We Buy Houses In Novato California. We are local homebuyers in CA and before you just blindly decide to sell your house to a cash buyer like ourselves, let’s find out what it takes to sell your house in Novato by listing it with an agent.
Listing your home in Novato CA isn’t free. There are costs, chores, and a lot of work to get your home ready for the market. Before you list your home, think about the time, energy, and money that go into it. If you have a direct buyer, with a great offer, it is often referred to as the hassle and out of pocket costs of listing. What it REALLY costs to sell your home in Novato.
Commissions, Staging & Yard Work, Oh My!
Cleaning Your Home In California
The first thing is first. The home has to be thoroughly cleaned from top to bottom. Windows should be done inside and out, grout and tile cleaned, baseboards and molding, and obscure areas such as window sills and ceiling fans. If you have pets, pay particularly close attention to pet hair and odors. Of course, you can clean yourself, but you will not be able to do it with accuracy and efficiency. In addition, keeping the home clean for showings, open houses and surprise visitors can take a lot of time and energy.
Landscaping Your Home In Novato
Never, ever, ever neglect the yard when selling your home. You will want to make sure your yard had excellent curb appeal and isn’t overgrown or filled with weeds. Like the cleaning, you can do this yourself, but you will have some hard work ahead of you. You will want to:
- Trim back trees and bushes.
- Weed the lawn and open areas.
- Plant flowers and appropriate plants.
- Fix anything in need of repair.
- Add fresh paint to outdoor trim, mailbox, door, etc.
- Add seating and other elements of staging to make the outside areas more welcoming.
The backyard should be warm, inviting, and well-manicured. The front yard is your first impression, make it a good one!
Storage & Moving Your Home In Novato CA
Even if you are still living in the home, once you put it on the market, it is smart to get some of your personal items packed and stored, ready for your move. Having your personal items around the home can make it feel cluttered and dissuade buyers from having interest. While your home is listed, you will need somewhere to keep your stuff. This might require storage offsite. If you are staying somewhere temporarily until your house sells, you will likely be paying rent in addition to your mortgage. (And don’t forget, two sets of utility bills.)
Once your house does sell, there are the costs of moving. Will you have movers help? Will you do all the packing yourself? Will you need a truck? These are all costs to consider and factor into your budget.
Listing Fees, Agent Fees, Administrative Fees, and Notary Charges In CA
Working with an agent also brings a plethora of fees and charges you may not be prepared for. (These charges are IN ADDITION to the commission, which we talk about below.) Agents will pass on a number of fees to you for marketing, listing, and administrative tasks such as clerical work and printing. You will face costs for notarization and other small charges that add up fast.
Commissions In California
This is the biggie. Selling your home through an agent entitles them to a commission. Think 6% of your sale price. This can be more or less, but 6% is a good estimation. When you are calculating your asking price, make sure you factor in commissions and the other charges listed above.
Sell My House In Novato CA
Now, why don’t you calculate all these expenses, including the time delays, holding costs during that time the house is listed (taxes, utilities, landscape maintenance, etc. etc.) agent fees, and the effort headache and stress that comes with it all, and compare it to our offer we are going to give you in cash with a closing based on your schedule? We are local CA home buyers who offer cash for houses in Novato and we will make the process simple so you can quickly sell your house in CA and move on.