Getting Ready to Sell
When selling your home, there are no guarantees that a buyer will ever walk through the front door. Effective marketing will help ensure that your property receives maximum exposure to attract a ready, willing and able buyer.
Many things must work together to ensure the successful sale of your house. What is the curb appeal? Is it such that a buyer will want to get out of their car to look inside? Once inside, will buyers enter a welcoming environment that they could call their own? Is the home in tip-top condition?
And consider the fact that, no matter how many improvements you’ve put into your home, if you don’t have a cash buyer they home still has to appraise! Even if you find a buyer crazy enough to pay twice your asking price, if they’re getting a mortgage, the lender has to allow them to pay twice your asking price!
It’s crucial to evaluate your home objectively when you list it for sale. Take an honest look at its attributes as well as its flaws because I assure you- buyers will find the flaws immediately!
Inspection Information:
Various municipalities require that inspections be done prior to listing a property for sale or transferring ownership of a property. These inspections are required by local government in order to verify that properties are safe and non-hazardous. In some cities, these are required only for single-family homes, in some cities they are required for single-family homes, condos, and townhouses. Below is a list of cities that currently require these inspections, which are typically referred to as Truth-In-Sale housing inspections (TISH), Point-of-Sale inspections (POS), or Time of Sale inspections (TOS). I’ve also included a helpful link to information about these inspections that will answer questions such questions as which cities require them, who must conduct the inspection, and when are such inspections required. Don’t wait to get this inspection set up as some cities that require use of their own inspectors have a long waiting list. Also because some cities require that these inspections are done before a property can be offered for sale, your listing can be significantly delayed simply due to this inspection delay. Make sure to find out for how long these inspections are valid- many are valid for one year, but some are valid for less than that. If you’re not planning to list your property for another 6 months, it’s likely too soon. However if you’re less than 2 months out from your ideal listing timeframe, check with the city to find out if there’s currently a waiting list or lag time for inspections.
