Welcome to the Jeff Devalk & Associates Sellers Roadmap. We've created this roadmap to help you learn more about the steps taken in selling your property. When selling your house, price, condition, exposure, and location are the four most important factors. Please click on the tabs above to learn more about the step-by-step process of selling your home.
Step 2
Select an Agent & Price:
The most effective way to get TOP DOLLAR for your home is with the help of a professional, licensed Jeff Devalk & Associates agent. Even a real estate agent, with experience, needs to know your specific goals before we can help you accomplish them. Our job is to help pinpoint all of the variables related to your specific goals and determine the best methods to achieve them. We use our expert knowledge and apply it to your specific needs, to set a realistic time-frame in achieving your plan.
Our Associates Will:
Explain "agency" relationships in the state of Alabama.
Run a comparative market analysis (CMA) on your property to achieve the best sales price possible
Explain how the commission is paid and distributed.
Outline the property sale process and provide a timeline.
Agree on the best way to continue our ongoing dialogue in a way that fits your lifestyle, i.e. via email, telephone, etc.
Review all documents, including contracts, disclosures, disclaimers and inspection reports. In some instances, possibly refer you to a real estate attorney for further clarification.
Offer reliable advice and useful information to help you make informed decisions along the way.
Handle the details to lead your transaction to a smooth, successful close.
What Is Your Home Worth?
When the time comes to price your home for sale your professional Jeff Devalk & Associates agent will do a comprehensive "comparative market analysis" (CMA), which will show the prices of comparable recently sold homes that are the "competition" for your home. One of the many things that your agent will do is to help you understand what the existing market conditions are like; Are home prices in your area trending upwards or downwards? Are homes selling quickly or languishing? Will your home be on the market in the spring home-buying season or the dead of winter? Will you be selling in a buyer's market or seller's market? Jeff DeValk & Associates can assist you every step of the way.
Step 3
Prepare to Sell:
The three most important factors in selling a house are location , condition , and price . Unless you have access to a reasonable house mover, there is little you can do about the location of your house. Since Jeff DeValk & Associates has priced your house correctly, the most crucial thing you can then accomplish is to make your house ready for sale and look better than any of your competition.
Even if you have been extremely conscientious in the maintenance of your home during the time that you have owned it, putting it on the market requires taking the next step. Check every aspect of your house by repairing, freshening or changing whatever is necessary. Steps below will help you in this preparation:
The first step in preparing the exterior of your house--a buyer's first introduction--is to take a clear-headed look at the house from the street. Stand at the curb and look at your house as a buyer might. What stands out and catches your eye? The beautiful landscaping and the new roof? Or does something else strike you? The faded exterior paint? The ruts in the driveway? The 2 missing shutters? Remember, this is how your home will "introduce" itself to a potential buyer. If the appeal isn't there, they will likely move on to the next available house, no matter how beautiful the interior of your house may be!
If you need major improvements or renovations to your house, do them before you put it on the market. The average buyer simply does not have the "vision" necessary to see the job done. (if you are planning to do the improvements prior to closing)
Overall appearance: Remove any junk or clutter from the yard. This includes tree limbs and leaves, but especially goes for junk cars or parts, lawn tractors, etc.
Overall appearance: If the exterior of the house is dirty or moldy, powerwash it. If it is in need of paint, get competitive bids if you can't do it yourself.
Grass: If possible, reseed any bare areas of the lawn.
Landscaping: Trim all shrubbery and plantings. Trim trees if necessary, especially dead limbs.
Driveway: If the driveway is stone and looking lean, add a coat of gravel. If it is asphalt, consider resealing.
Decks and porches: Powerwash and seal, stain or paint.
Gutters and downspouts: Check gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clear and functioning properly.
Lights: Make sure that all exterior lights are operational.
Landscaping: If the season is right, plant colorful flowers where appropriate.
Landscaping: Add mulch to planting beds and around trees. An inexpensive but very effective way of freshening the look of the yard.
