Pricing a Home
If you are planning to sell a house, you must decide what price you will ask for the home. This is one of the most important decisions you will make. Buyers select by comparison-shopping in similar price ranges, so your home needs to reflect a fair market price in order to sell. A professional REALTOR® will show you statistics for comparable homes that have recently sold. Based on this information your Sales Associate can help you determine the market value of your home.
Some of the things that should be considered when establishing a price for your home are:
- What is the age and condition of your home?
- Does it need any repairs or updating?
- At what prices have similar homes in your area recently been sold for?
- What are the asking prices for similar homes in your area that are currently for sale?
- How many homes are currently for sale in your area?
- How competitive the market is in your area?
Contact RE/MAX Four Seasons if you have any questions about selling your home.
Maximum Sales Appeal
Selling your home is a joint effort between you and your REALTOR® Sales Associate. The following suggestions can help you sell your home more quickly and at a maximum profit to you:
- Keep your lawn trimmed and edged, shrubs neat and yard free of clutter. Walk across the street and see what your home looks like to prospective buyers. An attractive exterior usually invites inspection of the interior.
- Paint as required. Faded walls and worn woodwork reduce appeal.
- Be sure your kitchen looks bright and cheerful. Clear off your counters so they look spacious for working.
- Inspect your Home as though you are the buyer. Repair minor blemishes, fix leaking faucets, squeaky door and floors, etc.
- Make bedrooms neat, orderly, and attractive. One third of our lives are spent in our bedrooms, so make the rooms someplace you would want to spend time in.
- Double check for clean walls, tubs, shower stall, commode and sink. Bright, clean bathrooms sell many houses.
- Remove any and all unnecessary articles and belongings that have accumulated. Display the full value of your utility, closet, and storage space.
- Pack away all excess decorations, stuffed animals, posters on walls, and knickknacks. You will need to pack them when you move anyway, and this will help your home look more spacious.
- Try to leave when your home is being shown. If you cannot be absent, remain in the background and let the agent handle the tour. Refrain from talking to the client. The agent knows what the prospect wants and can demonstrate your property most effectively.
- Eliminate anything that could be offensive to the prospect's senses. Stale odors and musty closets can deter a sale.
- Turn on every light in the house. Keep dark rooms and hallways lighted. Leave window coverings open to allow natural light to show your Home at its best. A bright and open home is always inviting!
Call RE/MAX Four Seasons today at 743-449-3000 for a free consultation
on how to begin the process of marketing your home.
Understanding the Selling Process
Time to Sell:
Until now your home has been your private haven, your getaway from the outside world. Now that its time to SELL, your perspective view of your home needs to change. You have to start thinking about a strategy for selling your home. How much do we ask? What is the true cost of selling your home? Do we need to advertise? Do we need to make improvements? A qualified REALTOR®® can help you answer these questions and take off some of the burden of selling your home.
Find a REALTOR®:
Selling your home is a very emotional experience. A professional REALTOR® can help you through the process. They can help you figure out the right price for your home based on the market and similar homes in the area. They can help you get your home looking its best for any showings. And best of all, they can find you a buyer. Because they are in contact with homebuyers, sellers and other REALTORs® they have a much better chance of selling your home in the shortest time and for the most money.
The Selling Price:
Pricing your home is the most difficult chore you face. Memories and emotional attachments cloud your vision. Remember only one thing will determine what your home is worth; what the future buyer is willing to pay for it.
You must attempt to set the right price. Set the price too high and you will be compared to homes at the high price making your home seem less valued. It may even discourage people from at least looking at your property. Set the price too low and you may cheat yourself out of valuable dollars. Pricing your home can be based on the present cost of construction plus or minus various amenities less depreciation weighed by various market conditions in your neighborhood and similar homes. That is why the assistance of a qualified REALTOR® is so important.
Showing Your Home:
Remember that most houses don't sell themselves. Your home may be your castle; but until a buyer makes it his or hers, it's just another house for sale. Selling a home takes an investment of time. Work with your REALTOR® to get your home ready for showings and prepared to sell. Appearance will rank as one of the most important factors in selling your home. Your yard should look neat and tidy at all times. The exterior of your home should look sharp and crisp. Check those faded house numbers, Clean the rain gutters, Fix any torn screen and broken windows. Test all lights and the doorbell. Make sure your mailbox isn't rusted. Sometimes it's the little things that make a big difference.
The Costs of Selling:
The cost of selling your home can vary from state to state. Generally speaking, however, you as the seller pay for:
- State documentary stamps based upon $8.60 (currently) per each $1,000 of the sales price.
- Title insurance based upon the sales price.
- A real estate transaction fee, usually between 6 - 7%.
- Your attorney's fee if necessary.
- Prorating of taxes to the date of closing.
- Termite inspection fee or treatment, if necessary.
- Points of selling to a veteran, if applicable.
- Points if a buyer chooses to finance FHA, maybe applicable.

