Step-by-Step Guide to Selling Your Property

Step 1 – Meet with your Dammann Team Realtor

• Discuss your wishes and needs
• Your Dammann Team agent will tour your home with you and provide you with suggestions and feedback
• Sign a Broker Listing Engagement Agreement to give your agent legal permission to list and market your home
• Determine date you wish to actively list your property
• Fill out your Seller’s Property Disclosure

Step 2 – Prepare your home for sale

• De-clutter and organize your home
• Deep clean your home
• Paint and make any necessary repairs that must be done prior to showing
• Discuss staging strategies with your agent and stage as needed
• Spruce up landscaping as needed – curb appeal matters!
• Determine Listing Price
• Provide 2 sets of working keys to access the property
• Discuss showing time availability

Step 3 – Showing your home

• We will schedule an Open House for the first Sunday your listing is active
• Make sure beds are made, garbage has been taken out, clean and dust all surfaces, hide valuables, remove pets and pet odors, turn off computers, turn on lights and open blinds, set temperature, and make sure all towels are fresh and clean
• Leave your home when it is being shown
• Make sure your house is available for showing as much as possible
• Make adjustments, when possible, to make your home more appealing based on feedback

Step 4 – Receive and Review offers

• Your agent will discuss with you all aspects of the offer including

• The amount
• Contingencies and dates
• Source of funds
• Proposed closing date and date of possession

• Special requests for items to convey
• Requests for inspections
• Compare multiple offers if you have them
• Counter offers you may choose to make

Step 5 – Accept an Offer or Make a Counter Offer

• If one offer stands out above the rest, you can accept that one right away
• If in a multiple offer situation, counter all offers to get a better price or your agent can give all interested buyers to submit their highest and best offer by a certain date and time.
• Your agent is your best ally during negotiations and is equipped with the data and expertise to guide you. The Dammann Team will negotiate on your behalf with potential buyers or buyer’s agent until you reach an agreement that you are pleased with for the final contract.

Step 6 – Home Inspection

• Most buyers request a home inspection as a condition of their offer.
• The preparation you made before your first showing should have you ready for the inspection.
• The inspector will conduct a thorough review of your home’s structure and systems
• A buyer can use the inspection report to decide to rescind their offer if a major issue is uncovered or to request repairs during the “due diligence” period.
• Additional inspections can also be requested such as Septic Systems, wells, underground pipes, swimming pools and spas and playground equipment.
• Make sure all areas of your home are accessible, including your attic, crawlspace, garage and sheds
• Once inspection report has been generated, your agent will discuss with you how to handle any possible issues a buyer mentions.
• The Dammann Team can negotiate for you with the buyer to fix an item, provide money for the buyer to have it repaired or provide documentation that the problem has already been addressed.

Step 7 – Appraisal

• The buyer pays for the appraisal, which is required by the buyer’s lender.
• You will provide a list of all major improvements to the property, as well as the age and condition of your roof, heating and air conditioning systems and appliances. *This should be outlines on your Seller’s Property Disclosure.
• The appraised value dictates the maximum amount the lender will allow the buyers to borrow.
• If the appraisal values the property lower than the sales price, a renegotiation of price may be requested by the buyer. Your agent will help you determine your best course of action here. There are several ways to address this depending on how the contract was written. You can:

• Ask the buyer to come up with the extra cash to make up the difference between the loan amount and the purchase price
• Reduce your price to the appraised value
• Split the difference with the buyer
• Cancel the contract

Step 8 – Prepare for Closing

• Take care of repairs required by the contract
• Keep all receipts, invoices, and before-and-after photos of repairs to provide to buyer
• Gather all appliance manuals and warranties for your buyers
• Hire a mover if needed
• Cancel all utilities for the day after you move or day after closing
• Review Closing Settlement documents in advance – you should receive them from the closing attorney a couple of days before closing.
• Prepare for the buyers final walk through

Step 9 – CLOSING

• Remember to bring house keys to give to the buyers, unless you are renting back from the new owners
• Bring your official ID, such as a drivers license
• You will need to provide alarm codes, remote controls, garage door openers, mailbox, and gate keys if you have any

Step 10 – Post Closing

• Check to make sure your wire transfer of proceeds from the sale has gone through
• Cancel your homeowners insurance for the sold property
• Congratulations!!!