Seller Guide

Selling a house runs on a calendar with a lot of dates on it. This is the whole thing in five parts, so you know what comes next and what I am doing while you wait.

01. How a sale runs

Walkthrough

I tour your home and tell you what I would do before it goes on the market, what I would leave alone, and how I would market it. No commitment on your part.

Listing appointment

After I finish the market analysis we meet again, settle the list price, talk through your expectations, and sign the listing paperwork.

Pre-launch

Professional photography, signage and a lockbox get scheduled. If repairs or staging are on the list, this is when they happen.

Launch

Your listing goes live to every buyer and agent searching in Northern Colorado. Showings start, usually the same day.

Offers and negotiation

When an offer comes in I walk you through it, we decide on a response, and we go back and forth until there is an agreement or we walk away.

Inspection, appraisal, loan

The buyer inspects, the lender appraises, and the loan goes through underwriting. Each one has a deadline in the contract. I track them and handle any negotiation the inspection turns up.

Closing

We review the final figures together before the appointment. At closing the title company settles the fees, you get paid, and the buyer's deed is recorded.

02. Get the house ready

Buyers decide how they feel about a house in the first minute. Most of that is light, smell and clutter, and all of it is fixable.

Outside

• Curb appeal. Mow, edge, weed, water. Trim anything that has gotten away from you.
• Wash it. Pressure wash the siding and clean the gutters.
• Fix what shows. Loose siding, crooked gutters, chipped paint, cracked steps. Reseal the driveway if it needs it.
• Front door. A fresh coat of paint, a new mat, visible house numbers.
• Winter listing? Keep the driveway and walks clear every day. Showings come with short notice.

Inside

• Declutter every room, closets and storage included. Buyers open every door.
• Depersonalize. Store the photos and collections so buyers can picture their own.
• Clean like you mean it, and keep it that way for the length of the listing. A professional cleaner is money well spent.
• Repair the small stuff. Leaks, cracks, stained ceilings, stuck windows, peeling wallpaper.
• Neutral paint where the color is loud. Same rule for flooring if you replace any.
• No smells. That includes strong cleaners and air fresheners.

What else buyers weigh

• Condition. Age of the roof and mechanicals, any history of water or flood, clean title.
• Price. Does the house look like it is worth what it is listed at next to the neighbors?
• The market that month. Inventory and rates shift what buyers will pay. I set expectations from the current numbers, not last year's.
• Paperwork. Dig out the manuals, warranties and receipts. Buyers ask, and it is fine that they do. Condo or townhome? Get the HOA documents early.

03. Negotiating

• Disclose everything. Every known defect, in writing. It feels awkward and it prevents lawsuits.
• Respect their nerves. Buyers are making the biggest purchase of their lives. Questions are not attacks.
• Ask your own. Any term or number you do not understand, ask me. That is the job.
• Answer fast. Slow responses to offers and counters lose buyers.
• Split the small costs. Do not let a few hundred dollars stall a sale.
• Breathe. Tense moments pass. Decisions made in them do not.

04. Under contract

Acceptance

The offer is signed and the calendar starts. Over the next 14 to 60 days there are deadlines for inspection, appraisal, title, loan conditions and closing. Missing one can put you in breach, so I track all of them.

Inspection

The buyer hires an inspector to go through the house, usually two to four hours. You leave for it. If they find something, the buyer may ask for repairs or a credit. You choose how to respond, and I help you weigh it. Health and safety items come first. If you would rather know what is coming, a pre-listing inspection is worth considering.

Appraisal

The buyer's lender orders an appraisal to confirm the house is worth the loan. If it comes in at value, we move on. If it does not, there are a few ways through, and I will lay them out.

05. Closing

The title company prepares the final settlement statement. We review the numbers before the appointment so nothing is a surprise at the table.

Bring

• Valid government photo ID
• House keys, mailbox keys, and any other keys that go with the house
• Garage door openers

Seller costs, typically

• Mortgage payoff
• Any unpaid taxes, fines or claims against the property
• Title insurance for the buyer
• Home warranty, if offered
• Real estate commission
• Title and closing fees

Afterward, keep every closing document and every receipt for improvements you made to the house. Your accountant will want them.

My commitment to you

• A market analysis that sets the right price, and honest advice on what to fix and what to leave.
• A trusted list of people to call for every service the sale needs.
• Every offer presented promptly, every negotiation run with your goals in front of me.
• Fast replies to calls, texts and email. Every deadline met.
• Earnest money verified, documents delivered on time, settlement figures reviewed with you.
• Your information kept private and your interest placed first, before, during and after the sale.