3. Fill out disclosure statements
Most states demand that you disclose to potential buyers any significant dangers or damage your property is known to have. Disclosures should be made for natural hazards, pests, lead paint, and asbestos. In California, sellers must disclose potentials hazards from floods, earthquakes, and fires.
4. Consider a pre-inspection report
I say “consider” because not everyone agrees that knowing what a buyers’ inspector is likely to spot is a good thing. On the one hand, your own inspection of the property might give you a head’s up on maintenance issues a buyer might raise at the closing. On the other hand, an inspection can turn up a hazard you’ll have to disclose once you know about it.
5. Buy a home warranty
For about $500, a seller can provide a home warranty to a buyer that will protect the new owner from paying for some major home repairs—leaking plumbing, appliance breakdowns—for one year. It’s a good marketing tool that’s becoming more common.
MARKETING IN PICTURES AND WORDS
OK, you’ve got your pile of paper. Let’s dive into how you’ll spread the word that your house is for sale. It’s called marketing, and it can make or break your sale. You can go old school, and place ads in newspapers and magazines; or you can go new school, and describe your home on Facebook pages and through posts on neighborhood listservs.
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