Before you put your home on the market, it's wise to make a careful assessment of the other homes for sale in your area.
What are they selling for per square foot? If you plan to ask more, your updates and finishing should be better than the others,
and that difference should be obvious to the buyers who will spend just a few minutes in your home.
A good place to start your comparison is the Multiple Listing Service.
But pictures and written descriptions don't tell the whole story. It would be wise to Contact Kirk
to set up a few visits to your competitors' homes. Only after you have seen your competition can you be sure of where you stand.
Before your home hits the market, you should have it looking its best. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for dinged and
scuffed walls. If your carpet is stained and hammered, you ought to bite the bullet and replace it. If hardwood floors lie beneath
your mangy carpet, just tear it up. Unless the hardwoods are hammered, they will show far better than bad carpet.
Hire someone to fix those broken eaves, windows, doors, hinges and handles. Kirk can coordinate appointments with good
painters, handymen, plumbers and furnace experts. He can even put you in touch with home inspectors and appraisers.
What are they selling for per square foot? If you plan to ask more, your updates and finishing should be better than the others,
and that difference should be obvious to the buyers who will spend just a few minutes in your home.
A good place to start your comparison is the Multiple Listing Service.
But pictures and written descriptions don't tell the whole story. It would be wise to Contact Kirk
to set up a few visits to your competitors' homes. Only after you have seen your competition can you be sure of where you stand.
Before your home hits the market, you should have it looking its best. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for dinged and
scuffed walls. If your carpet is stained and hammered, you ought to bite the bullet and replace it. If hardwood floors lie beneath
your mangy carpet, just tear it up. Unless the hardwoods are hammered, they will show far better than bad carpet.
Hire someone to fix those broken eaves, windows, doors, hinges and handles. Kirk can coordinate appointments with good
painters, handymen, plumbers and furnace experts. He can even put you in touch with home inspectors and appraisers.
Familiarize yourself with the contracts. Click on the links to the right for a
look at some of the paperwork you will encounter during the selling process.
It is especially important to understand the purchase contract before
you get an offer. That way you can focus on the big stuff instead of getting
bogged down in minutia.
look at some of the paperwork you will encounter during the selling process.
It is especially important to understand the purchase contract before
you get an offer. That way you can focus on the big stuff instead of getting
bogged down in minutia.
| How to Sell a Home in Salt Lake City's Sugar House |
A. Lead Paint Addendum
B. Real Estate Purchase Contract
C. Seller Disclosure Forms
D. Listing Agreement
B. Real Estate Purchase Contract
C. Seller Disclosure Forms
D. Listing Agreement
| Your Competition Could Hold the Key |
Sellers of older homes, which account for most of the real estate in and around Sugar House, have some special
considerations. Have your furnace cleaned and serviced. There is nothing worse after a long negotiation over price to find the
furnace up front, disclose it and make it part of the negotiation.
The same goes for the roof. Owners of cottages built in the early 1950s should not be surprised to find that there is a
layer of wooden shake shingles beneath their asphalt shingles. This reduces the life of asphalt shingles, is against current code
and will always come up during a home inspection. Again, it is better to disclose this up front and make it part of the first
negotiation. Otherwise, you might agree to drop $10,000 and then find a request for another $10,000 credit after the home
inspection.
considerations. Have your furnace cleaned and serviced. There is nothing worse after a long negotiation over price to find the
furnace up front, disclose it and make it part of the negotiation.
The same goes for the roof. Owners of cottages built in the early 1950s should not be surprised to find that there is a
layer of wooden shake shingles beneath their asphalt shingles. This reduces the life of asphalt shingles, is against current code
and will always come up during a home inspection. Again, it is better to disclose this up front and make it part of the first
negotiation. Otherwise, you might agree to drop $10,000 and then find a request for another $10,000 credit after the home
inspection.
Before you remodel, do a careful cost analysis that includes a comprehensive market analysis of both dated homes
and remodeled homes in the area. You might be able to net as much by just selling your dated home as you would after
incurring the headache, expense and risk of a remodel. Basement remodels are especially risky. It's easier to sell a house with
an unfinished basement than one with a mediocre remodel. And if you choose to spend the big bucks to do it right, make sure
you have a minimum of 6 and a half feet of ceiling height. One of the best places to put your remodel money is in cutting deeper
windows in basements. They add light and livability, as well as providing peace of mind for buyers concerned about a fire
escape. Dig the hole yourself outside your house and hire a cement cutter for about $400. If you buy the window at Lowe's and
install it yourself, the whole thing won't cost more than $800.
and remodeled homes in the area. You might be able to net as much by just selling your dated home as you would after
incurring the headache, expense and risk of a remodel. Basement remodels are especially risky. It's easier to sell a house with
an unfinished basement than one with a mediocre remodel. And if you choose to spend the big bucks to do it right, make sure
you have a minimum of 6 and a half feet of ceiling height. One of the best places to put your remodel money is in cutting deeper
windows in basements. They add light and livability, as well as providing peace of mind for buyers concerned about a fire
escape. Dig the hole yourself outside your house and hire a cement cutter for about $400. If you buy the window at Lowe's and
install it yourself, the whole thing won't cost more than $800.
| Home The Neighborhoods Old House Styles Salt Lake City Business Salt Lake City Attractions Salt Lake City Schools Salt Lake City Economy Salt Lake City Weather Salt Lake City Scenes Buyer Tools - MLS Seller Tools Why Kirk Millson? Homes for Sale Salt Lake City Rentals Utah Land for Sale Sitemap Surrounding Areas Outlying Areas Kirk Millson Kirk@SugarHouseUtah.com 801-419-8912 Plumb & Co. Realtors 1001 E. 2100 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84106 ©2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Kirk Millson |
| ALERT: Right now, in early 2013, there is a historic shortage of houses on the market. Everything is selling, and for a lot more money than lesser properties are likely to get later in the year. If you are waiting for spring to sell, you might be costing yourself a bundle. NOW is the time to get your home on the market. Click here for Kirk's references |
| Kirk Millson Plumb & Co. Real Estate 801-419-8912 kirk@sugarhouseutah.com |
