"Buyers Buy what they see, not the way it's gonna be!"

From a real life first hand agent perspective, here are the 5 key items you need to start planning on well before you put your home on the market..

1/ Get a Structural Pest control report. (Termite Inspection) UP FRONT

get a local structural pest control branch 3 licensed company to inspect — get a local structural pest control branch 3 *licensed* company to inspect

Why?..

There may be dry rot, termite damage unknown and unseen. If you get the pest report ahead of time you can;

a/ Choose who performs the inspection

b/ Decide for yourself who conducts the work by getting repairs bid out to several different contractors who can usually perform the job for much less money then the inspection company that performs the inspection will charge.

Example; I recently had a pre sale pest control inspection on a Livermore home which was 25 years old. The report came back with dry rot to the rear of the house at a staggering cost of over $25,000 to repair! The seller was not happy. I was able to get the work bid out to a local trusted contractor and it was all done for $7500! Result, seller much happier! However had we not had the report up front we may have found it difficult timing wise to have an outside contractor come in.

c/ You may be able to save thousands of dollars in repairs. You simply do not want to make repairs twice, so before you replace a bathroom floor or do any painting, get a pest report.

At a minimum you will know ahead of time the issues and so eliminate any nasty surprises during the escrow sales period which is a stressful enough time as it is.

This is a structural report, by a branch 3 licensed company, not an inspection by those ant-spraying firms!

"But Gordon my friend at the office says the buyer gets the inspections", read above.

We can make recommendations on inspection companies as well as contractors who perform this type of work, call us.

2/ Get a roof inspection UP FRONT

get a local roofer to conduct an inspection

Why?

There may be a few cracked tiles, worn or split flashing, if you order the report ahead of time you can choose the inspector and can select someone local and trusted. Roof inspection companies are notorious for inconsistent reports as well as high prices. Worse are those 'free roof inspections' sometimes included with some company property inspection reports. It is advisable that you the seller avoid this kind of inspection like the plague!

"But Gordon my roof has never leaked",

"I understand, get a roof inspection."

3/ Paint where needed.

Paint is the single best bang for the buck improvement, simply put every dollar spent on paint should return $5 in sales price. Your house will look better cared for and attract more offers more quickly. You may not need to paint the entire house but using discretion take care of rooms that are children's rooms or that have seen a lot of activity. Unsure what to paint or confused over colors? call us.

"But Gordon, we may paint a a color that the buyers dont like,"

"I understand, get the house painted!"

4/ Get new carpet.

Along with painting this is a no brainer. Your home will look and smell like a brand new house, and if you use moderate colors new carpet can fit most buyers furniture.

It does not have to be top of the line carpet either. Sometimes a low cost remnant may be available. New carpet is a quick cheap and easy upgrade.

"But Gordon we may put in a carpet that the seller turns around and rips out, Cant we just provide a carpet credit?" "No! get the carpet replaced." Because buyers buy what they see, not the way its going to be!

5/ Stage the house.

Very important! Staging is common place today. Most buyers buy what they see, not the way a house could be. Having professional staging is a key strategy to selling your property

for the highest price, and that is what you want correct?

At Scotsman Realty Group staging is included with our services at no cost to you.

Need advice and recommendations for any of the above points? Give us a call 925 461 0993.