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Selling Your Home

TIPS TO SELL YOUR HOME

          


It's not too early to sell your home. Get started with these TOP 10 TIPS!

  1. GET PRE-APPROVED IF YOU ARE BUYING
    If you are planning to buy after the sale of your home, visit with a lender to see how you can qualify and be comfortable with the payment.
  2. SEE WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH
    Your Realtor® will research similar sales and competing homes in your neighborhood to determine where to position your home in the market.
  3. PRICE, TERM, AND MARKETING
    Ask your REALTOR® for a written marketing plan to sell your home. Your REALTOR® will keep you updated on current market trends.
  4. UPDATE
    A new faucet or light fixture can make your home appear updated and help you compete against newer, more modern homes.
  5. CARPET AND PAINT
    These are the best and least expensive ways to add value to your home. Remember to keep it warm, inviting, and neutral. 
  6. DE-CLUTTER
    Pack up, sell, or give away unwanted items. A home looks and sells better when you can see it. Remember clutter eats equity.
  7. WHEN THE SIGN GOES UP
    Keep your home tidy, add a pleasant smell, and be away from the home for showings. Your REALTOR® will follow up and provide you with any feedback.
  8. PURCHASE AGREEMENT 
    Your REALTOR® will help you negotiate an acceptable offer, work with your lender, title company, appraiser, closing company, and line up any inspections.
  9. PACK
    Again, discard, sell, or give away unwanted items or call in the professionals!
  10. MOVE!
    It’s time to sign papers and close on your home! You will need to say goodbye to this house, but hopefully you are moving into an even better home!
     


Why Sell with Park Co. Realtors? 

For over 60 years, Park Co. Realtors has made you, our clients, the top priority. Our goal is to take care of our clients, not only during the purchase of your home, but after the sale. We take great pride in the fact tha t over 80% of our business comes from previous clients, referrals from previous clients, and community activities. You can be assur ed your REALTOR® is a part of the best trained, kno wledgeable, and trusted team in the Fargo-Moorhead area. Every decision we make focuses on your best interest and making your move a positive experience. Our goal is to make this transaction as smooth and happy as possible. Our entire team of professionals is dedicated to providing excellent service.  Hear what our clients have to say. 
 

    • TOUR Our REALTORS® meet weekly to tour new Park Co. Realtors listings. As the first agents to see these homes, our REALTORS® are able to provide feedback and match potential buyers to your home. In 2018, 29% of the homes listed by Park Co. Realtors weresold by a Park Co. Realtor.
       
    • PARK WEST KIOSK AT WEST ACRES The Kiosk is the only real estate presence in a retail setting in the local market area. It’s the only shopping center in North Dakota where sellers can market their homes!
       
    • APP & WEBSITE When listing your home with Park Co. Realtors, your home is placed on ParkCompany.com and the Park Co. Realtors app. Our website provides the most accurate and up-to-date real estate information for buyers to find your home! Users can search by location, price, school district, MLS #, city, and more!
       
    • GLOBAL RELOCATION PRESENCE Park Co. Realtors is a part of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the largest residential relocation network in the world. Being a part of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World connects our agents to 70 countries, over 565 fi rms, and 130,000 associates.
       
    • PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY At the center of our efforts to get your home sold is professional photography. Most people look at homes online and look through the photos before even looking at the details, price, or location of the home. Great photos capture a buyer's interest. We have professional in-house photographers that know and understand real estate photography.

     


NO ADDITIONAL FEES

Park Co. Realtors does not charge administration or transaction coordination fees to our sellers or buyers. All of our services for sellers are provided within our brokerage commission at no additional charge. For buyers, we do not charge any fees for signing up with us as a buyer and a buyer’s agents commission in generally paid from the seller’s proceeds.

 


Preparing Your Home to Sell

Kitchen (Most Important Room)

  • If the cabinets are worn, paint or refinish them.
  • Clean the ventilating hood.
  • Keep the counters clean and remove any appliances like the toaster, coffee maker, and can opener.
  • Leave a nice smell in the kitchen (i.e. vanilla, cinnamon-apple, etc.).
  • Remove hand towels and dishcloths from sink or hanging on the stove.

Bathrooms 

  • Keep fresh towels in the bathroom.
  • Remove stains from toilets, bathtubs, and sink.
  • Keep sinks and mirrors shining.
  • Repair dripping faucets.
  • If sink and bathtub drain too slowly, unclog them.
  • Replace old caulking around bathtubs if needed.
  • Declutter countertops

Bedrooms

  • Put away personal items so that buyers can see themselves living in the home.
  • Straighten and organize the closets.
  • Store out-of-season clothes so that the closets look larger.
  • Have beds made and pillows standing up instead of laying flat.

