Selling a House in Cape Coral, Florida

Selling a house in Cape Coral, Florida can be a bit challenging and the biggest questions are: where do you start? What do you need to know? What do you need to have? It can often seem complicated and overwhelming to most people.

Today we will review all this, giving you all the information on how to get your home sold, so, that the process of selling your home isn't so complicated. We will give you everything you need to know to make you seem like one of the experts.

How is a home's value determined?

There are several ways to determine the value of a home. You can have an appraiser carry out an evaluation based on similar houses in the neighborhood. There are a number of things that they take into consideration when estimating the value of your house. They include construction quality, location, square footage and high end upgrades. You can also have a real estate broker to carry out an analysis of other similar houses in the market and then present the report to you. You will find that most brokers will do this analysis for free for you in the hope that you will give them the chance to earn your business. Most homeowners have a difficult time finding reliable information to get an accurate value of their house. They often look at what houses are currently listed for and have very little access to the houses that have already sold. Sold values are more accurate because someone actually paid that price. As opposed to a listed house being at a price that the seller wishes they get. If you are selling a house in Cape Coral, Florida, you can look up a few real estate brokers who can assist you with this process but it is difficult to find a knowledgeable one that can gauge the true value of your house. They should have experience, a proven track record of sales, and has positive reviews throughout the internet. 

How do you prepare a house for sale?

The first thing you should do is get it in the best possible condition by doing low cost repairs and cleaning. Do any repairs that are obvious to the buyer like a broken window, a leaking roof, squeaky hinges, nail holes in the drywall, and a thorough cleaning. The next step is to improve the outdoor appeal of the house. Ensure that house paint is not faded, chipped or cracked. Make sure that you mow your lawn, get rid of any debris and also ensure that your garden is presentable. If you do not have a garden you can plant a few flowers near the entrance to make the house more appealing. Make sure that the doorbell works, clean the windows, clean the rooms, furnishings, floors, and ceilings. Eliminate the source of bad smells in the house. Have a family member or a friend come through and ask them if the house feels cluttered and what items should be removed to make the house feel more open and spacious.

Who is obliged to provide pertinent information about a property?

This is normally the seller's responsibility. The responsibility to disclose information about a house varies. If you are selling your house in Cape Coral, Florida and you have an agent then it is both yours and the agents responsibility to disclose this information. Both, you the seller and the agent are required to disclose facts that affect the value or the desirability of the property. This information may only be privy to the house seller and it is their responsibility to inform the agent. Some examples of the information one should disclose include: any renovations done on the home that may not meet local building codes, any noises that may be problematic but buyer may not notice, any dues owed to a homeowners association, a leak in the roof, and a septic system not working properly. If you are selling a house in Cape Coral, Florida it is important for you to review the state's disclosure rules prior to selling a house. If you do not disclose a fact and later there is a problem the seller could be liable for all repairs and other damages include lost wages.

What repairs should be done by the seller before and after the inspection process?

I often suggest having a licensed Home Inspector complete a pre-inspection before you list a property. Most purchase contracts have an inspection clause that allows a buyer to be able to cancel the contract in the event that they find defects that have not been addressed. It is best to repair these items before you list the property to avoid misleading the buyer. No matter how perfect the house is the inspector will always find items that were over looked or not known to the seller. At this point the buyer has the option to cancel the contract or to proceed. If they chose to continue with the purchase process the buyers may be able to dictate the repairs that they want fixed before the purchase the home. In other cases the buyer and seller can negotiate on what repairs they want completed OR if they will accept the house As Is but at a lower price.

Can a "problem neighbor" reduce the value of a house?

The short answer is ABSOLUTELY! If there is a home next door that is not well kept it can deter the prospective buyers from buying or even entering the house. If you are selling a house in Cape Coral you can check online or other places like the public library or online to see what you can do about your neighbor that may not be maintaining their property in the best condition. For example, if your neighbor has an immobile vehicle that looks junky the law may require that a disabled vehicle be placed behind a fence. If your neighbor runs a home-based business the law may require them to change their residential address to a commercial address. If they are doing some work on their home that produces loud noises you may find that they are breaking noise-control ordinances. The police department is supposed to enforce this all laws and local ordinances. It would be wise to talk with your neighbor first and even provide them with a copy of the ordinances that they are breaking to see if they would be willing to correct the issues before you contact the authorities.

How to Market Your House that is for sale?

It is important to understand how an agent finds buyers in order to know what marketing methods they should use when selling your house. They should create excitement about your house in the market by marketing aggressively and consistently. They should use a LOT of online platforms like the MLS, Zillow Facebook, and YouTube but they should also use traditional ways like flyers, yard signs, open houses, door knocking, broker opens houses and calling potential buyers. Whatever gets the word out quickly and continues to keep buyers interested in the house. A big part of this process is having high quality photos and videos done by a professional photographer. 98% of buyers use the internet to search for houses and what they see are photos and video. Drone photography and video can increase the value of a home in Cape Coral because gives the prospective buyer a birds eye view of the canals, river, and lakes.

Marketing a House

While the marketing campaign is running you may receive a few purchase offers. There are quite a few technicalities involved at this point and most sellers are not able to navigate through this process on their own. They normally need an experienced agent. Either way all offers need to be evaluated including the terms and conditions of each. You should be looking to get the highest price possible while reducing your exposure and while at the same time ensuring you select the offer with the conditions that ensure interests are protected.

Closing

Once you and the buyer agree to price, terms and condition the title company will start working to ensure that the buyer is getting a house that is free and clear of any liens and that no one else will lay claim to the ownership of the property. There is more detail here then we will be able to explore in this article.