Seller's Guide

YOUR JOURNEY TO A SUCCESSFUL HOME SALE

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR SELLERS

Putting your home on the market can be an exciting opportunity for a fresh start. With my expertise and this easy-to-follow guide, we’ll make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. By following these steps, you'll be well-prepared and organized, ensuring you get the best price for your home.

main

Step 1: Understand Why You're Selling

What do you hope to achieve with the sale of your home? Are you aiming to make a certain amount of money to put toward a new home, or do you need to sell to facilitate a move to a new city or area? Once we understand your needs, we can better craft your strategy. My goal is to get you the highest and best price for your home, using my experience and knowledge to arrive at a price that is fair, reasonable, and realistic given the circumstances. For instance, if you need to sell quickly, you might consider pricing your home more competitively. When we meet, we will discuss your needs so we can tailor the pricing and strategy to effectively meet your goals.

main

Step 2: Determine Your Selling Price

Setting the right price for your home is a crucial step in the selling process. By starting with a fair price, you'll attract the most interest from prospective buyers and other real estate agents. With my 15+ years of experience, I will guide you in determining the best selling price for your home. Together, we will analyze what comparable homes are selling for, review homes that are under contract, and evaluate the current market to ensure your home is priced just right. Working with me, you'll have the confidence that your home is competitively priced to attract buyers while maximizing your return.

main

Step 3: Get Your Home Ready For Sale

Now that we've set the price for your home, it's time to get it ready to show to potential buyers. This includes decluttering and depersonalizing the space so buyers can envision themselves living there, making any necessary small repairs, and ensuring your home is inviting. We will prepare your home for sale, from the initial walk-through to recommending staging, painters, carpenters, electricians, and a Title V inspector, all utilizing my team of experts. My goal is to make your home as appealing as possible to attract interested buyers.

main

Step 4: Develop a Marketing Strategy

I will create a customized marketing strategy to effectively advertise your home. This starts with a robust pre-marketing phase, including a "coming soon" email-blast and pre-listing on the Top Agent Network to generate early interest. Once your home is officially listed, my team and I will implement a marketing campaign to maximize traffic to your property. We'll attract the right buyers through online real estate sites, social media campaigns, agent email-blasts, traditional media, and SEO advertising.

main

Step 5: Evaluate Offers

Receiving an offer is an exciting part of the process. We will evaluate each offer thoroughly, reviewing contingencies, dates, deposits, and how well it aligns with your goals. It's important to ensure the buyer is prequalified or pre-approved by a mortgage lender and that their offer meets your expectations. I will guide you in making any counter-offers. As an expert negotiator with over 15 years of experience and over $500 million in transactions, I am dedicated to securing the best possible outcome for you.

main

Step 6: Accept an Offer

Once we deem an offer acceptable, we will carefully review the proposed contract to ensure it includes all necessary components such as deposit amount, down payment, financing details, inspection rights, repair allowances, contingencies, settlement date, and other contingencies. When both you and the buyer agree to the final offer, both parties will sign the offer to purchase and move forward to a purchase and sales agreement. Throughout the offer and contracting stages, I will represent your interests, ensuring that you are protected from unnecessary risks.

main

Step 7: Get Ready to Close

You have accepted an offer, and now it's time to work with a real estate attorney to draw up a purchase and sales agreement (P&S). After the P&S is completed, we will make a list of what needs to be done before closing. This may include having your home surveyed and appraised by a lender, and addressing any necessary repairs. I will work with you to develop and execute this list, ensuring everything is in order by the closing date. We will manage all key milestones, including smoke inspections, final readings, and working closely with attorneys to ensure a smooth and successful sale.

main

Step 8: Close

You've reached the final step in the selling process. When you close on a home, you are legally transferring ownership of the property to the new buyer. You will meet with your attorney to sign the final paperwork. During this time, we will  handle final details such as canceling utilities, cable, and lawn or trash services, changing the name on accounts, and providing the new owner with a vendor and code list.

Congratulations!

Once you have sold your home, you’re free to take the next step on your journey. Whether this is relocating to a new city, moving into a larger home, or downsizing and enjoying your life as empty-nesters, knowing all your selling responsibilities have been taken care of will help you achieve peace of mind for your new path.

TESTIMONIALS

"We first met Peggy years ago at an open house and immediately connected given her knowledge of the area, patience, and kindness. We maintained a relationship and when it was time to buy in earnest immediately reached out. Throughout those interven..."

- H&M

"Working with Peggy Dowcett to buy a home is both a relaxing and fulfilling process. Peggy’s calm and professional demeanor, along with her high level of experience and determination to get the deal done exceptionally well, makes her such a true pl..."

- RB

"Working with Peggy Dowcett truly exceeded all of our expectations as our realtor. It was not transactional with Peggy, rather it was a partnership and she was there to make it work for us. It felt like it was her personal mission to make us feel l..."

- Rachel & Jason K.

How Much is Your Home Worth?

  • Instant property valuation
  • Expert advice
  • Sell for more

WORK WITH PEGGY

Peggy has lived in the area since 1992 and has enjoyed raising her family in the community. She brings her considerable attention to detail, commitment to our clients, broad network of connections, professional and technological skills.

Let's Connect