Appearances are everything.

  • Wash windows and replace any broken glass.
  • All windows must open and close.
  • Make sure there is plenty of lighting, especially on the stairs.
  • Remove heavy curtains that block windows.
  • Replace burned-out light bulbs. Use brighter bulbs.
  • Be sure every light switch works.
  • If you have a fireplace, clean it out, and lay some logs in it to make it look inviting.

Ceilings & Walls

  • Stick to neutral colors when painting and redecorating.
  • Have the walls in tip-top shape. Fix any cracks, dents, or knicks.
  • Check ceilings for leak stains. Fix the cause of the damage, repair, and repaint. 
  • If your basement is dark and gloomy, paint the ceilings and walls a light color.

Doors & Floors

  • For doors that stick slightly, rub paraffin against the surface showing signs of wear.
  • For sliding doors that stick, rub the tracks with paraffin or candle wax.
  • For squeaky doors, use a lubricant spray (WD-40) to eliminate the squeaks.
  • Clean your carpets, especially if you have pets.
  • If the tile or laminate floor is badly worn, put down new flooring. If a single tile is loose, apply heat to the tile with an iron covered with a soft cloth, to soften the adhesive – then replace the tile.
  • Make the floor shine. Clean any creaking boards or stair treads (drive two long finishing nails at opposing angles through the floor and sub-floor into the joist).
  • Vacuum or sweep the garage floor

Organize Storage

  • Clean out the attic, basement, and garage. Dispose of everything you aren’t moving.
  • Package everything you won’t need until you’re settled in your new home.
  • Stack items neatly against walls to make the garage look large.

Exterior

  • Invest in landscaping where it can be seen at first sight. A well-manicured lawn, neatly clipped shrubbery, and cleanly swept walks create a good first impression.
  • Cut back over-grown shrubbery.
  • Paint your house if necessary. This can do more for sales appeal than any other factor. If you decide against painting, at least consider painting front shutters and window frames.
  • In winter, walks should be free of snow and ice.
  • Inspect the roof, gutters, and shingles.
  • Consider putting flowers outside the front door.
  • Repaint the front door.
  • Repair broken outdoor steps.
  • Keep lawn closely cut and edged.
  • Make house numbers visable and place lighting on them in the winter.

Inexpensive Tips From the Pros

  • Use Bar Keeper’s Friend to remove water stains from stainless steel sinks and scratches in porcelain.
  • Use a pumice stone to remove rust stains from toilet bowls, porcelain tubs, and sinks.
  • Use baking soda and a wet cloth to remove stains from light countertops.
  • Use white vinegar to remove carpet stains, and unclog shower heads, or clean kitchen sprayers.
     

Download PDF Version of "Preparing Your Home To Sell"


Why Should I Offer a Home Warranty When I Sell My Home?

You receive FREE* coverage during your listing period.
A home warranty can protect you against the potential cost of repairs or replacements during your listing period. Look for a warranty that covers major mechanical systems such as furnaces, central air, and water heaters during the listing period. These are the items that could either make or break the on-time closing of your home.

A warranty can help your home sell quicker.
A warranty for your home will enhance its value to prospective buyers. This typically results in a 15% faster sale than similar homes without warranty coverage.

Homes that are marketed with a home warranty typically sell at a higher price.
The home warranty can be used as a contract-negotiating tool to receive the best possible price for your home.  Homes with a warranty sell 3% closer to the asking price than homes without a warranty.

Homes that include warranties attract more buyers than similar homes without a warranty.
More than 80% of home buyers, nationally, say they prefer to purchase a house which includes a home warranty. Experience a greater chance of selling your home with a warranty.

Home warranties reduce your liability after the sale.
Protect yourself from the potential of post-sale property conditions that can lead to additional expenses after closing. For your protection, provide a comprehensive warranty that includes the major mechanical failures and structural coverage for the buyer. 

Park Co. Realtors partners with HSA Home Warranty. For more information, visit their website at www.onlinehsa.com.

*NOTE: Maximum free coverage is 12 months. Free coverage is not available in all states. The seller pays nothing if the home does not sell, even if service requests have been paid. Source:  National Home Warranty Association 

Other Resources in Buyer/Seller Info

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Community Information
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PARK CO., REALTORS

28 10th St N
Fargo, ND 58102
701-409-2925