Tips for selling your home

The sale of your property requires respecting important steps before putting your house up for sale. In this section, you will find all the advice and information on the valuation of your house or apartment, on the life sale. Tips for selling your home well and how to sell a house showing signs of dry rot?

You will also know more about the mandatory documents to be provided in order to sell (energy diagnostics, etc.), the steps up to the deed of sale signed at the notary.

Ciel Realty also explains why home staging will help you sell your property. Finally, you will discover all the advantages of going through a real estate professional, such as a real estate negotiator, to sell your property at the right price.

Selling your property well: Tips for selling your home with 5 key steps

The success of a real estate sale depends on good organization and complete preparation of the process. It is therefore interesting to proceed in stages so as not to neglect any point and to define a real sales strategy.

1st step: make the decision to sell

If you want to sell your house quickly, you need to price it at market value.

Being emotionally attached to your property can make the selling process challenging. However, this initial step, though sometimes lengthy, is crucial. It helps you detach from the house by focusing on your future projects. By doing so, you can set a price consistent with the market, irrespective of your personal history and sentimental value attached to the property. This is also the ideal time to engage a real estate agent. With their valuable advice and comprehensive market knowledge, you can make informed decisions and set an appropriate price for your home.

2nd step: a possible renovation and price estimate

If your home has faults or dated decor, consider a quick renovation. While potentially costly, it can help you sell faster and at a higher price. Aim to spend around 3% of the sale price on soft renovations, and up to 6% if more extensive work is needed.

This step is crucial. To estimate your property’s value accurately, rely on your real estate agent’s expertise and study the local market. Thoughtful renovations can make your property more competitive, leading to a better and quicker sale.

3rd step: writing the ad and putting it on sale

Before even publishing your ad, we advise you to prepare the essential and mandatory documents. These are invoices, tax statements, co-ownership regulations for the accommodation concerned, technical diagnoses, etc. Also remember to have beautiful photographs taken. They will then contribute to the attractiveness of your ad.

Then comes the time to write the text of your ad. In addition to specifying:

• The area, location.
• Size.
• Number of rooms in your accommodation.
• Unique selling point, ie.: private garden and swimming pool, balcony, etc.

You must include a certain amount of information if the accommodation is part of a condominium. This information should cover:

• The condition and status of any ongoing proceedings within the co-ownership
• The amount of monthly or annual charges

Additionally, consider providing other relevant details to attract potential buyers or renters. This can include information about:

• The availability of amenities (e.g., parking, gym, pool)
• The proximity to public transportation, schools, and shopping centers
• Recent renovations or upgrades to the property
• The pet policy of the condominium
• Any special features of the accommodation, such as a balcony, garden, or exceptional view.

Good to know: your agent accompanies should know and help you every step of the way.

The work of the real estate professional is essential at this stage. He can take care of taking photos of your property and advise you on the content of your ads.

4th step: visits and negotiation

Once online, your ad will no doubt appeal to potential buyers interested in visiting your property. For the latter to be productive, we advise you to prepare essential documents for the buyer:

• Technical diagnostics,
• The amount of charges or energy bills,
• The amounts of property and housing taxes, additional charges, etc.

Also remember to depersonalize your decoration to facilitate projections. You could then create the crush and quickly receive an offer. If it is at the price, you can rejoice. In most cases, the buyer nevertheless wishes to negotiate. Nothing prevents you from revising this amount upwards by formulating another proposal yourself and thus entering a negotiation phase.

5th step: the signature of the real estate sale

When buyer and seller agree on a price, the signing of the compromise and then the final sale follow. They are carried out before a notary within 3 to 4 months following the drafting of the offer.

How to sell a house showing signs of dry rot?

Sometimes present in wood, dry rot is a particularly destructive fungus. When it invades the framework of a house, the damage can be substantial, impacting the entire structure of the building. If you want to sell an infested home, you must inform the buyer as soon as possible, at the risk of making his presence appear as a hidden defect.

What is dry rot?

Called lignivore, dry rot feeds on the fibers of the wood. This fungus particularly appreciates settling in frames, attracted by humidity and dark areas. Absent from interior trim like window surrounds or doors, so it can be difficult to detect.

Damaged wall with fungal growth. Sachverständigenbüro für Zimmerei und Holzbau Lutz Weidner / Thüringen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where to detect the presence of dry rot?

Proliferating under specific conditions, dry rot hides in specific areas of a home. She likes humidity, a mild room temperature and dark spaces. It is therefore found in:

• The old partitions with wooden elements.
• The frameworks.
• Wood stored in a wet area.

The risks associated with the presence of dry rot

By settling in a dwelling, dry rot attacks the wood. The damage can be numerous over time, most often concerning the structure of the building itself. The insulation is affected first, before the damage also extends to the frame, jeopardizing its stability.

Is it possible to sell a house with dry rot?

During a real estate sale, diagnostics are mandatory. The one allowing to certify the presence of dry rot is not, but still concerns certain goods.

In which cases should this dry rot diagnosis be carried out?

If the presence of the fungus is suspected, it is always interesting to have this diagnosis made. Taken in time, dry rot can be treated and therefore eradicated. By applying powerful fungicide treatments, the infestation can be brought to a halt, saving the property from future severe damage. If the diagnosis concludes that the presence is too massive, it is unfortunately not possible to treat the accommodation. The latter is then declared uninhabitable.

Good to know: this diagnosis must always be made by a licensed professional. Otherwise, it will not be officially recognized as valid.

Dry rot obligations in certain areas

If this diagnosis is not compulsory in France, certain procedures are sometimes imposed on you with regard to this fungus. In specific geographical areas, dry rot has infected a number of buildings. A prefectural decree may then have been taken, obliging you to carry it out. If this study shows the presence of dry rot in your property, you have the obligation to inform the town hall. It will also be necessary to indicate the extent of the infestation.

Read also: Commercial Building and the Uses of Commercial Property

How to sell a house with dry rot?

Nothing prevents you from selling goods infected with dry rot. However, you must be careful not to place yourself in illegality.

Make a diagnosis at the slightest sign

If there are any clues that lead you to believe that the property is infected, you must have the diagnosis carried out. This will allow you to gauge the size of the infestation. So pay attention to the classic signs left by this fungus:

• White or orange marks appear on the walls.
• A mushroom smell.
• Infiltrations in the walls, etc.

Assess the damage

If its presence is confirmed, rely on the skills of the expert to assess the size of the infestation and the damage already present. It is important to quantify them, as well as the work that can then be undertaken to save the property. You will have to carry them out before selling or provide detailed quotes to future buyers.

Get in compliance

When the seller learns of the infestation of his property, he must imperatively inform the town hall as well as the buyer. He must then provide the diagnosis and the quotes so as not to hide anything from the parties concerned. By showing complete transparency, he protects himself from possible recourse after the sale. If he conceals the presence of the fungus from the purchaser, he/she is guilty of latent defect. The transaction may then be canceled or require him to carry out major work.

Photo credit: Tumisu via Pixabay

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