Selling a home while out of state is not an ideal situation, but sometimes life throws us curve balls. If you find yourself in the position of selling your home while out of state follow this guide to make it as seamless as possible. Here are a few pearls of wisdom for those who find themselves forced to sell from another state.
Hire a Team
When you are not in the location of the home you are selling, you must get yourself a good team. Let’s face it – a house needs continual upkeep, repairs and care. Do not leave this type of activity to friends or relatives — those situations almost always end badly. Find true professionals in your area because this is a business arrangement, not something to do for fun, or on the side. You want to be sure that everyone on your “sales” team treats this as a business transaction, not a “nice-thing-to-do.” A single agent typically does not have the resources to maintain your home, hire a team with experience selling homes from out of state.
Find A HandyMan
If you hire a team with connections they should already have a handyman to refer you too. They need to be reliable and dependable. Keep in mind, this handyman needs to be accessible! Ideally you want someone who you can email or consistently reach over the phone at a defined time daily, and can accept checks or credit card payments, since sending cash may not be an option.
Staging
Have your team refer you to a home stager, especially if you are looking to sell an empty house or condo. Homes sell faster staged, as over 85 percent of people can’t visualize furniture in empty rooms. A home stager who specializes in vacant homes would be a great asset on your team. Like the handyman, the home stager should be easily accessible and able to accept payments virtually. He/she can provide, or advise, on the presentation of your property, especially important when you are not in town. Home stagers can make it look as if the homeowners are still in town and ready to sell! Home stagers can help you utilize current furniture or else secure furniture and accents to warm up an otherwise empty house. Also, the stager can act as an impartial party to review the work of the handyman/contractor, help be your eyes and ears on site. In some cases, home stagers may also have handyman/contractors they work with or even on their team. Your real estate agent can help you identify a home stager to help you sell your property.
Hope the advice was helpful. Best of luck with a long-distance sell – they aren’t easy! But they can be successful – with the right team!
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