Seller Information

Century 21 Service

Did you know CENTURY 21 is located in 42 countries? There are 7800 offices and 143,000 agents working for you to get your property SOLD. We can help you.

www.century21.com

Meeting With Realtors

So you’ve decided to sell your home and have a fairly good idea of what you think it is worth. Being a sensible home seller, you schedule appointments with three local listing agents who’ve been hanging stuff on your front doorknob for years. Each Realtor comes prepared with a "Competitive Market Analysis" on fancy paper and they each recommend a specific sales price.

Amazingly, a couple of the Realtors have come up with prices that are lower than you expected. Although they back up their recommendations with recent sales data of similar homes, you remain convinced your house is worth more.

When you interview the third agent’s figures, they are much more in line with your own anticipated value, or maybe even higher. Suddenly, you are a happy and excited home seller, already counting the money.

Preparing Your House to Sell

Remember that the actual cash value of your property is the price that someone will pay for it in today's real estate market.

When selling your home, appearance can be the single most important thing that attracts a buyer. Needed improvements and repairs can add to the value of your home. Start by walking through your entire property looking for improvements that could be made prior to showing your home to potential buyers. Examine the exterior of your home carefully. Does it need washing or maybe a coat of paint? Make sure that lawn, trees and other landscaping is neatly trimmed and mowed. If the season allows, add flowers here and there for extra color. Make sure your yard is free of leaves and refuse. Remember, buyers will register their first impression of your home as they drive up to your property.

Try to put yourself in the buyer's shoes as you walk through your home. Does the interior of the house need painting? Are the windows and window screens clean? Does the carpet need cleaning or replacing? Do all of the homes mechanical appliances work correctly? And don't forget about those hidden problems that a buyer's inspector may find such as leaky plumbing, ungrounded outlets, slow drains or code violations. Have your closets clean and organized so they look as large and spacious as possible. Remove items from storage areas. The same is true for every room in the house. Remove any items that seem to decrease the size of the rooms. Remove personal items and knick-knacks throughout the house. They may be items close to your heart, but to a potential buyer they're just clutter. Remember you want to keep your buyers attention on what they came to see ... your house! With little preparation and some small improvements, you may very well increase the value of your property!