Oakwood Residents

If the property you are selling is in Oakwood, schedule an inspection with the City of Oakwood.  Contact Dave Bunting at 937-297-2920.  Cost is $60.00.  He schedules a time to come to your house to do a minor inspection and will note any “minor” defects that need to be repaired or replaced prior to closing. These are things like grounding outlets, smoke detectors, cracks in driveways and loose railings.  If you’d like, I can call and meet with him for you.  If you’d like more information on the Oakwood pre-sale housing and change of tenant inspection program, click here to visit their website.

Pre-Sale Inspection

More and more, some sellers like to have what’s known as a “Pre-Sale” inspection.  This is accomplished by contacting a Whole House Inspector to inspect your home and having him make you aware of “defects or habitability issues” that a buyer may bring to your attention.  This is simply a way of knowing what repairs are needed before an offer is presented, but not necessary.

Moving and Storage

Know that buyers are thoughtful of the fact that you are moving.  If necessary, boxes can be packed and stored neatly in the garage or basement.

De-Personalizing

“De-personalizing” may be the hardest thing to do for many people. It simply means removing your family photos and items buyers perceive to be “yours”.  This gives the home a more generic staging look and buyers feel that it could be their house not someone else’s. What I find is that buyers will tend to look at the notes on the refrigerator and the pictures rather than the house!

Security

If you ARE NOT going to be home or if you leave for an extended period of time during the listing period, I suggest that you use timers for lamps to go on and off during different times of the day.  This is especially helpful in the evening hours so that realtors don’t enter a home that’s dark.  In addition, make your neighbors and your local police department aware that you are not home for that specific period of time.  For more in depth information on security, consult the Home Security Checklist.

Prepare for Selling Success

Read the PREPARE FOR SELLING SUCCESS with 10 “key” tips on getting the house ready for sale.  These may or may not apply to you and you may be aware of all or most of them.  However, it serves as a reminder, is valuable information and worth repeating.