Preparing Your Home For Sale
Preparing Your Home For Sale
Advertise Your Home
Schedule An Open House
For Sale By Owner Paperwork
Professionals You May Need
Creating Curb Appeal
A well kept yard implies that the house has been well maintained. You should make sure to keep the yard cut and the bushes trimmed at all times; you never know when your buyer will be passing by. Pack away the yard decorations, toys and any tools that may present a cluttered look. Your front door is another key part to the buyer's "First Impression". Paint, clean or stain your front door. Replace your old doormat so that buyers will feel welcome when entering your home.
Finishing Touches
You'll be moving soon so why not start packing today? Clutter leaves a bad impression so get rid of everything you can live without, including removing personal photos if possible. Choose the weekend and at least one day during the week to show your house and make sure that it's spotless. Give special attention to the kitchen and the bathroom; clean the appliances, remove all magnets and papers from the refrigerator, and clean everything off the bathroom counters. Fix the little things such as loose doorknobs and consider touching up the paint. Replace all light bulbs and remember a dark house looks small so turn all the lights on when showing your home to a buyer.
We Can Help
Creating an ad on-line is an economical and powerful way to market your property and reach more potential buyers. In todays fast paced world, most buyers start their search online and with MagnoliaByOwner.com your property information is available for viewing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We are a local company so our advertising is local and directed at the market that will be most interested in your property. We provide professional and highly visible signs to grab the buyers attention and can even provide on site photo service. The more people that see your property, the more likely you are to sell! Create an ad today by going to our "List With Us" page.
Creating a Catchy Ad
A good ad requires a headline that grabs attention, a few lines to describe key features of the home, and a closing line that gets buyers to call. Remember what motivated you to buy your home and put it in the headline. The next part of a good ad is a catchy paragraph that describes special property features like deck, fireplace, neighborhood, schools or things included in the sale. End your ad by giving the reader a reason to call or come by. Finally, we recommend creating the paragraph in a word processor (with the helpful spell checker)and cut-and-pasting it into the property description box.
Map and Directions
Currently, a  is automatically generated based on your address and zip code. This type of map is not 100% accurate, thus we include written directions.
Showcase Your Home
Pick one day each week and a specific time (a couple of hours) that you know you'll be home and schedule to show your home at that time. Log in to your MagnoliaByOwner.com user account to create an open house announcement that will appear on our "Open Houses" page.
A Good "First Impression"
When preparing for an open house there are three things to remember. Print a Fact Sheet. Each ad on our website has a print flyer icon in the right corner. Click this icon to print a Fact Sheet about your house to hand out to your guests. Create Ambiance. Flowers and soft music will create a cozy feeling in your home; cookies and punch will help to create a cozy ambiance as well. Keep the door open! Passers-by won't hesitate to come on in when an open door welcomes them.
Property Disclosure Statement
Property Disclosures necessary for the sale are available for download by logging in to your user account. There are statues of laws that protect consumers from being deceived during a house sale. All sellers are required to "disclose" conditions of the property before the sale is closed. A property disclosure statement indemnifies liability for the seller. If the plumbing or foundation has a problem, the roof leaks, etc. the facts are disclosed to the potential buyer. Ultimately, the disclaimer protects the buyer as well as the seller. There are no secrets or deceptions happening regarding the condition of the property.
Contract For Sale And Purchase
Presenting or receiving an offer to purchase is the first step in the real estate transaction. The contract says more than just what price the buyer is willing to pay for the home. It describes many other conditions or agreements between the buyer and the seller, like "does the refrigerator stay?", "what do I do with the house I still own?", and "what happens if there is a problem with my bank?".
Earnest Money
Sellers almost always require Buyers to pay some amount of earnest money (sometimes called "good faith deposit") when they make an offer, or very soon after the offer is accepted. Earnest money is important because it demonstrates the Buyer's intent to complete the purchase of the property. The earnest money may be kept by the Seller, or held in trust by Seller's (or Buyer's) attorney, to be credited towards the purchase price of the home at closing. It is important to know that in some circumstances, if the Buyer decides not to purchase the property, the Seller may be entitled to keep all or part of the earnest money. The details surrounding the earnest money should be clearly stated in the the Contract For Sale And Purchase. It is always a good idea for both Buyers and Sellers to consult with an attorney or real estate professional at the first sign of a problem.
Real Estate Appraiser
Banks and mortgage companies require an appraisal of value before loan closing by a certified Real Estate Appraiser. Generally this is done after receiving an offer to purchase, however it can be done at any time by the home owner. In most cases this is paid for by the buyer but like everything is negotiable.
Inspectors
Most buyers will request at least a general inspection so it may be to your advantage to go ahead and hire a general inspector to inspect your home. He/She will check for problems with your major appliances, heating, plumbing, air-conditioning and electrical systems. Most sellers are asked in the offer to fix any problems found by the general inspector but you could sell your house "As Is" to avoid these costs. The termite inspection is another type of inspection that the bank may require. The termite inspector will check for termites and other wood destroying organisms. The seller must provide the buyer with a letter guaranteeing that the home is free of termites. This letter must be provided by a licensed pest control company.
Real Estate Attorney
The Attorney's duties may include holding earnest money, advising on complicated offers, and closing the deal. The Attorney will also handle any documents that have to be filed with the county or city and will usually provide a Certificate of Title on the property being transferred. In South Carolina the buyer normally pays for the closing attorney but it is negotiable.
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