Important Selling Tips

Home Inspection

Having a home inspection may help you market your home. Your potential buyers may not want to proceed with purchase if there are deferred or unknown maintenance items at the time of contract.    Get a presale inspection done by an inspector licensed by the State. Choose an inspector who's been recommended by people who've recently used one. You're looking to establish a baseline of what repairs are required (if any) and which of those you will do yourself and which are to be done by a repairman.    Some home inspectors are also licensed to do termite inspections. (Most do not provide treatment if termites are found, so there is no conflict of interest.) This is important to prove to buyers the property is clean. (You will likely be required to provide one at or before the closing anyway.)    For any repairs recommended by inspectors, get estimates from reliable repairmen. You want people who are going to do the job right, and that's not necessarily the low bidder. Even if you don't get all the work done up front, the estimates will be useful in the negotiation stage of your sale. If your home needs new carpeting, for instance, and an offer comes in that's contingent on replacement of the carpet, you'll be able to evaluate the offer quickly because you'll already know the cost.

Disclosure

In Texas, sellers are required to provide a written property condition disclosure to any prospective buyer. Your listing agent will supply this form to you. Take time to fill it out completely and honestly. Full disclosure from "the get-go" by you, Mr. or Ms. Seller, can prevent many misunderstandings later on.

Warranty

To better compete with a buyer's romantic idea of having his or her dream home built (or to better compete with already-built new homes for sale), consider offering to pay for a one-year home warranty.    It can give buyers peace of mind about buying a "pre-owned" home. There's an additional benefit for you: some plans cover the property during the listing period but is only paid for if and when the sale closes.

Spruce-Up

Eliminate anything that looks like deferred updating or maintenance. Be ruthless in your war against clutter, both inside and outside. (Now is the time to have a big yard sale or donate all the stuff you no longer need to the Wimberley Senior Citizens Thrift Shop.) A bit of new, attractive landscaping can be important because potential buyers need to be enticed out of the car and into the house.    Have an objective and truthful person go through each room of your house and give you ideas on what may look less than sparkling. Does your house need a new coat of paint to look fresh? Be careful about house pet and/or food odors which may be entirely unnoticed by you. Consider reorganizing closets and having carpets cleaned.