/advisor/home-improvement/labor-materials-shortage-impacts-renovations/

3. PR Web -
   https://www.prweb.com/releases/2012-homegain/home-improvement-survey/prweb9433460.htm

4. Realtor Magazine -
   https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/01/27/how-much-does-curb-appeal-affect-home-value

5. Real Estate Staging Association -
   https://www.realestatestagingassociation.com/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=304550&module_id=164548

What to Expect as a Prospective Home Buyer

You have decided that it is time to buy a home. Whether you have purchased several times or if you are a first time home buyer, there are opportunities as well as pitfalls to acquaint yourself with. Market conditions and changes in the real estate industry are always prevalent which is why a Realtor is your safest option. Presumably you have been scanning the market and selected a Realtor that, above all, you trust. Purchasing a home is a major event and you must have a trusted agent to help you through the process. Normally, all the work done by an agent costs you as the buyer nothing. Agents get paid after the sale from the sellers proceeds in the transaction.

In our first meeting with customers, we usually meet at our office In Panama City in a confidential environment where customers are comfortable to share their goals. At True Coastal Realty it is our mission to first understand the customer’s needs and then help them get there. In so doing we help you find what is right for you and navigate the obstacles of buying and get you to a satisfactory closing. We as agents will educate you and help you understand the options, but we want you to have what meets your criteria. So early in the process, you should be able to answer the following questions:

1. What is your time frame for purchasing?

2. Do you currently own or rent? If you own now, do you have to sell before purchasing

   again?

3. Do you need financing and if so have you been prequalified by a lender?

   Now you are ready to identify your property criteria :

4. Description of property desired?

Area of town, square footage, # bedrooms and baths, are school zones important, are the # of floors important, size lot, extra space needed ( example storage or garage ), price range

With these issues answered, we as agents can determine if you are “ready to buy” or need to accomplish a few things before moving forward. With changing markets, buyers often look at properties before “ready” to buy and the property is sold before the customer can qualify or get an offer submitted. For customers not ready, the agent can direct them as to potential properties to review vs wasting time showing a property that is not going to be available or out of the customer’s purchasing range. Once you have focused in on a property, we as agents research the property and determine relevant information relayed to your criteria as well as zoning, home owners association, real estate taxes, flood zone, school districts, etc. If the property, is acceptable the agent arranges a showing to determine suitability. For a desired property, we do a comparative market analysis to determine a proper market value and a possible price when composting an offer. If the customer desires to move forward, The agent will compose an offer for the buyer to sign and submit it to the seller’s listing agent. The offer will either be accepted, rejected or returned with a counteroffer. Once an offer is accepted, it becomes an effective contract and is forwarded to the buyers lender and the title company. The process continues with a professional home inspection, an appraisal, a pest inspection and loan approval. Unless there is a determinant reason the closing is scheduled and the buyers and sellers complete documents and the property is transferred to the buyer.

Throughout the process, the agents will perform a number of duties the buyer will never know about, but that are required to facilitate the transaction. The primary message to you as a buyer is, to be responsive and have a responsive agent. Getting things done on time and in the proper order can mean a big difference in not only closing on time but saving both the seller and buyer money.

Thank you for letting us share.

Bob Douglas, Broker/Owner

Real Estate Transactions...... Be careful what you click!

In this day of online everything, the world is a smaller and more familiar place. The internet has availed buyers and sellers to information that aids them in determining much in preparation to buy or sell a property. It has become so open and freely available, that it encourages customers to have confidence to enter into transactions and ventures without due caution. We have all watched the television shows where a couple buys a house , fixes it up and earns a tidy profit. What is seldom shown, in true light, is the hidden dangers. MOST of the time, there are other factors that may have been either prevented or risk reduced by using a professional facilitator. In the case of real restate, this means a licensed Realtor. There are many well known online sources to find real estate and gain information like the big Z company and many others. But what you don’t know is how accurate and reliable their information is and that they are not responsible for anything you do as a result of reading their posts and advertising. The reason Realtors exist to to coordinate and facilitate transactions. We as Realtors perform according to a code of ethics and remain accountable.

Most buyers do not understand that they normally do not pay for the services of having a Realtor as their agent. A commission is paid to each brokerage out of the sellers proceeds at closing unless other agreements have been made in advance. It is absolutely essential to have a qualified agent working for you and protecting your interest. This occurs through the agent’s knowledge, research an negotiation when considering acquiring a property or eliminating it from consideration. Agents benefit when a market knowledgable customer is served, however there is no substitution for local knowledge and recent experience. At a convention with one of the largest online real estate marketing companies, the CEO stated “ We compile and distribute information, but there is no replacement for the local agents and their personal knowledge of the market”. He further stated that their estimates were generated from algorithms developed by their company, which is based in the State of Oregon.

There is a trend of online marketers to encourage buyers and sellers to transact without competent representation. We consider every property your investment of the future and care about your risk. One of the most overlooked issues is home security. As we engage more and more with internet based companies we move farther away from personal interaction and knowing who we are dealing with. As a Florida licensed Broker Associate in Panama City Beach Florida, I am knowledgeable about my market and varying degrees of markets across the State. We also work in networks with other Realtors to provide personal service to customers or connect them with reliable service in other areas that we may not serve. We encourage customers to do advanced research, but be curious and question everything. A fancy ad is no indication of accuracy or reliability. Be prudent and ask questions. Develop a relationship with an agent that you trust. We believe that the effective buying or selling of any property depends on a team relationship with our customers.

If we can be of assistance to you as a buyer, seller or just wanting to know more about the market and property values, please contact us.

