Getting Ready To List?
Preparing Your Home to List:
You’ve made the decision to sell, and have completed all the necessary paperwork. There are several ways to make your house more sell-able, and in turn, receive a top dollar offer. Here are some basic tips for preparing your home for showings:
- Tidy your yard. Trimming bushes, cutting grass, clearing weeds and adding a few pots of brightly colored flowers can make your house so much more inviting.
- Make sure your front patio and door are fresh and clean looking. Sweep area and repaint front door if necessary.
- Get rid of clutter. Move unnecessary furniture into storage or into the garage and store out-of-season clothing. Clearing out spaces in rooms and closets can make your home appear larger.
- Make minor repairs that can make a bad impression. Items such as torn screens, leaky faucets and drywall cracks can scare away a potential Buyer. Also remember to replace any burnt out light bulbs.
- Make sure the house smells fresh and clean. Open a few windows, clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate odors, and consider soft candles or air fresheners to give an inviting scent.
- Keep home in exceptionally clean condition. Make sure all windows and blinds are clean, and all switch plates, doors and molding are extra clean.
- We hope these tips have been helpful to you. When visiting your home, we may share additional ideas that will help you prepare for showing your home and receiving top dollar.
Qualified Buyer
Unless the buyer who makes an offer on your home has the resources to qualify for a mortgage or has cash to pay for the home, you may not really have a sale. As a general rule, buyer’s speak with a lender before looking at property in order to determine what they can afford. When The Cox Team presents an offer to you, some sort of letter or pre-approval form signed by their Lender will accompany it. If it is a cash buyer we will require proof of funds.
Before you decide to accept an offer from a buyer, and before the house goes into escrow, we will speak with the lender in order to confirm that the mortgage can be obtained under the terms of the purchase contract. Here are some important questions that we will ask the Lender:
Does the Buyer have enough credit to qualify?
Does the Buyer’s debt-to-income ratio allow them to qualify for this mortgage?
Does the Buyer have enough money to pay for the closing costs and down payment?
Once these questions have been answered, you can move forward with the closing process, knowing that the Buyer will most likely be prepared with a mortgage at the close of escrow.