One of the by-products of putting your home up for sale is having to prepare for a move. Needless to say, moving is inherently stressful. Prepare in advance and you will reduce your stress making the inevitable remainder much more manageable.
Start Early
When you decide to put the home on the market, you do not need to wait until you have selected your Realtor. Start by deciding what you will need for the next 3 months and think seriously about packing the rest. Every Realtor worth their salt will tell you that a home that is clutter-free will sell much faster and for more money, than one that is not.
Less Is More
As you look around your home, consider packing your collectibles first. Anything that is small and could easily be slipped into a pocket or purse should be packed away for security and your peace of mind. Next, look at your kitchen counters and decide what you really use and what can be put away. Do the same for your bathrooms. Try to keep your kitchen and bathrooms as spartan as you can. For examples of this see websites such as Better Homes And Gardens.
Time Is The Essence
Be patient when waiting for offers. While the market is currently strong and offers materialize within days of listing the home, all this can change with a simple up-tick of mortgage interest rates, and 2018 is seeing rats climbing to highs that haven’t been seen in many years. In an uncertain mortgage market, buyers will hold-off making decisions. Also, be prepared for low offers. Decide beforehand if you can afford to wait for the right offer. If you can wait, most of the time this will pay off in a higher offer.
Expect To Do Repairs
Unless you are the kind of person who is meticulous with your home maintenance, expect to have the buyer’s home inspector find items that need repair. In fact, you should expect this even if you are meticulous about maintenance. So make sure you have set aside money for such repairs. You won’t necessarily need to fix everything but you should expect some repairs unless you are willing to sell well below what the home is truly worth.
The Luxury Of Time
As you negotiate the sale, ask to remain in the home for up to 3 days beyond the close of escrow. This will allow you to have the proceeds from the sale to close the escrow where you are buying. Plan on moving your things the next day and coming back to make sure there are no items unintentionally left behind. This also gives you a chance to leave the home broom-swept clean. If you can manage this in less than 3 days after the close of escrow, just let your Realtor know you are ready to turn over the keys early. Nobody will complain when this happens.
As you prepare for your move, you may feel your situation does not lend itself to this advice. If you would like to discuss it, call or text me at 760 622 5087. Good luck with your move.
Couple holding folding ruler in the shape of a house
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