Bob Douglas, Realtor
Broker/Owner

Why Flood Zones Matter

Buying a home has many concerns. Your best protection is to use an experienced REALTOR® to research the issues prior to making an offer. Before you buy a home you must consider that there are issues you control and issues beyond your control. Some of those uncontrollable are zoning, homeowner associations, covenants and restrictions, real estate taxes and flood zones. All of these can and usually do affect costs to the home owner. This blog will discuss the issue of Flood Zones. 

Anytime a property is mortgaged, the lender will require insurance. This includes a homeowners policy that covers damage, medical, contents insurance and other buildings soon the property. If it is in a flood zone a separate policy will be required. Most properties in the United States are classified in specific flood zones. These can be accessed thru the federal governments FEMA web site or on the individual County web site where the property is taxed or appraised. 

For example, in Florida, properties are classified as X , A, AE, V, or VE with X being the lowest or safest zone and not requiring flood insurance. A rating of other than X will require flood insurance if you a financing the property. The premium rate is determined by a scale from the federal government and will depend not only the zone but the elevation above or below the flood stage level. A cash buyer could be inclined to buy without insurance but be warned; if they later sell, a new buyer may not be able to buy with cash and need a mortgage thus requiring a flood policy. Insurance later may surely be more costly and cannot be anticipated. 

In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana devastating the State and properties further inland. As a result, the federal government and specifically FEMA reclassified much of the United States. Basically areas that were never in flood zones but contiguous to wetlands or low areas came under flood zone classification. Many homeowners were notified by lenders that they had to obtain flood insurance to cover the property or the lender would obtain a policy and be billed with the mortgage. Some properties were in areas where by shear height were above the stated flood elevation but still subject to the ruling. In cases where the property is higher than flood stage and evidenced by a survey and elevation certificate they can be exempted from the insurance or get a much lower rate. If you currently own property that has been reclassified, and above flood elevation, I recommend you see if you are eligible for the waiver under the Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) at the FEMA website. 

When shopping for a home that is classified as in a flood zone, there are a few considerations before you eliminate it from the list. First, does the seller have a survey and elevation certificate. What is the elevation compared to the “Base elevation “ level and does the seller currently have a flood insurance policy? If so, is it transferrable? A transferrable policy could lock a lower rate than a new policy. The wild card is that any property that requires a flood insurance policy to get a mortgage is subject to three influences. First, if it is actually low it may be damaged by rising water during an event. Second, that there is no guaranty of where the insurance premium will be and how much it could increase. Third, when you sell the property that it will be as attractive to a new buyer as one not located in a flood zone. 

Some agents automatically discount properties located in flood zones. I prefer to research all the data and relative factors for prospective buyers. If a property is well above the Base Elevation and subject to exemption, it could be an overlooked gem. On the other hand, buying a property without doing the research and weighing out the buyers goals compared to risk could tie him to a property with outrageous insurance costs, limited value or problems with liquidity. 

If we can be of assistance to you with regard to property in Florida, please give us a call. 

Thank you for letting us share. 

What to Expect as a Home Seller and Preparing Your Home for Sale

Selling your home can either be a comfortable experience or a nightmare. How that turns out is a result of planning and preparation. Although every state has different laws on property transfer, they all share the same process and sequence of events. 

The first determination you should make is to answer a few simple questions: 

1. Have I sold a property in your home state in the recent past?

2. Do you have the resources to advertise, market and present the property to potential buyers?

3. Do you understand negotiation as well as the contract process and do you have the time to devote to effectively sell the property?

Only if the answer is YES to all of these questions should a seller attempt to market his own property. 

It has been consistently shown that being represented by a Real Estate professional results in the seller ending up with more money in their pocket after closing than sellers who represent themselves. This is because trained licensed agents have more experience in marketing and negotiation on a daily basis as well as will have your interest as their primary goal. They also will have you complete disclosures that better define the property. 

In most cases, a seller should prepare their home to its best presentation condition before placing the property on the market. This is also time to select the best real estate agent available that services your market. Once you have settled on an agent that you feel a bond with, have them come and visually evaluate your home. They should have done some background research on your property as well as recent sales in the area and your competition. The meeting should start with you sharing you goals and time line with the agent. The next step should include a visual evaluation of your home with the agent and making a list of must do items prior to sale. This is a good time to discuss whether you should get a professional inspection that evaluates all the systems and the condition of the entire home. The real estate agent will advise you on what to get repaired immediately and what may not be cost effective prior to getting an offer. This should eliminate any surprises that will delay a sale and maybe loose the buyer. It is important to remember that curb appeal is a valuable marketing tool and improves the salability but does not increase property value. So, in plain language, painting, mowing and adding flowers to the front of a property can make the difference of getting the potential buyer to take a second look. 

Once you have obtained a quailed real estate agent and gotten your property in showing condition, you are ready to move forward. It is important to have the agent advise you on the interior presentation of your home. Many buyers have been lost at the front door because of pet odors. Most home owners do not smell odors in their own home. Next, if the home is occupied (not vacant), declutter and pack up items not used on a daily basis and get them out of the way in storage or boxed and in the garage or outbuilding. Walk thru your home and remove personal items including family pictures, nicknacks and items that distracts buyers. Kitchen counters should be clear, sinks empty and clean and refrigerator fronts should have everything removed. All appliances should be clean including stoves and dishwashers. Special attention should include securing and protecting valuables, removing jewelry and firearms and placing in locked locations. Remember, buyers are going to look everywhere including under counters and cabinets. 

Home showings should always be done by appointment. Your agent will call you and establish a time when they or another agent will come to show your home. Many agents use a lock box that only agents can get the key to gain access and also tracks who enters the property. We recommend that agents leave a business card indicating that they have entered and secured the property when the showing is complete. After any showing you should ask your agent for feedback. If the property is suitable to a buyer and realistically priced, you will likely have your agent be calling with a written offer on your home. 

Thank you for letting us share.