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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13         Previous Page     Next Page    Preparing To Sell Your House What makes one house go on the market, have a number of showings in the first week and have a contract in place shortly thereafter, while an apparently similar house sits on the market for months? Of course, luck may have a little to do with it, but there is a good chance that the quick selling house's owner was prepared to sell while the other house and owner were not.   Prepare yourself to sell your house. Do your best to see the house, no longer as your home, but as a product to be marketed. This takes some work, especially if you have been in the home for a number of years and have many memories there, but it is necessary if you want to maximize your potential. A Pre-Listing Whole House Inspection It is pretty safe to assume that a buyer who contracts to buy your house will want to have a professional whole house inspection conducted. Most sale contracts are written with a "contingent upon an acceptable whole house inspection" clause. So why not wait until you have a buyer who wants and will pay for an inspection? While many sellers do wait for just this situation, there are a few compelling reasons for you, the seller, to invest in a professional whole house inspection before listing your house. 1) If you were planning to do any cosmetic repairs or remodeling before listing your house, an inspection may reveal additional defects that your cosmetic repairs could have masked. A pre-listing inspection gives you the opportunity to fix possible underlying problems right the first time. This saves you the time, trouble, and money of fixing a seemingly small repair, then finding out there is a larger problem, forcing you to destroy your work, fix the underlying problem, and then do the cosmetic repair all over again. 2) You will know, in advance, of defects. You will have an opportunity to repair them before the first potential buyer ever sees your house. Experience has shown that when a buyer, through their own home inspection, finds a defect, they tend to look for more. 3) A completed whole house inspection signals to buyers that you are a conscientious seller. If a buyer is torn between two houses--your house and another that has not been pre-inspected--it is very possible they may feel more comfortable with yours. 4) It removes an "unknown" from your selling process. There are plenty of "unknowns" when you sell a house--when will it sell? How much will it sell for? Will the buyer's financing be approved? By discovering (and repairing) any defects up front, you remove at least one uncertainty from the selling process.   A Professional House Inspection Questions that should be asked of a prospective home inspector: What is the inspector's experience? How many years have they been in the business and how many inspections do they do a year? Exclusively inspections? Beware of contractors who do house inspections "on the side"--they may be looking for work! What type of report? Will it be written or oral or both? Will the report contain suggestions for remedying deficiencies? How long will it take? A good house inspection should take between 2 and 4 hours, depending on the size of the house. What will be included in the inspection? See "What to look for in a professional home inspection" below. What certifications do they have? Are they American Society of Home Inspectors, or ASHI  certified? Does the inspector have Errors and Omissions Insurance? This gives you some level of protection should there be an "error or omission" in the inspection--meaning the inspector missed something. A competent and professional inspection will include a minimum of the following: Foundation: How is the structural integrity of the foundation? Is there any evidence of cracks, shifting, or moisture problems? General Construction: How is the quality of the general construction? Exterior: Is the house in need of exterior repairs or maintenance? Plumbing: How is the condition of the overall plumbing system? Any evidence of leaks or water pressure problems? Electrical: Do any dangerous electrical situations exist? Are there apparent code violations in the electrical system? Heating and Cooling Systems: What are the ages of the systems? Are the systems adequate for the size of the house? Have they been maintained properly? Interior: Do doors and windows open and close properly? Are floors firm and level? Kitchen: Are appliances functioning properly?    NOTE: Doing a pre-listing whole house inspection does not guarantee that a buyer will not opt to have another done at the time of the contract. Nor does it guarantee that the second inspector will not find items that first did not discover (or think important enough to note). What it does guarantee, though, is evidence that you have spent the time (and the money) to make sure that the house is without defect. In addition, if you get into a contract squabble over repairs at contract time, you will have evidence backing up your position. Prepare the House Stand back and look at your pretty house as objectively as possible. Would you buy this home? Ask friends and neighbors to do the same, asking them to be totally honest. Overlooking flaws could cost you money! Get them fixed before you put the house on the market. Do what is necessary to make your house stand out from the competition. Make certain that your house is fresher, cleaner, and better maintained. Familiarize yourself with effective   marketing and advertising strategies.  Remove most of the "imprint" that you have made on the house. Having a few family pictures around is fine, but if your house is a "shrine" to your family--walls full of personal pictures--you should take some steps to depersonalize it. Buyers must be able to envision themselves in the house, which is nearly impossible if everywhere they turn they stare at you! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13   Previous Page     Next Page

Reference:
http://www.ourfamilyplace.com/homeseller/