Home seller’s path to success

Homeowners frequently ask what the most important things are that they can do to help sell their house. Oddly, the answers describing the most effective ways they can help are always the same and are always simple and generally easy.

The magic way to faster sales is to choose a REALTOR® whom you like to work with, select a realistic price for the home that is consistent with the market and keep that house for sale tidy and in good repair.

There are only three of these components to a home sale. Taking a look at each of these operations and following through on them should net the seller a good and satisfying experience.

Go with an Expert

Real estate, like just about everything, used to be simple enough to handle with a handshake but has become very complicated. Efforts to fully protect the buyer and mortgage companies, etc., have made the process safer but more and more complex. It is a protection thing and there in nothing wrong with that notion.

The seller must comply with a number of issues that must be addressed. Seller disclosure laws have been enacted to make sure there is full disclosure in writing of the present known condition of every aspect of the home up for sale. Being “up front” is the very best policy.

Select a Realistic Price

Your REALTOR® has all of the information you will need that will provide a price level of similar homes in areas of the county. These files are constantly being updated by the Multiple Listing Service of the Spokane Association of REALTORS® and provide needed information for both the buyer and the seller. This is very good data because it gives the “real market” picture with proven sales. No one can make an informed decision without the correct information.

Keep Home Tidy, Well Kept

Clean sells. Make sure you take a look at your own home for sale as a buyer would look at it. Move out some of the furniture if the rooms appear cluttered. That makes the room larger and more appealing.

Bathrooms and kitchens are very important areas that can make or break a sale. Most families gather at the kitchen and spend a lot of time there. Try to keep it spotless. The bathrooms, too, need to be spotless. Lawns need to be mowed, etc. To take a realistic look at the home, look at it as if you are the prospective buyer.