Although this sounds crazy, your first step in selling is deciding to sell. Many people are unsure even up to the day they sign the contract that they want to sell.Make a definite decision.Go forward with a positive attitude to success.

STEP 2. DO SOME HOMEWORK

Having decided to sell you need to establish how the market is in your area.

Attend Open Homes to compare the value of your home. This is also invaluable in selecting the professionalism of an agency.

Surf the Web. The internet is a valuable tool in doing your homework enabling you to compare homes in different areas. It is also great to help you establish where you may want to move to. This is also a fantastic assistance if you are an out of town owner.

Check your local area to see what is for sale so you know what your competition might be.

STEP 3. SELECT AN AGENT

Having done some homework you will have no doubt experienced some agents that are better than others.

Select an agent that you are comfortable with, after all you are going into business together for a short time.

The agent should display – enthusiasm, professionalism, ethics, confidence, skills, knowledge and most of all a willingness to get you the highest possible price.

The agent of choice should also display good negotiating skills. If they immediately start offering free this and discount that when listing, what will they be like when they have to negotiate with a buyer?

Be sure the Agency that employs your agent is ethical, has a high profile in the area and in their advertising, has a good website and fully supports the sales person.

STEP 4. DECIDE ON A METHOD TO SELL

In Tasmania the three most common methods of sale are:

• Exclusive Agency
• Auction
• Open List

Exclusive Agency – this method puts the property to the market with an advertised price. Generally prospective purchasers will make offers below the listed price and want to negotiate until a mutually agreed price is reached.

Auction – this method ensures you receive the highest price in the market place. The marketing period is a set length of time, contracts carry no conditions.

Open List – This method lists you with as many agents as you decide on. Is not recommended as your property is not regarded as having any priority and no one sales person knows what is happening. This method often results in below market price sales

STEP 5. 10 POINT MARKETING PLAN

1. Window Display
   As soon as we are appointed, a colour photograph plus all pertinent details are displayed in our window. Research tells us that very few genuine buyers miss our huge window display.
2. Maximum Impact Display Advertising
   The majority of buyer enquiry to our office comes as a result of our MAXIMUM IMPACT display advertising in the Mercury Real Estate Guide. We have recently upgraded our advertising to include a pictorial of every property advertised at no cost to the seller.
3. Prominent Signboard
   Signboards are the silent salesperson working for you 24 hours a day. The 21% of enquiry which comes to our office as result of seeing a signboard with a TPR logo with which they can identify, simply cannot be ignored.
4. Marketing Brochure
   To promote interest in your property and ensure retention of specific information it is essential that a colour marketing brochure be provided to all prospective buyers.
5. Saturation Neighbourhood “Drops”
   Research tells us that many purchasers are introduced to property for sale by friends who live in the neighbourhood. It is therefore important to selectively saturate the immediate area by way of personally delivered brochures.
6. Group Inspection
   A group inspection allows all members of the Tasmanian Private Realty Sales Team to obtain first hand knowledge of your property with minimum inconvenience to you. Taking approximately ten minutes, the group inspection ensures that all our personnel are able to speak with confidence to prospective buyers.
7. Buyers Mailing / Contact List
   We maintain an extensive list of current prospective buyers. As soon as we are appointed we write and/or telephone these buyers to advise them your property is on the market for sale.
8. Communication
   Point no 8 is arguably the most important part of the proven 10 Point Marketing Plan. We undertake to report to you on progress with all stages of the 10 Point Marketing Plan and to pass on to you immediately all comments made by prospective purchasers. At Tasmanian Private Realty we recognise that selling a property is stressful. We aim to reduce that stress by constantly contacting you with progress reports.
9. Marketing Strategy
   Our aim is to sell your property for the highest possible price in the shortest possible time.
10. Internet Listings
    In keeping up with technology we ensure that all our properties for both rental and sale are advertised on the internet with a full description, price, photos and contact details for inspection, and all details are updated on a regular basis to ensure that your property is marketed to millions of people who surf the net. To look at our current rentals, click on to “Properties For Lease” link. To look at our current sale properties, click on to “Properties For Sale” link.

STEP 6: LET THE AGENT DO THE JOB.

By this stage in your decision you have made all the decisions, set your advertising and planned the whole campaign. Now is the time for you to sit back, relax and watch the agent of your choice perform his duties. If the agent you selected has the qualities previously mentioned this step is easy.
Don’t hang around the home during inspections of open homes, keep the home presentable and wait for the contracts Many a good sale has been lost because Vendors feel they want to get involved in dealing with potential buyers and unwittingly say the wrong thing or even worse tell what their bottom line is. Your agent is working for you – let them earn that sale.

STEP 7: SIGN THE CONTRACTS.