Windows: Make sure the exterior (and the interior) of windows is clean and operational.
General Interior
Many home sellers make the mistake of ignoring certain repair or maintenance items in the hopes that a potential buyer will not notice. Most buyers do not have vision. They are not able to look at a room that needs paint and carpet and imagine it fresh and attractive. Telling buyers that something will be cleaned, painted, or repaired may work with some, but the majority will not be able to envision the house after the changes have been made and will scratch your house from their list of potentials.
Painting: When it comes to preparing a house, painting gives you the best return for money spent. Which rooms should you paint? Any that have dirty or marked walls or any rooms that are currently painted in dark colors. Keep it neutral--off-white or antique white is the best.
Carpeting: At the very least, all carpeting needs to be steam cleaned. Any worn, stained or foul smelling carpet should be replaced. You may be tempted to give a "carpet allowance" and that may work. Just remember, most buyers do not have vision.
Operation: If you are not having a whole house inspection done, check all faucets, toilets, and electrical items for correct operation.
Safety: Make sure that your house is safe. Not only can a wobbly railing stop a sale, it could also cause an injury to a potential buyer who is not familiar with your house (and is spending time looking instead of being careful).
Clutter: If an item is not necessary for your day-to-day life, box it up and store it or throw it out!
Fireplace: Have a professional fireplace or woodstove cleaning and inspection. The buyer will most likely request it anyhow. Getting it done in advance impresses the buyer and makes the home appear cleaner and fresher smelling.
Closets: Make sure all closets are neat, clean and organized. See above item on clutter.
Doors and Windows: Check all for smooth operation. Replace any cracked window panes.
Cleaning: Even though you may consider your house clean and tidy, a thorough cleaning--including dusting, washing and waxing everything--will always make a house more appealing.
Interior Room by Room
When your Mason Dixon agent gets a buyer into the house, it is important to make their visit as pleasant as possible--and that means having the whole house ready. You want them to be as comfortable as possible and to linger in the home. A "turn off" issue will send them scurrying quickly to the next house on their list!
Entry
Must be especially inviting for your guests (your potential buyers). Make certain it is well lit, clean and has nothing lying around either inside or outside. Paint the front door if it even remotely needs it.
If you normally use a back or side entrance to your house, pay particular attention to the front entry. You rarely see it but this is where the buyers will enter!
Living Room or Great Room
If possible, keep furniture at a bare minimum so that traffic flow is easier and the room does not appear smaller than it actually is.
If bookshelves, entertainment centers and the like are overflowing with books and knick-knacks, remove some of them.
Family Room or Den
If this is the room you live in the most, make it look inviting but not overly lived in.
Keep furniture at a minimum but make the room look like a comfortable place to spend time.
Kitchen
Clean the exterior of all appliances. Clean the oven interior.
Clean or replace the stove hood filter. This is often overlooked, usually dirty and greasy, and looked at by a lot of buyers.
Clean cabinet faces. Make them shine!
Remove all clutter and unnecessary items from countertops and clean all countertops and backsplashes thoroughly.
Clean vinyl or ceramic floor.
If you have ceramic tile elsewhere in the kitchen, pay particular attention to the grout--make sure that it's clean. If it is discolored, there are "grout whitening" products that are available.
Bedrooms
Remove all clutter. If you don't need it, store it or pitch it!
Arrange or remove furniture to maintain good traffic flow through rooms. Remember, there may be three or four people in each group that walk through your house.
Bathrooms
Make sure all bulbs are working and have the highest wattage available as safe for each fixture. Brighter is better!
Remove any evidence of mildew from the shower and bathtub. Products are available that spray on and quickly kill the mildew.
Clean all ceramic tile. Check the grout for cleanliness and deterioration.
If faucets drip, fix them.
Thoroughly clean sinks and tubs. If rust spots are on the porcelain, attempt to remove them.
