How do I get my house ready to sell? I just got an offer on my home, How do I move before closing?
All of these statements are typical when I talk with a client for the first time. Many people are unaware of the benefits of hiring a professional company liquidate their personal property before they move. I have listed the following tips to assist a seller before or after they sell their home.
1. Staging - Before hauling away all your clutter to Goodwill consider using the revenue you would gain from those small items to assist in your move. Some realtors will advise as to which furniture should be left for staging and what should be stored or removed in order for your home to "show" better. An estate liquidator can sell everything except what you need for staging or sell everything and have the realtor stage accordingly through their resources. Storing your excess in boxes in a garage, pod or storage until the house sells is also an alternative if you choose to have an estate sale after you have received a contract on your property.
2. Sell Everything - In cases where the home needs repairs, maintenance, flooring or painting, selling it all before putting it on the market may be wise and it gives an older home a fresh new open look. This choice is also a great way to introduce your home to the market as hundreds of people will attend the sale and inquire of the home, possibly leading to a, "For Sale By Owner" opportunity. Again, you must remove, or store your wanted items and be moved from the property. These are actually the easiest sales to conduct. Remember, the moving sales company will sift through everything, separating items and throwing away the trash.
3. Downsizing - You want to sell your home or just received a contract but haven't moved yet. How do I have an estate sale if I'm still in the house? A moving sale company can advise you in what rooms of your home would be best in storing the items you want to keep. Separating your items will take longer to set up but can be done in order to stay in your house until it sells or closes. You must be very clear in this case of what does not sell even down to the electronics and appliances. Remember, if you are still living in the home you may want to keep your refrigerator, washer, dryer and tv.
4. Cleaning and maintenance before selling: If you are planning a sale, wait until after the sale to have carpets cleaned and walls painted. Even the most beautiful homes have dust bunnies and nail holes that can be more easily assessed after the sale is over. Designate what areas can be used for parking and what areas of the yard need to be roped off.
5. Removing items to be sold to another location: In some rare cases, it may be necessary to have your estate sale at an alternate location. Condos, apartments, gated communities and some Home Owner Associations prohibit estate and moving sales on the property. In these cases you may need to seek out a company that has those capabilities. Keep in mind you may be charged a higher percentage or extra fees for relocating your merchandise. You may also be required to pick up the items that do not sell.
6. No time to move: Your dream came true. The house sold quickly to a cash buyer and they want a quick closing. Most moving sales companies can do the entire process in a week. Before they come out to preview, label the items you want to keep so they can assess and staff the sale accordingly. Communication is the key in a quick sale so be clear in your timeline and list of not for sale items. Leave a few days after the sale for time to liquidate the leftover items and the final cleaning before the final inspection.
7. What if we are not able to be there? Our realtor called and said we sold the house but we are in another state and don't know how we can move in such a short notice. I have done moving sales in which I never met my client. They left a key hidden, communicated what to sell over the phone during an on site walk through, had me arrange for the final items to be removed and I mailed them a check. Some estate sales companies have further services such as hauling, and cleaning as well.
8. My parents' house needs to be put on the market but we do not have time to get it ready. Whether you are nearby and able to personally guide the estate sales co. through the process of liquidating your parents house or live many miles away and need someone to do the entire process, it can be done. With modern technology communication, pictures, video and face time can be great tools in deciding on the best plan to conduct an estate sale for your family. Check the credentials of the estate sale businesses in the area, ask for references, research their reviews on Yelp, Facebook, and Better Business Bureau.
9. How to have a garage sale to get my house ready to sell. Before I moved I held 3 different garage sales and sold the large items one by one on Craigslist and Facebook. It took the entire summer. I found that after the first garage sale I had less people come to the following as they recognize the address and think it's the same old stuff. Craigslist can not only be a bit risky but time consuming as arrangements and no shows leave you hanging. Items taken to the garage to be sold WILL NOT bring as much as items sold in a home setting. A moving sale company will provide their pricing knowledge, advertising, email list and materials to sell your items but will expedite the whole process and most likely increase your sales therefore covering their commission as well.
10. OVERWHELMED: This is the word I most hear when a client calls me the first time. For whatever reason, they are overwhelmed with the whole process of selling their home. Whether you are going through divorce and not able to agree on separating your personal property, cleaning out due to a hoarder situation, emotionally too attached to deal with liquidating your keepsakes or simply too far away or too busy to deal with cleaning out the home to sell, a free consultation with a moving sale company can give you ideas and a plan to make the process quick and easy.
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