If you’re prepared to sell your home and desire to secure top dollar without enduring months on the market, knowledge and preparation are essential. Having a solid understanding of the intricate selling process is crucial. As Aristotle once said, the best way to commence is by asking the right questions. Preparation and understanding the selling process are essential for achieving a successful sale of your home in Savannah, GA and Chatham County. Here are the top 10 questions commonly asked by home sellers, along with their answers. To help you out, then, here are the top 10 Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions answered.
1. When is the best time to sell?
Typically, in most areas, spring and early summer are considered the best times to sell a home. However, in a few specific regions, winter may actually be the optimal time. Therefore, it’s essential to consult with an agent who possesses knowledge of your area to determine the best timing for selling your home. While spring and early summer are commonly ideal for selling homes, in some areas, winter may offer better opportunities. Consulting with a knowledgeable agent familiar with your region is crucial for determining the optimal selling time.
2. What is the market like right now?
Among all the questions posed by Savannah, GA and Chatham County home sellers, this one may be the most challenging to answer due to the multitude of variables at play. Local real estate markets exhibit significant variation from one region to another and even within different neighborhoods. An agent equipped with local, niche expertise can provide valuable insight into the average days on the market, offering a gauge of your market’s health. Assessing the average days on the market requires insight from a local real estate agent with niche expertise, considering the varying dynamics of the Savannah, GA and Chatham County market.
3. What improvements do I need to make?
At a minimum, you should make all the basic repairs and improvements you find a need for – for example, fixing leaking faucets, replacing old light fixture, raking and mowing, and performing light landscaping. Before taking on larger and costlier improvements and upgrades, you need to determine whether you can realize a good return on your investment at sale time.
4. Should I sell before buying another home?
This is one of the Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions that sellers should probably ask more often than they do. The two important considerations here are: 1) are you financially capable of carrying two mortgages and maintaining two homes, and 2) is your lender willing to loan you the money to do so?
5. Is a vacant home easier to sell?
Realtors are pretty much agreed on the answer to this one of the 10 Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions: No. A vacant home conveys the impression of a desperate need to sell and so detracts from your negotiating leverage.
6. Do I need to hold an open house?
Once more, this is another crucial question among the top 10 for Savannah, GA and Chatham County home sellers that often goes unasked but deserves consideration: Is hosting an open house worthwhile? While initially appearing as a promising strategy, open houses are commonly recommended to attract potential buyers. However, they frequently fail to result in a sale, as many attendees are merely casual browsers rather than serious buyers. Evaluating the effectiveness of hosting open houses is important for Savannah, GA and Chatham County home sellers, as it can impact the success of the selling process.
7. How much should I disclose?
The answer to this one of our Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions is easy. And that answer is . . . you should disclose everything you can think of. It is, after all, a legal requirement.
8. Should I offer a home warranty?
The general consensus is that if your home is at least 10 years old, then, yes, you probably should provide a home warranty.
9. Who pays closing costs?
As the seller, you aren’t obligated to pay closing costs. It’s a good move, though, to offer to pay at least a portion of closing costs to sweeten the deal for the buyer.
10. Should I sell myself (FSBO) or hire an agent?
Although this is among the top 10 Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions that are frequently asked, the answer given is often too facile. The best answer is: “It depends . . .”
But here are two things to be aware of. On average, it takes longer to sell a home yourself. And if you hire an agent, you increase your chances of not only getting a quicker sale but a better price as well.
Hopefully, these answered Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions will prove beneficial and propel you toward your goal. Understanding the answers can indeed have a substantial impact on the sale price and help you avoid costly mistakes. Having the answers to these Savannah, GA and Chatham County home seller questions can make a significant difference in achieving your selling objectives and avoiding potential pitfalls.
