Things To Do Before a Real Estate Agent Comes to Look at a House to See What It's worth
Before you list your home for sale with a realtor, the agent will typically visit your home to evaluate the property and prepare a comparative market analysis, to see what the property may be worth.
First Impression
Bear in mind the real estate agent is individual, although he may be using accepted practices when planning the comparative market analysis, a bad first impression might come in a less favorable evaluation of the property. Make sure that you provide a fantastic first impression and enhance your house’s curb appeal. Remove any tools, debris and children’s toys in the front lawn and clean up the front porch and walkway. If there are fingerprints or smudges on front door, wash them off. While your house does not have to look perfect, you want the agent to observe the possible and get excited about possibly listing your premises.
Outside Access
The agent needs access to the entire home, including the front, back and side yards. Remove any items hindering access, like a parked vehicle or wheelbarrow, and unlock the gates and doors. If you have an aggressive dog, then confine it that it does not interfere with the agent’s obtaining access to the property.
Inside accessibility
To get a precise appraisal of the property’s value, the agent needs access to each of the rooms and buildings on the property. Make sure all rooms, including storage rooms and closets, are fully accessible.
Features
When creating an evaluation, the agent will look at the features of this property. If there are definite permanent fixtures you would like to remove before listing the home, like an antique lighting fixture belonging to your grandmother, make sure the agent knows. Create a list of all permanent items you would like to remove before listing. Have the list prepared for your agent when she visits.
Interior
As you don’t have to do some significant cleaning before the agent’s trip, liven up the interior of the property, like by selecting up laundry and dirty dishes. Open the window coverings to give sufficient lighting to the agent and turn all your inside lighting. You don’t need the home to seem dark and gloomy. Interior aromas are another consideration, and we often don’t detect the smells in our own homes. Freshen your interior air by spraying air freshener or light an aromatic candle.
Improvements
Create a list of some significant improvements and repairs to the home, to contribute to this realtor. This may include a new roof, new appliances or a room addition. If some of those improvements required a license, tell the agent in the event that you took out one or finished the improvement without one.