Garages
Remove all junk: broken tools, old car parts, toys from the 1960's, etc.
If floor has oil marks, clean it (cleaning solutions are available at most home improvement stores and work with a normal garden hose).
Miscellaneous
Replace the HV/AC filter.
Showing Your Home
Your house has been checked, inspected, and cleaned from top to bottom. Your professional Jeff Devalk & Associates agent has priced it at what you feel is a fair price. It is important to leave your home while agents are showing it to potential buyers. We recommend you leave the showing of your home to professionals for several reasons. Buyers are more comfortable discussing the home's merits and drawbacks with their agent if you are not there; they might even feel like they are intruding if you are home. Your agent is experienced in dealing with others on your behalf and has a fiduciary duty to represent your interests in the best possible way; let them do the talking. This way, you don't accidentally volunteer information that your agent could use more strategically during negotiations.
Open every window covering. All drapes, curtains and blinds should be positioned to let in maximum light. Buyers like a house to be "light and bright," so accommodate them! Turn on as many lights as possible.
Make sure the house smells good. Baking cookies, often recommended, may be overdoing it, but pet odors, smoke, or greasy cooking odors definitely will not work! Air out the house just before the scheduled showing, but close the windows (unless it is a perfect day) before they arrive.
Six very important words: no clutter, no clutter, no clutter!
Make sure that everything is spotless. Pay particular attention to the bathrooms and the kitchen. In the bathrooms, towels should be fresh and clean, sinks and baths scrubbed, and the floor freshly cleaned. In the kitchen, make sure all dishes are put away and countertops and sinks cleaned.
Check the thermostat to make sure that the house is at a comfortable temperature.
Remove pets from the house, or at least, keep them outside. Pets under foot will quickly put a damper on an otherwise positive showing.
Make sure Fact Sheetsare available and easily accessible. (The dining room table is an ideal place for them).
If you are using an Agent, leave! If this is not possible, make yourself as inconspicuous as possible. If it is comfortable outside, go there until the buyers leave. If you are selling on your own, of course, you don't have this luxury. If this is the case, be as helpful as you can but don't crowd the buyers.
Step 4
Accepting an Offer:
Having an experienced Jeff Devalk & Associates real estate agent on your side will assure that the negotiations will be beneficial to you, as the seller, but also fair to the buyer - Knowing this can save you time and money.
Price Isn't Everything:
Price is not always the deciding factor and the first offer may not be final: Our role is to help you sift through all the terms and conditions of the offer(s) you receive to help you create a transaction that best suits your needs. When appropriate, we will help you draft up a counter offer in response to an offer that comes up short of your needs. Contrary to popular belief, when presented with multiple offers, the highest price offer may not be the best offer to accept, after all things are considered.
Dealing Objectively and Fairly :
Selling your home requires remaining objective and always negotiating in good faith. We will help you negotiate contractual terms that are beneficial to you and fair to the other party. An experienced agent knows how to handle situations including multiple offers and multiple counter offers prior to your going into contract with one buyer, or "ratifying" their offer.
The Deposit:
Once there is a ratified offer, the buyer will deposit an agreed upon good faith deposit into an escrow account, reflecting their earnest intention to purchase your property.
Keep it in Writing (counter offers and addendums):
Converting all verbal agreements to a commitment in writing signed by both parties clarifies everyone's intentions and prevents things from being ambiguous, forgotten or contradicted later. We will help you draft addendums to your contract that will help further your objectives.
Staying on Track:
Real estate contracts provide a series of deadlines for both buyer and seller. Keeping this series of events on schedule ensures a timely and successful close of the transaction, or close of escrow. Upon acceptance of an offer, we will give you a copy of the timeline we will be using to track the transaction, so you will always know what's next.
Step 5
Escrow, Inspections and Appraisal
What is Escrow? In a nutshell, escrow begins when your earnest money deposit and purchase offer is accepted by the seller. Escrow ends when you become the official new owner, registered in the county records.
