Curb appeal list

First Impressions Are Everything

When trying to sell a home, first impressions are extremely important. You want to make sure your home looks extremely clean and neat for all the prospective buyers who will be completely walk-throughs once your home is listed. If a buyer automatically sees a lot of issues with your home as soon as they walk through the door, they most likely won’t want to place their money in what is presented to them as a poor investment. Ask yourself if you would buy your home when taking just one glance. You should also consider:

• Walking through your home and making objection decisions about its cleanliness and presentability.
• Making a list of everything you see that may need to be repaired before you after you place your home on the market. You don’t need to make any major reparations to your home that would cost you much more money than the buyer would have to pay if they handled the reparations themselves.
• Checking to see which projects are larger than others so you know which ones you should focus on first. If you need to hire external help to fix the issue, you should prioritize those projects first.
• Creating a timeline for all the repairs you need to make and ensuring that you stick to it so you can get your home on the market and ready to sell.

THE KEYS TO SHOWING YOUR HOME

Once you place your house on the market, you should be ready to show it all the time. You never know when a prospective buyer is going to drop by to see if they can get a quick tour of your home. At this point, you have already completed some valuable reparation projects that have made your home look much more presentable to prospective buyers. Now there are just a few more things you need to complete to make sure you put forth the best first impression you can. Before you show your house, you should:

• Always make sure every single room in your house is clean and tidy.
• Make sure all of your dirty dishes are placed in the dishwasher or stacked in the sink so the prospective buyer doesn’t see a messy kitchen when they first walk in.
• Utilize an air and fabric freshener in order to get rid of any pet odors that may be lingering in your house. Also ensure you don’t cook any foods that will leave a strong smell right before prospective buyers come over.
• If you want to bring good smells into your home, you can also choose to bake some sweet treats.
• Set the thermostat to a comfortable temperature for your guests.
• Make sure the dining room table is set so the prospective buyers fell comfortable in your home.
• If you don’t have time to complete deep cleaning yourself, hire a cleaning service that can get your house spotless right before a lot of prospective buyers are expected to tour your property.
• Try to not be present during the time the buyers are walking through the home so they feel free and comfortable to discuss with their real estate agent any potential issues they may see.
• Keep your pets out of the way of the prospective buyers and don’t allow any loud noises such as a TV or stereo to distract them.

THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO INSPECTIONS

The physical inspections that occur during the homebuying process allow the buyer to receive a professional third-party opinion on the property they want to purchase. There are various different types of home inspections that the buyer can chose to have completed for the property.

General Home Inspection

This is where the third-party professional determines the overall condition of the property regarding its functionality, safety, and overall integrity. The general home inspection helps the buyer understand the value and overall condition of the home or property they want to purchase.

Geological Property Inspection

The ground stability and soil condition of the property in question are evaluated during this inspection. The third-party professional will also be able to determine if there was any significant geological activity that occurred on the property.

Pest Home Inspection

This evaluation determines if there are any pest infestations that exist within the home or on the property. If any wood-destroying organisms such as termites did cause any damage to the home, the assessment will uncover what reparations need to occur before the buyer feels comfortable purchasing the home.

Does The Seller Have to Pay?

The initial purchase agreement that is signed between the buyer and the seller will determine who has to take responsibility for paying for any reparations that need to be made. The real estate professionals will advise on what is the most customary decision to make when both parties are negotiating who will be responsible for the repairs.

WHAT IS A HOME WARRANTY?

The home warranty provides the overall coverage associated with various systems within the house such as electrical, plumbing, and mechanical. If unforeseen incidents occur after escrow is closed, this insurance policy covers them. When the main systems within a home are exposed to any kind of damage, the cost can start at $300 and just go up from there. This depends on where the homeowner lives. The homeowner should choose the level of coverage they receive based on where they live to make sure the insurance policy is properly prepared a year in advance. The policy is given to the new policy holder after escrow is closed. The policy is able to be renewed annually so the new policy can take advantage of this renewal if they choose to do so. With a home warranty in place, the usual “payment responsibility” confrontations are avoided because everything is written out in the warranty. In most cases, the seller will cover any major issues that arise.

Different Forms of Coverage

Every state has their own individual stipulations when it comes to insurance coverage for warranties. The main three plumbing, electrical, and heating system issues are usually covered by the basic home warranty plans. A per-item basis charge is most commonly applied if there are any issues with swimming pools, spas, or air-conditioning. The other comprehensive plans are utilized to make sure roofs and irrigation systems have the property amount of coverage.

How the Warranty Works

After the insurance policy is officially created, the person who holds that policy has two options. They can allow the insurance company to get an outside service company to fix the problem or they can use the in-house services provided by the warranty company themselves. As always, the type of home warranty that exists for the home determines the level of service the policy holder will receive for their specific problem.