It’s important to properly prepare your real property for a sale to get the most from the transaction. Follow these 5 tips for getting your real property for sale and you should be set.
TIP #1 – Work with a Realtor. Interview real estate agents and select an agent who specializes in real property sales through probate, trust and conservatorship. An experienced agent will make the entire process simple and easy to understand – and help you get top dollar for your property.
TIP #2 – Review the documents and complete an inventory. Your Realtor should immediately order a Property Profile and a Market Value Analysis and, with you, complete an Inventory of Real Property. A skilled Realtor will be able to explain the purpose and importance of each of these documents and work with you to complete the necessary disclosure forms.
TIP #3 – Clean and clear. Real property sold through probate is sold “as-is.” While that means no repairs, you should definitely get the house and the surrounding lot as tidy as possible. Remove trash and all personal effects. If you don’t plan to take the furniture, a small number of items can be left in place if they’re in reasonably good condition – a sofa, dining table and chairs. If wall-to-wall carpeting or drapes are worse for the wear, it’s okay to remove them. Sweep the corners, wash the windows, scrub the sink, mow the lawn and clean up the yard and garage.
TIP #4 – To paint or not to paint? Again, because of the “as-is” requirements of probate and trust sale, we recommend that our clients do not paint, inside or out. A coat of paint could be seen by potential buyers as an effort to cover up problems, such as water stains.
TIP #5 – Set aside sentiment. Even if you’ve never seen your loved one’s home before, the need to sell it may be challenging and emotional. It’s easy to feel reluctant to let go. We understand that, and we encourage our clients to let us help with the process as much as possible.
The Sanborn Team can provide compassionate, experienced representation for heirs, conservators and trustees who need to sell real property. We can also provide referrals to local professionals who can help with legal representation, hauling, cleanup and other needs of the sale. There are no silly questions.
Call us today: 310-777-2858
No excuses. Just great service.
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