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Seller's Guide

A Step-by-Step First Time Seller's Guide

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful process, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced agent and this easy to follow guide, you can smoothly complete the process. Following these steps will help you prepare so you can get organized and sell your home for the best price possible.​​​​​​​

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Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you want to accomplish with the sale of your home? Do you want to make a certain amount of money that you can put toward a larger or nicer home? Do you need to sell it as soon as possible to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once you understand your needs, you can better craft your offer. For example, if you need to sell quickly, you might want to price your home lower than if your goal is to make a certain profit margin. Make sure you convey these needs to your real estate agent once you choose one so he or she can adjust your selling price accordingly.

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Step 2: Determine Selling Price

Knowing how to price your home is one of the most important parts of the selling process. When you set a fair price in the beginning, you’ll get the most interest from other real estate agents and prospective buyers. Overpricing your home could lead to reduced interest, and underpricing leads to receiving less than what your home is worth. Working with a real estate agent is the best way to determine the right selling price for your home. An agent with experience can determine what other comparable homes are selling for, evaluate the current market, and may even suggest a home appraisal.

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Step 3: Start Preparations

If you’ve kept your home in showroom condition since you’ve lived in it, you’re in the minority of homeowners. Once you price your home, it’s time to start getting it ready to be shown to potential buyers. This includes getting rid of clutter, depersonalizing the space so that buyers can envision themselves in the space, making any small repairs, and doing a deep clean to make sure your home is in pristine condition.

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Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will develop a marketing strategy that is perfect for advertising your home. This involves listing the home and then driving the right people to that listing through social media campaigns, agent-to-agent referrals, traditional media, or SEO advertising. My team creates a marketing campaign that aims to get the most possible traffic to your listing in the first three weeks after becoming a client.

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Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process, but it doesn’t mean the journey is over. I will evaluate each offer and make sure the party making the offer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer is acceptable to you. If the offer is too low, you can make a counter-offer or offer other ways to bridge the gap, such as covering some or all of the closing costs, making repairs, adjusting the move-in date, or leaving some appliances or fixtures for the new buyer.

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Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once I deem the offer is acceptable, I will review the proposed contract to make sure it’s all in order and includes the necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing, inspection rights and repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and a list of fees and who will pay them. When both parties have agreed to the term, a final contract will be prepared by your agent.

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Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer and are now very close to the end of your selling journey. But first, you and the buyer must make a list of what needs to be done before closing. In some cases, your home may need to be formally inspected, surveyed, and appraised. In other cases, major or minor repairs will need to be made before the house can close. I will head up efforts to develop and execute this list, get each action item paid for by the correct party, and make sure everything is in order by the closing date. A few days before the closing date, I will call the company closing the transaction to make sure everything is ready to go. If you haven’t done so already, you also need to make arrangements to move out of the home so the new buyer can take possession.

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Step 8: Close

You’ve reached the last step in the seller’s process. When you close on a home you are selling, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. I will meet with the company closing the transaction to sign the final paperwork and go over any issues that have not yet been taken care of. During this time, you can also make plans with your real estate agent to handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts that the new owner is retaining and ensuring the new owner has instructions for all appliances that will remain in the home.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

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Meet Amy

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Personalized Home Staging & Photo Preparation Guide

Preparing Your Home for Photography

Selling a home is no small undertaking and can be stressful! To help ease that burden, here’s a list of things you can do to prepare for the photographer’s arrival:

  • Maximize light: Turn on all the lights and replace any burned-out bulbs. Open curtains to let in natural light. If the view is less than ideal, consider using sheer curtains or keeping blinds partially down.

  • Declutter counters: Remove cutting boards, kitchen cleaners, corded phones, or small appliances. Cookbooks, high-end oils, spices, and decor items are fine to leave out.

  • Tidy electronics and toys: Hide remotes, toys, and any electronics that aren’t part of the decor.

  • Clear the fridge: Remove magnets, photos, recipes, and other items.

  • Hide garbage cans: Keep trash out of sight.

  • Remove mats and rugs that cover flooring: Many bath or kitchen mats can hide the floors; move them temporarily.

  • Conceal personal items: Hide laundry, cleaning supplies, medications, toiletries, and any ongoing projects in places buyers won’t see, including soaps, shampoos, lotions, and shower items. For additional decluttering and organization assistance, consider Inspired Organizing.

  • Personal photos: Remove family photos that you don’t want visible.

  • Make beds and fluff pillows: Presentation is key—make each bed neat and inviting.

It’s okay for your home to look “lived in” to an extent. The goal is for buyers to imagine themselves in the space, which can be harder if someone else’s personal items dominate the scene. Ultimately, we want your home to look like it belongs in a magazine!

Elevate Your Home's Appeal with Expert Staging

Staging is more than just arranging furniture—it’s about creating an environment where buyers can envision themselves living. Amy offers comprehensive staging services to ensure your home stands out in the market. For professional staging expertise, Amy collaborates with Distinguished Designs.

Our Staging Services

The Impact of Staging

Staged homes often sell faster and at higher prices than non-staged homes. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2023 Profile of Home Staging, 83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for buyers to visualize the property as a future home.

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Work With Amy

Put her deep local roots and real estate expertise to work for you. Amy provides invaluable insight into the South Haven community, guiding her clients to make informed and confident decisions. Connect with her for authentic, personalized service.

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Contact Details

Amy O'Sullivan

Phone

(269) 214-1257

Email

[email protected]

Address

513 Broadway St South Haven MI 49090

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