18 Questions For Every Home Seller (Part 9)

Should I hire a property inspector?

While you might eschew the help of a broker or agent to avoid the cost of their commission, almost all sellers ought to hire a property inspector to report on the condition of your property. Many locales require such an inspection before a sale can proceed, and in the case of a very serious issue or issues, you may be required to complete the repair. Get the inspection before putting the house on the market to allow for time to make such repairs and because it will be impossible to estimate the property’s value before you have a third-party evaluation of the home’s physical condition

Should I hire a termite inspector?

We recommend this inspection for any do-it-yourself seller. Since the demonstrated absence of termites can only increase the value of your property, this is in your interest. If (knock on wood) an infestation is found, you will want to know to avoid frustration and conflict further down the road. And anyone selling a property online, “as is” with no contingencies must have such a report to inform the buyer of what they are getting.

Do I need help marketing my home?

Of course homes appeal more to buyers when in good repair, clean and uncluttered. But years ago, real estate professionals began to notice that homes also tended to sell faster with a few touches of interior color accents, optimal lighting, and so on. In recent years, a niche profession has emerged to help you prep your home for sale and, particularly if the property you are selling is unoccupied, a staging consultant may help you attract a buyer faster and fetch a higher price when you find one. Of course, the quality of such consultants varies widely, as do the fees they charge. And of course not all buyers will bid higher in the end after even the best staging consultant has redecorated and lit your property. If you wish to “stage” the property yourself, we’ll look several ideas of how to do this a little later.

In addition to real world staging, services now exist to provide “virtual staging”. This means that photographs of the property can be manipulated to show the furnishing and decoration possibilities. These services take your photos of the major spaces (living room, bedrooms, baths, and dining room), shot empty, and provide “staged” versions with “furnishings” from their image library. These photos (or even 3D walk-through tours) are then used in online listings to attract buyers.

Of course, you might also consider a professional architectural photographer to optimize the quality of the photographs themselves as well. Such professionals may use perspective-correcting cameras and extensive light rigs to maximize the appeal of your property.

Other parties

An escrow officer is typically involved during the final stage of a transaction. He or she is a neutral party who holds the purchase funds as the transaction is processed.  You may also consult a tax expert to review your strategy to minimize the impact of taxes on the proceeds from your sale.