Like buying real estate, the process of selling a home requires several layers of preparation for a successful sale. Scroll below to find all the essential steps to selling a home in Bayfield County, WI.
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- Hire a real estate agent
To sell your home for the right price and fast, the services of an experienced and local real estate agent are needed. It is imperative to find a realtor that counts your neighborhood as one of their areas of specialization. This way, the pricing and marketing strategy for your property will be more localized.
Ask people you know who have recently sold their homes for referrals. You can also opt to go online and search for local listing agents. List down a couple of prospective candidates, then invite them to a one-on-one interview.
Get to know potential real estate agents before you hire one of them. Ask about their experience in the field. What is their work and communication style? When was the last time they sold a house, and for how much? How much do they charge for their services? If you are at a loss for questions, this article will help you interview a real estate agent.
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- Gather all necessary documents related to the house
As you will be transferring the ownership of the house to a buyer at the end of the selling process, take the time to collect all important paperwork tied to the property. This includes the following:
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- Homeowners insurance information
- Property tax information and statements
- Deed of the property
- Title report
- Mortgage information
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Keep these organized in binder and place it somewhere you will easily remember. Sales transactions can be delayed or even completely derailed when important documents are missing. This article provides more information on documents you need for the sale.
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- Prepare your home for sale
Preparing your home for sale involves a number of smaller (but no less important) tasks. We recommend creating a list of things to do to make sure you cover everything. Include the following in your checklist:
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- Check the property for faulty features and make the necessary repairs
- Improve the home’s curb appeal
- Repaint the interior and exterior walls if needed, neutral colors are best if repainting is needed
- Deep-clean the entire property
- Remove personal effects and belongings from plain sight that you don’t want seen by prospective buyers
- Address and remove bad odors
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If you have pets, make sure to eliminate fur, dander, and other odors. This will help avoid trigger allergic reactions among potential home buyers.
If certain parts of your house are outdated, consider making upgrades. Dated tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms can be deterrents to a fast home sale. Old, ratty furniture and appliances may need to be replaced as well.
Some issues that need repairs are harder to spot. Invite a home inspector for a professional opinion that will help make your house move-in ready. In WI buyers typically pay for all inspections and testing. Ask your realtor if this step is necessary.
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- Understand and comply with seller disclosure obligations
Sellers have property disclosure obligations they need to comply withand it varies state to state. In Wisconsin, you are required to submit a real estate condition report to potential buyers. This document should include relevant information on the following:
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- Structural defects
- Legal issues
- Awareness of aforementioned defects
- The duration of your stay in the house
- Environmental problems
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You can ask your real estate agent to provide a blank copy of the form. The fully accomplished report must be given to the buyer no later than 10 days after accepting their offer, in most cases it is provided to buyers before the offer is made.
Not all sellers, however, are required to make the report. For instance, representatives of the estate, conservators, or trustees are exempt from local seller disclosure laws if they never lived in the home. A caveat: they may be held liable if found that they knowingly concealed a property issue.
Learn more about seller disclosure obligations in Wisconsin here.
Sell your home in Bayfield County with Windseeker Realty
In need of a realtor to help you sell your home in Bayfield County? Our team is well-equipped to represent you in the home-selling process. Browse our website to learn more about what we can do for you. When you are ready, contact us today to sell your home on the Bayfield Peninsula.
