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| 1. Prepare the House |
- In most cases I recommend a pre-sale home
inspection. The home inspector will tell you what repairs might be required for
the sale. This gives you a chance to get out in front of it. Home
inspectors in Alaska are licensed and must take classes, etc. to
maintain their licenses. Some are professional engineers. There are several that
my clients like to work with.
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- Gussy up the house! Clean, clean, clean. Sell or
store as much "stuff" as you can. Put away all personal photographs and
mementos, animal trophies, and religious icons. Secure small valuables
and firearms, preferably off-site. The best sales price in the shortest
amount of time can be achieved by having the most people look at the
house. Don't leave valuables lying around. When the house is ready, I
want to take plenty of pictures. These photos will appear on the MLS (Multiple
Listing Service) and many other associated websites. That is how buyers today first engage in home
buying. Most potential buyers will not return to a house that has had improvements
made since the first time they looked at it. The house needs to be ready from
the beginning.
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- Alaska law requires homeowners to complete a
Residential Real Property Transfer Disclosure. (Alternatively, you and a
buyer may mutually agree to waive the disclosure, but there should be a
very good reason to do so. An estate sale is a good reason.) The form is
several pages long. Be as comprehensive as you can with your answers.
The object, from the seller's point of view, is to avoid being sued
later by a buyer who discovers a defect which you corrected to the best
of your ability, but did not disclose. Disclose everything! I have
copies of the form and can send to you as "homework" for our listing
meeting. You have to initial and sign it, and then so does the buyer,
acknowledging they received it. Important Note: If you decide to
purchase a presale home inspection, whatever is revealed in that
inspection should be disclosed.
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