Your Realtor will ask you to complete some mandatory forms to finalize the sale of your New Orleans home including a property disclosure and pre and post occupancy agreements.
You’ve Decided to Take the Plunge and List It — Now What?
You finally decided to bite the bullet and sell your New Orleans home. To speed up the process and obtain the best results possible, you’ll need to know what information to have ready for your Realtor. Vital information will typically include:
Pricing Information
The biggest mistake you can make is to list your home for an inflated price. Instead, your home will need to be priced according to other homes that have sold in your neighborhood, based on a comparative market analysis report. Pricing should also be based on whether the market in your neighborhood is hot, cold, or somewhere in between.
So what are the hottest-selling areas in New Orleans? NOLA.com recently reported that homes in Uptown, New Orleans and the New Orleans lakefront areas around the University of New Orleans, Dillard University, and Gentilly recorded the largest rise in prices last year, increasing by 6.4 percent over 2016.
Sell Your Neighborhood Along With Your Home
You will need to identify the selling points of your home that may or may not be obvious to others. This might include the low amount of traffic your cul-de-sac receives, the friendly neighbors who are long-time community residents, or the large amount of sunshine your yard receives.
You can also help your Realtor market your home more effectively by providing information about nearby schools, bicycle or walking paths, proximity to great restaurants or quality hospitals, and the overall uniqueness of your neighborhood. According to niche.com, some of the best New Orleans neighborhoods to live in (based on crime, schools, local amenities, etc.) include Downtown, Fillmore, Algiers Point, Navarre, Broadmoor, Marigny, Old Aurora, and the French Quarter.
Encourage Home Showings
If you allow your Realtor to install a lockbox instead of just making appointments to show your home to prospective buyers, you’ll likely get more traffic. Also, homes tend to show better in spring than in winter. Consider having an open house, but use the approach somewhat sparingly, always asking for feedback from those who view your home.
Complete the Required Documents
Your Realtor will ask you to complete some mandatory forms to finalize the sale of your New Orleans home. These include:
- Property Disclosure. You are required to disclose all known flaws of your New Orleans property on this form.
- Purchasers Access to Premises Agreement. Sets forth the conditions under which you will permit the buyer to come into your home before closing.
- Sales Contract. The agreement that explains the terms of the sale.
- Sales Contract Contingency Clauses. Attachments you might need to add to the contract to address particular contingencies that apply to the sale.
- Pre and Post Occupancy Agreements. An agreement discussing the terms and costs of occupancy after closing.
- Lead-Based Paint Disclosure. Must be provided if your home was built before 1978.
The failure to complete the required forms or to complete them accurately could jeopardize the sale of your home, so always follow your Realtor’s advice and ask for clarification if necessary.
Satsuma Realtors prides itself on superior client service, and we know New Orleans because we call it home. Whether you’ve already decided to sell your New Orleans home or if you still have questions, contact a seasoned NOLA Realtor to help you get the best offer for your home.