5 Steps Before Selling Your North Tacoma Home

We have sold tons of homes in Tacoma’s north end–probably numbering in the thousands between us. Our job, day in and day out for nearly two decades has been positioning homes in the marketplace, creating effective marketing plans to reach likely Tacoma buyers, as well as negotiating and shepherding pending sales through to closing. If you’re are planning on selling your home in the next 6 months, check out our list of 5 steps to take before selling your North End Home.

Step 1: Call David, Matt or myself!

“Wait!” you say, “I don’t want to sell for six months. Why would I call a Realtor now?” The answer is that we can help you create a plan to list your house. We can make suggestions about repairs that will or won’t improve the value or saleability of your property as well as take a look at the current market to give you an idea of what your home is worth. The upper end of the Tacoma market is quite different from the midrange and lower price ranges. The strategy and pricing scenarios will account for these differences. We can also calculate the costs associated with selling and give you an idea of the proceeds you might realize from the sale, which should help with planning your next move.

Step 2: Start Taking Care of Necessary Repairs

We won’t ask you to go all HGTV here. You won’t be remodeling. Remodeling is rarely money well invested. Instead, assemble a list of things around the house that need to be repaired or projects that need to be finished. From small things like replacing broken outlet covers to larger things like attaching a drooping gutter or repairing a broken window- there’s no time like the present to get started.

Step 3: Financing and Clear Title

If you are also hoping to buy a house, this is a great time to get in touch with a lender to make sure you will qualify. It is also a good idea to pull a title report on your present property to see if there are vesting issues, or liens to clear up prior to a sale. We can order that for you. Better now than when you and your buyers have your entire lives in moving trucks waiting to close.

Step 4: Stand Outside and Start Thinking Like A Buyer

Research shows that buyers often make judgments in the blink of an eye, before they ever walk in the door. No matter what time of year you are selling your house, make sure your house looks great from the street. Trim bushes, clear walkways, mulch, put a fresh coat of paint on the front door and trim if necessary. The other day I was showing a Craftsman near 6th Ave and I noticed that they had done a sloppy job painting the front door and most of the sloppiness was right at eye-level. Don’t get sloppy at the entrance! And if you must, do it somewhere less visible than eye-level.

Step 5: Purge and Stage

As your target listing date approaches, take a close look at your house. Very few of us live in a constant state of show-readiness. Having a lot of large furniture and stray items in a house (aka clutter) can make rooms seem smaller. Remember, you’re moving. Maybe now is the time to begin packing and purging your home of extra things, like the doll collection. Your collection, while lovely, not only occupies space that might otherwise feel ample to buyer, it also distracts them while they are trying to view the house! Your dolls are awesome, really, but pack them safely away for now. Thin your closets of off-season clothing. If you are not going to wear it for 6 months, box it. You want a buyer to open the closet door and see space. No one wants to buy a clutter problem. Donate or put what you can into storage before you put your home on the market and consider hiring a home stager or decorator to help you arrange your furniture to show off your homes best features.

After the holidays new buyers enter the market. The second or third week in January is historically a great time for selling. Late May there can be another influx of buyers and activity. Don’t wait until the night before you’d like to sell to start the process. Plan ahead! We are happy to stop by for a consultation.

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