Are You REALLY Ready to Sell Your West Bank Home?

Recently, I've had the chance to talk with several different people about putting their West Bank home on the market for sale.  I really enjoy getting to meet them, to see their homes and to help them understand why a professional, local West Bank REALTOR can get their home the most exposure in their market and increase their odds of selling.

Everyone has a different reason for moving, but there are certain questions that everyone should ask themselves before they sign their name to the dotted line of a listing agreement.

Are you motivated to sell?

Why are you considering selling your home?  Is it because you have a job offer in another state and need to be there by a certain date (motivated) or is it because you just want to see what the market will bear (not so motivated)?  Motivated sellers are prepared to do everything they can to position their home as the best value in the neighborhood...a recipe for success.  Non-motivated sellers need to be prepared to sit back and just see what happens...a recipe for frustration when most areas of the West Bank are still a buyer's market.

Do you understand the current real estate market on the West Bank?

I consider it my duty to provide you with ALL of the information needed to understand what's happening in our market.  Not just how much the house down the street sold for, but whether or not they provided a home warranty, a repair allowance or closing cost assistance to the buyers.  While your former neighbors may boast "We got our asking price", they typically won't tell you that they then provided 3 to 6% of that price in assistance to the purchaser!   It's important for you to know as much about your neighborhood market as I do and you can do that by reviewing recent West Bank real estate market reports.

Are you realistic about pricing?

Pricing is almost always a sticking point, since most home owners think their house is worth more than the market will support.  But it boils down to just a few facts.

FACT: Appraisers will not consider any sales that happened more than six months ago as comparable properties.  Remember, your home must appraise for the contract price for the buyer to get financing on it.

Read What Happens If My West Bank Home Doesn't Appraise?

• FACT: While some upgrades to your home may provide an increase in value, items replaced as part of the ongoing maintenance of a house (roof, water heater, air conditioning, appliances) do not add value and do not raise the price a buyer will be willing to pay. 

Read What Buyers Are Saying About Your Home

FACT: The comparable sales in your neighborhood that we use to determine a fair listing price are the same numbers that a buyer's agent will be using to determine what is a fair offer for your home.

Are you prepared to clean, declutter and stage your home?

Some of my clients have good-naturedly complained that I give them too much to do to get their homes ready for the market.  But, there is a method to the madness and  a reason for the to-do list that needs to be completed before the photos are taken or the first agent or buyer ever sets foot through the door.

• You only have one chance to impress the agents and buyers when they are viewing photos of your home online.  All it takes is a quick look through one of the online real estate sites to see what a poor job many people are doing of presenting the best features of their homes.  The homes that are best prepared and have the most attractive photos are the ones that catch the buyers attention and get the most showings.
• You only have one opportunity to impress the buyer when they visit.  If they are distracted by all of the small "I'm going to get to that..." things that need to be done in the house or they are turned off by dirt or odors, you've lost them and the possibility of an offer.
• Staging is still a relatively new field in the New Orleans area, but there is a reason for the success of all of the home improvements shows on television...houses show better when they are staged!!  The cost of staging varies for each home, depending on whether a home stager is able to use and rearrange your existing furniture or whether they are providing furniture to "warm up" a vacant house.  Ask me about local stagers who can help you prepare to sell.

Are you prepared to make it easy for agents to show your home to their buyers?

With so many homes on the market now, agents are narrowing their focus to the ones that not only meet their buyers needs and budgets, but also those that they know they can get into quickly or easily.  In a perfect world, everyone would give 24 hours notice for a showing.  In the real world, buyers see a home for sale that was not on their original list and want to see it at the last minute.  Flexibility in setting appointments is crucial.

Is your house in shape for a thorough home inspection?

No house is perfect.  That said, neglecting maintenance issues can lead to another whole round of negotiations after inspections are done.  In fact, if there are problems that cause the buyer enough concern, they can simply cancel the contract without even asking for repairs to be done.

I recommend that you consider having a professional pre-inspection of your home before putting it on the market.  Being able to share the home inspector's report and a record of any subsequent repairs can go a long way toward easing a buyer's mind about the condition of your home.

Read: Why Do A Pre-Inspection When Selling Your New Orleans West Bank Home-

On your mark, get set, GO!

Are you really ready to sell your West Bank home?  Contact Lisa Heindel, your West Bank real estate specialist, for a free consultation and market analysis.  I'd love to see a SOLD sign in your front yard!

When buying or selling a home on the West Bank of New Orleans or relocating to the New Orleans West Bank, you deserve local expertise and advice. Lisa Heindel provides full time, professional real estate services to buyers, sellers and military transferees in Algiers, Algiers Point, Belle Chasse, Gretna, Terrytown, Harvey, Marrero, Westwego and more.

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Here's the disclaimer part: The opinions expressed here are strictly those of the author, but you are free to share yours in the comments. All information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Copyright 2008. Lisa Heindel, All rights reserved.