For Sellers
This page includes information and real estate services for selling a home in the greater Seattle area. This information is here to assist you in getting the most dollar for you home. This page you should give you an idea on how we can help you sell you home fast and for top dollar.
Please click on the links below to access this information.
Passing Your Home Inspection
Repairs To Make Before You Sell
Selling Your Home In A Seller's Market
Low Budget Tips That Improve Curb Appeal
Potential Legal Challenges When Selling On Your Own
Passing Your Home Inspection
Defective Plumbing
Leaking and clogging. A visual inspection can detect leaking, and you can gauge water pressure by turning on all faucets in the highest bathroom and then flushing the toilet.
Damp or Wet Basement
Check your walls for a powdery white mineral deposit a few inches off the floor, and will look to see if you feel secure enough to store things right on your basement floor.
Inadequate Wiring & Electrical
Look at octopus plugs as indicative of inadequate circuits and a potential fire hazard. Your home should also have a minimum of 100 amps service.
Poor Heating & Cooling Systems
Check to see if your furnace is over its typical life span of 15-25 yrs. For a forced air gas system, a heat exchanger will come under particular scrutiny since one that is cracked can emit deadly carbon monoxide into the home. These heat exchangers must be replaced if damaged - they cannot be repaired.
Roofing Problems
Water leakage through the roof can occur for a variety of reasons such as physical deterioration of the asphalt shingles (e.g. curling or splitting), or mechanical damage from a wind storm. When gutters leak and downspouts allow water to run down and through the exterior walls, this external problem becomes a major internal one.
Damp Attic Spaces
Aside from basement dampness, problems with ventilation, insulation and vapor barriers can cause water, moisture, mold and mildew to form in the attic. This can lead to premature wear of the roof, structure and building materials.
Rotting Wood
This can occur in your door or window frames, trim, siding, decks and fences. You can sometimes probe the wood to see if this is present.
Masonry Work
Unattended masonry can cause problems with water and moisture penetration into the home which in turn could lead to a chimney being clogged by fallen bricks or even a chimney which falls onto the roof.
Unsafe or Over-fused Electrical Circuit
A fire hazard is created when more amperage is drawn on the circuit than was intended. 15 amp circuits are the most common in a typical home, with larger service for large appliances such as stoves and dryers.
Adequate Security Features
Look for the basic safety features that will protect your home such as proper locks on windows and patio doors, dead bolts on the doors, smoke and even carbon monoxide detectors in every bedroom and on every level.
When looking to put your home on the market, consider some of these basic problem areas as you walk through your home to avoid any future disappointment.
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Repairs To Make Before You Sell
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If you're preparing to place your home on the market, it's inevitable that you'll need a couple of minor repairs and slight improvements before your broker can drive a "For Sale" sign into your front yard.
Practical and aesthetic projects like a fresh coat of paint drain neither time nor money and can make your home more attractive while perhaps speeding your sale.
But what if a larger item needs repair, something which doesn't jeopardize anyone's health or safety -- a problem of the "out of sight, out of mind" variety. Should you simply disclose it and leave the buyer to deal with the problem? Or should you fix it before placing your home on the market?
Before you make any decisions, consider that repairing the problem yourself could result in a potentially higher sales price for you. What sweet music it is to any buyer's ears to hear the terms "new" or "just replaced" as they walk through a home.
If your house is in move-in condition, it will appeal to a wider group of prospective home buyers. First-time home buyers, and buyers with busy lifestyles, often will not consider buying a home that needs a lot of work. That is because they do not have the time or the experience to deal with the problems.
The listings that command the most attention are those that are in the best condition. If homes look sharp and are priced right, more than one buyer may make an offer. When multiple offers occur, the price may get bid up. Even if there are not multiple offers, experience has shown that a house that is in good condition will sell more quickly than one that needs work. A quick sale often means that the sales price will be close to the list price.
Another point to consider: Many if not most home sales today include the use of a home inspection clause. Depending on how it's written, this clause can allow buyers to terminate a contract if the inspectionis not "satisfactory" to them or if certain repairs are not completed.
According to the online legal resource Nolo.com, buyers often have the opportunity with a proper inspection clause to effectively re-open negotiations by either asking the owner to undertake repairs.
Another result of an unhappy inspection works like this: The buyer asks for a discount -- sometimes a very ambitious discount based on an inflated view of repair costs.
When considering minor aesthetic improvements, your decision should depend on local market conditions. Your broker can suggest what's needed to be competitive and perhaps what's not. In a hot market you may need to do nothing, while in a buyer's market your list of repairs and upgrades may be extensive.
While not fixing up is a problem, fixing up too much -- over-improving -- is also an issue. The usual rule for buyers is that they purchase the least expensive home in the most expensive neighborhood they can afford. The result is that a house with too many improvements may be priced at the top of the local market, not the best place to be from a selling standpoint.
The moral of the story: You have an obligation to repair or at least inform buyers regarding health and safety hazards. For their protection --and to guard against unwarranted future claims against you -- buyers should get a home inspection.
No less important, the longer a home languishes in the marketplace, the more likely it is to fetch a lower price. Thus fixing up is not only good for buyers, it also may lead to a quicker sale -- something beneficial for owners.
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Selling Your Home In A Seller's Market
Use the multiple listing service for maximum exposure. Often times a home doesn't get the proper exposure. The multiple listing service is the largest database of homes currently for sale.
Instead of accepting back-up offers, be prepared to return to market for a higher price. In a backup situation, the buyer can continue to search for another property without obligation. If that buyer is still available when the first sale fails you can bring them back into the picture.
Manage multiple offers fairly, don't jump at the first over-list bid and keep your options open. Don't accept the first offer on the first day, but you don't want to wait too long either.
Look for mortgage-approved buyers who have the cash to prove they are ready to buy. Also, if a seller gets multiple offers, the highest price is not always the most important item. Other important factors include the down payment, appraisal contingency and the buyers' motivation.
Low Budget Tips That Improve Curb Appeal
- Trim bushes so they don't block windows and cut down light.
- Replace your old doormat with a new one.
- Place fresh flowers for a small evergreen on your porch.
- Get a new doorknob for your front door.
- Put a fresh coating on your driveway.
- Edge the grass around walks and trees.
- Keep your garden tools out of site.
- Be sure kids put away their toys.
- Buy a new mailbox.
- Upgrade your outside lighting.
- Use warm, incandescent light bulbs for a homey feel.
- Polish or replace your house numbers.
- Clean your gutters.
- Put out potpourri or burn scented candles.
- Buy new pillows for the sofa.
- Buy a flowering plant and put in a window you pass by frequently.
- Make a centerpiece for your table with fruit or artificial flowers.
- Replace heavy curtains with sheer ones that let in more light.
- Buy new towels.
- Put a seasonal wreath on your door.
Make your home more appealing for yourself and for potential buyers with these quick and easy tips:
Potential Legal Challenges When Selling On Your Own
When Joe and Jane decided that the time had come to sell their home, they asked themselves: "Why do we need a real estate agent? After all,an agent will charge thousands of dollars to sell even an average home, and that commission comes right off the top! Heck, we can do practically everything that an agent would do, so why should we pay out all that money?" Many home sellers have similar thoughts, and because so much money is at stake, these questions deserve some serious thought.
