Selling a home is never easy, but when you live hours away and across state lines, it's even more difficult. Yet, people sell homes from out of state every day, and you can too if you're careful to follow the tips below.
Choose a tech-savvy realtor.
Hiring an awesome realtor is the number one key to a successful sale when you can't be around to take care of things yourself. But in addition to having an excellent sale record, the realtor you hire needs to be tech savvy. They should be well versed in using apps like Skype and FaceTime so that you can easily communicate with them throughout the sale process. They should certainly be open to texting so you can keep in touch with them when you're busy at work during the day.
When interviewing real estate agents, specifically ask if they are used to communicating with clients via text and video chat apps. Also ask if they have experience selling homes for clients who live out of state.
Have a friend "on call" near the home.
Hopefully you have at least one friend or family member who lives near the home you are trying to sell. If so, ask them if they are willing to be "on call" during your sale process. Your realtor should be able to handle most things, but you may need to call this friend to initially give the realtor the keys, meet a potential buyer in person, or touch up some landscaping before someone comes to look at the home.
Hire a staging company.
A home that is perfectly staged is much easier to sell. There are plenty of companies that you can hire to come in and stage the home without you even having to be there. You can have your realtor or "on call" friend give them a copy of the key, tell them your budget, and count on them making your home look its best.
Put the lights on a timer and have someone drop by.
One issue with putting a home on the market and living far away is that anyone who passes by may notice the home is vacant. To prevent anyone causing any mischief, you want to make it look like someone still lives in the home. Put the lights on a timer so they turn on for a few hours each evening. Also, have your friend drop by occasionally, or ask one of the neighbors to park in your driveway so the home looks occupied.
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