Title Company and Escrow Holder: In our area, typically the seller selects the title company and escrow holder, because they are paying for the title insurance. The title company will research the complete recorded history of the property, to make sure that the title is free and clear of all encumbrances by the date of closing and that all new encumbrances are properly added to the title.
Contingencies: Most purchase agreements provide the buyer with specific amounts of time to inspect the property, review the preliminary title report and all disclosure documents and obtain financing and insurance before they must actually complete their purchase of the property. At the successful conclusion of each of these milestones, the buyer will remove that contingency of their purchase and move one step closer to the close. Or, the buyer may use information they have learned to request a renegotiation of the terms of the contract (often the price). This is when an objective, experienced listing agent can really make a difference by helping you make an informed decision on how to respond to the buyer.
Inspections: The buyer has the right to have a wide variety of property inspections to determine the property's condition and the cost of any impending repairs or upgrades. Inspections may include roof, termite/pest, chimney/fireplace, property boundary survey, well, septic, pool/spa, arborist or mold. You are entitled to a copy of any of their inspection reports.
Appraisal and Loan Approval: We recommend accepting offers from buyers who have a lender's pre-approval letter, which is stronger than a pre-qualification letter. Later, the lender will send an appraiser out to the property, to ensure the property is worth the sales price.
Time to Start Packing: We can recommend when it is time for you to start packing, based on our vast experience with transactions similar to yours. Too soon, and you risk having your house in upheaval right when a buyers' offer falls apart or when we need to begin showing your home to prospective buyers again.
Step 6
Buying Your Next Home:
You may have already started dreaming about your next home. Now that your current home is well along in the sales process, you have a much better chance of having your offer on your dream home getting accepted.
What Do You Want in Your Next Home? Chances are living in your current home has given you some pretty clear ideas about what you want from your next home. Our job is to help you prioritize your needs and set realistic goals about the likelihood of finding and being able to afford these dreams.
Where Will You Live? Worried where you will live if your home sells before your next purchase closes? This is a common concern when juggling a sale with a purchase. We have many ideas to help you! For example, we can negotiate a rent-back period, where you continue to rent your first home back from the buyer while we help you find and buy your new home.
Step 7
Close of Escrow:
This is your reward for choosing a Jeff Devalk & Associates real estate agent - Congratulations! You've sold your home!
Final Walk-Through Inspection:
A few days prior to the buyer closing on your property, it is customary that the buyer makes a final walk thru inspection of the property. Is the property in the same condition as when the buyer initially saw the home? During this final inspection you will have the opportunity to "sign-off" on the property's condition to document that you have transferred the property in satisfactory condition.
Canceling Home Services and Utilities:
Jeff DeValk & Associates can provide you with a list of phone numbers to call local utilities and services so that they can terminate your service as of the date escrow will close. For the buyers' convenience, we will suggest they initiate service as of that same date.
If Things Get Complicated:
Sometimes things don't go according to plan. This is when you really need an experienced real estate agent. Maybe something in the house broke at the last moment, or the buyer's loan won't close on schedule; there are a lot of variables. We've been through this numerous times and have various strategies and options to help make your transaction as smooth as possible for you.
Close of Escrow:
When your transaction is nearly completed, the title company will provide you with a "closing statement" - a summary of all the financial details (pro-rations on property taxes and all the transaction-related costs.) We will go over this with you to be sure it is accurate. Prior to the planned closing date, the title company will have you sign the final documents. When everything is complete, the title company will record the transaction for you and the buyer at the Baldwin County Recorder's Office, you will receive your proceeds from the transaction, and the buyer will become the official new owner.
Keys:
We will coordinate the delivery of your keys to the buyer once the deed has been recorded at the County Assessor 's Office or according to any other contractual agreements you've made.
Feedback:
A good agent knows there is always room for improvement, so we will ask for your written feedback on our service and performance.