The day arrives the agent arrives with a contract of sale. Look at this as a positive step forward even if it is below your expectations. Buyers like to negotiate. Counter sign the offer and again let the agent do his job. He should be working for you to get you the best result. The feedback you receive during the marketing will assist you in establishing a fair market price.
SOLD.

Enjoy the process and now you start all over, but this time you are the buyer.

Do your research: It is imperative to do your homework and research prices. Research sales in those preferred areas using your local paper or I can provide some feedback. Inspect every property in your preferred area so you have a feel for the price.

Develop a relationship with an agent specialising in your preferred area. The agent will be able to offer additional advice and also alert you to new listings before they reach the media. Contact me for a Sales History Report on the street you are thinking about. This ensures you know what local properties are worth and whether they are in your price range.

Find a Property: When you find a property that suits your requirements, ask your agent to send a copy of the sale contract to your solicitor or conveyancer. Following your solicitors or conveyancers advice on the sale contract you are now able to make an informed decision to proceed with an offer on the property through the agent.

Inspections: We recommend that you arrange a building inspection to make you aware of any major defects . This can be added as a condition to the contract if the property owner hasn’t had reports done.

Making an Offer: Once negotiations have been finalised, you will be required to sign the sale contract and pay a 10% deposit. Your deposit will be held in anon interest bearing trust account until settlement. The vendor will sign the sale contract and the solicitor/conveyancer will be provided with the contract.

Settlement Day: Your solicitor or conveyancer may request that you have a pre-settlement inspection before settlement takes place. This is to ensure that the property is in the same condition as when you last inspected it and that all the inclusions are as per the contract you signed.

From our experiences, we also know that a “well-presented” house appeals to more buyers and will sell faster, and often for a higher price. Additionally, buyers feel more comfortable purchasing a well-cared for home because if what they can see is maintained, what they can’t see has probably also been maintained. In readying your house for sale, consider:

How much should you spend?
In preparing your home for the market, you should consider whether you will recoup the money you spend. For example, although buyers will be impressed by a brand new roof, they may not give you enough extra money to pay for it.

There is a big difference between making minor and inexpensive “touch-ups” to your house, such as putting new knobs on cabinets and a fresh coat of neutral paint in the living room, and doing extensive and costly renovations, like installing a new kitchen. Don’t hesitate to contact me for advice.

Maximising exterior and street appeal
Before putting your house on the market, take as much time as necessary to maximise its exterior and interior appeal. Tips to enhance your home’s exterior and street appeal include:

1. Keep the lawn edged, cut and watered regularly.
2. Trim hedges, weed lawns and flowerbeds, and prune trees regularly.
3. Check the foundation, steps, walkways, walls, patios and verandahs for cracks and crumbling.
4. Inspect doors and windows for peeling paint.
5. Clean and align gutters.
6. Consider cleaning the exterior paintwork.
7. Repair and replace loose or damaged tiles.
8. During spring and summer months consider planting some annuals, perhaps in pots, near your front entrance.
9. Keep your garage door closed.

Maximising interior appeal
Enhance your home’s interior by: Giving every room in the house a thorough cleaning, as well as removing all clutter. This alone will make your house appear bigger and brighter. Some homeowners with crowded rooms have actually rented storage units and moved half their furniture out, creating a minimalist, more spacious look.
Hiring a professional cleaning service, once every few weeks while the house is on the market. This may be a good investment for owners who are busy elsewhere.

Removing the less frequently used, even daily used items from kitchen counters and cupboards, making these areas much more inviting. Since you’re anticipating a move anyhow, holding a garage sale at this point is a great idea.

If necessary, repainting dingy, soiled or strongly coloured walls with a neutral shade of paint, such as off-white or beige.

• Repairing cracks, holes or damage to plaster, wallboard, wallpaper, paint, and tiles.
• Replacing broken or cracked windows, mouldings, and other woodwork.
• Inspecting and repairing the plumbing, heating , cooling, and alarm systems.
• Repairing dripping taps and shower heads.
• Buying new towels for the bathroom, to be brought out only when prospective buyers are on the way, or during home opens.

Of all the rooms inside your home, pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. They should look as modern, bright and fresh as possible. It is essential for them to be clean and odor free.

Tips for Home Opens and Inspections
Before you put your home on the market, there are some things you can do to differentiate your house among the competitors.

Quick tips for opens and inspections:

• Keep counter tops cleared
• Replace all burnt out light bulbs
• Open all curtains and window blinds
• Take pets with you or take them to a neighbour
• No dirty dishes in the sink
• No laundry in the washer/dryer
• Clean or replace dirty or worn carpets
• Put on soft music
• Buy new towels for the bathroom

Always look at your home from the buyer’s point of view. Be objective and be honest.