Most of us have put our home on the real estate market once or twice in a lifetime, so you'll know exactly what I'm talking about here. What a process! Here are the steps necessary in order to to sell your home.
1) Find a reputable realtor. Oh, there are plenty of realtors out there, but are they all reputable? I've known some creepy ones (I guess it's that way in every business). Sometimes you can tell by their picture (those pictures are a good thing, I think). I've known many that are knowledgable, hardworking and have your best interests at heart, but I have also experienced the polar opposite. Some like to play both sides of the fence, even though you have signed an exclusive contract for them to SELL YOUR HOUSE. I once had a realtor let a family move into my house before their financing went through and the deal was even closed. Imagine my helplessness, as I lived sixteen hundred miles away while strangers lived for free in my unsold home. His explanation was, "they needed a place to stay while the deal goes through.....you don't want to lose the deal, do you?"
Then there was the time our realtor let the interested party show up with all their kids at our home numerous times without him, and my husband let it slip how much we would be willing to let it go for. The realtor was angry with us for ruining the deal.
2) Now that you've found your dream realtor (and they are out there), it's time to stage your home to be appealing to a buyer. That means----CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Clean out those cabinets. Clean that garage you've put on the back burner for the last two years. Clear out all those junky knick knacks from the Bahamas and your trip to France. Especially get rid of all your family photographs that surround you with daily love and memories. Hide them away so a perspective buyer can imagine their junky knick knacks in your home. Then decorate your home the way you've always wanted, but never seemed to get around to. Re-paint the living room. Put paintings on the walls. Fix the rotted trim outside. Replace the moldy fascia board under the eaves. Re-stain the sunscorched front door. Paint the porch railings. Weed the flowerbeds and add new mulch. Keep the lawn mowed and weed eat regularly. Make sure the appliances all work efficiently. Make sure the HVAC works. Make sure your clothes are always picked up. Keep the bathrooms pristine. Mop the hardwood floors. Keep the dog outside to minimize hair on the floors. Vacumn, vacumn everyday (you might have an unexpected showing)------ I'm sure I missed something-----oh---light bulbs.
3) Now you wait for offers to come in. You have no idea when or if you'll sell the home. If an offer does come in-----they want your home for fifty thousand dollars less than the asking price (you already spent thousands getting it ready). You start the bargaining process-----they want the washer,dryer and riding lawn mower thrown in. They'll pay the closing costs if you go down a couple thousand more-----and did that fascia get replaced? The torture goes on and on.
It's hard to believe this process goes on daily throughout the world. Just writing about it is exhausting, let alone experiencing it. Maybe some people like playing the game and doing the deal, but I personally find it all a little sad and demeaning. After all, everyone involved wants to come out on top, but very rarely is everyone completely satisfied with the outcome.
You live for that day the title company hands you a check for all your investment of years and money, but still walk away shell shocked. Now it's your turn to take that money and put some poor unsuspecting homeowner trying to sell their house, through the same ringer you just went through.
We'll see how life plays out on the other side!
