Home seller's guide

Most of the work in a successful sale happens before the first showing. Here is how we approach it, and what you can do to get a better result.

1. Price it properly

Price is the single biggest factor in how quickly a property sells. We prepare a comparable market analysis from recent sales of similar properties in your school district and township — not just Zestimate-style estimates — and adjust for acreage, outbuildings, condition and updates.

Overpricing does not leave room to negotiate later; it usually means the property sits, goes stale, and eventually sells for less than a realistic price would have achieved at the start.

2. Prepare the property

• Declutter and depersonalise — buyers need to picture themselves in the rooms.
• Deep clean — especially kitchens, bathrooms, windows and outbuildings.
• Fix the small things — dripping taps, sticking doors, cracked tiles, burnt-out bulbs, loose railings.
• Address obvious water — damp basements and crawlspaces put buyers off faster than almost anything else.
• Tidy the outside — mow, clear the drive, weed the beds. On acreage, mown paths make the land look usable.

3. Photograph and market it

Almost every buyer sees your property online before they see it in person. Good photographs, taken in daylight with the lights on and the clutter gone, are worth more than any other single marketing spend. We present each listing with the details buyers actually ask about: acreage, outbuildings, well and septic, heating type, taxes and school district.

4. Showings

• Be flexible with times — the first week is when interest peaks.
• Leave for showings; buyers linger when the owner is not present.
• Secure valuables, medications and pets.
• Turn lights on and keep the house warm or cool, depending on the season.

5. Offers and negotiation

We present every offer in writing with the buyer's financing, earnest money, conditions and closing date. The headline price is only part of the picture: a slightly lower offer with no sale contingency and a short inspection window can be worth more than a higher one that may fall through.

Whoever is buying matters, too. Our higher-priced listings regularly attract out-of-state and collector buyers who move quickly when the property is priced and presented properly — one recent buyer was hunting a specific RM 88 replica at the same time as his home, and he ran the house search the same way: a written spec, then a checklist. A property that is right from day one earns that kind of attention.

6. Disclosures and closing

Ohio sellers complete a residential property disclosure form covering the condition of the structure, systems, water supply, sewage, and known defects or environmental issues. Disclose what you know — it protects you after closing.

Then it is inspections, appraisal, title work and settlement. We co-ordinate the dates, track the deadlines and keep you informed so nothing derails the move.

What does it cost to sell?

Typical seller costs include the brokerage commission, title and escrow fees, prorated property taxes, recording fees and any agreed repairs or buyer concessions. Ask us for an itemised estimate for your property before you list — it should never be a surprise at closing.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice.