Miramar Beach Seller’s Checklist

Are you considering a new investment opportunity?  Do your plans require you to list your Miramar Beach property for sale?

While selling your home or condo can be fraught with stressors and frustrations, careful planning and some tried-and-true tips can eradicate almost all real estate-induced headaches and leave you with nothing but eager anticipation of the next season of life.

Marie Babin, your Miramar Beach real estate agent, has put together a checklist to make sure your property is ready to enter the market –– and move quickly from listed to sold.

While properties in sunny Florida can sell at any time of the year, you’ll have the best results if you monitor the “real estate season” and list at an optimal time. Studies show that in Miramar Beach, September listings sell for 3.23% more than any other month. If you’re in a hurry and want to sell quickly, list in January, as the average listing to sold time is faster by four days.

Unlike some markets, in which there is a very narrow window (generally late spring and into the summer) for selling, Florida is warm and sunny all year, and buyers are always looking for a great vacation home. So if your timing doesn’t align with listing in September or January, you’ll still be able to sell your property successfully.

Save yourself a great deal of stress on moving day by cleaning before you list. Take down heavy drapes, and reduce the contents of closets, cabinets, and shelves. A good rule of thumb striving to reduce storage areas’ content by 50%. Minimize knick knacks on shelves and strive to have clean and clear vertical surfaces.

If you’ve been enjoying coastal living for any length of time, you know the effects of salt water, wind, and sand on your property. Over time, paint chips, metals corrode, and boards warp. Inspect your property thoroughly. Make a detailed list of repairs that you need to make and prioritize them in terms of time needed for completion and severity and go to work. You’ll be competing with all of the other Miramar Beach listings, and buyers want move-in-ready properties.

Sure, your space tells your family’s story. You’ve no doubt acquired mementos of vacations, family photos, hobby gear, and a host of other things that are meaningful to you, but won’t have the same effect on buyers. These personal effects remind buyers that this is someone else’s space, and the goal is to help them envision it as theirs. 

After the repairs and depersonalization are complete, it’s time to showcase your property’s radiant beauty. If you are selling a home - pressure-wash sidewalks and driveways, plant eye-catching and colorful flowers near the entrance and utilize potted plants and cozy furniture on porches. Touch up paint, or if your colors are dated and faded, repaint rooms completely. Think light colors in grays and neutrals to provide a blank palette for the new owners, as well as an open and airy feel to the entire space.

To really make your space sparkle and to show buyers how lovingly this property has been cared for, deep clean from top to bottom, and not just in the obvious places.  Every nook and cranny is subject to exploration and investigation by would-be buyers. Really impress by giving attention to the out-of-the-way places.

Do yourself a favor and hire a housekeeping service for the duration of your property’s time on the market. You’ll have one less thing to worry about, and it will be ready for a showing at a moment’s notice.

Is professional staging a worthwhile investment? If you want to sell your property more quickly and at a higher price, the answer is an emphatic, “YES!” Professional staging artfully arranges your belongings to create a flow of movement through your space, enhance its aesthetic appeal, and showcase the best features of your property.

Nearly all buyers begin with an online search. In other words, curb appeal is no longer the first impression people have when they drive by your property. 21st-century “curb appeal” is all about online presence, and that begins with quality, well-lit photographs and videos. Some have even opted for single-property websites to “tell the story” or cinematic videography portraying a life well-lived in space. If you want to bring potential buyers to see your Miramar Beach property for sale in person, you must pique their interest online.

Despite 2022 market fluctuations, it’s still a great time to sell in Miramar Beach. The average listing price is currently $749,500, which is $100K more than they were listing for just one year ago. Nearly five times as many homes sold in January of this year as in the same month a year ago, and houses are staying on the market for approximately four months.

Understanding what is happening in the Miramar Beach market is helpful, but for your specific property, talking with your Realtor and learning trends and demand for your type of property will give you the insight you need to price to sell. Pricing too high is perceived as pretentious, and you’re likely to sit and wait for an offer for some time. If you price too low, buyers may assume that something is wrong and fear the investment.

If you’ve made it to this stage and your potential buyer seems to be getting cold feet, help to tip the buyer in your favor with great incentives. Use your imagination and consider what would have been appealing if you were in the buyer’s shoes. Could you offer a year of internet service, buy down interest rate points, sponsor a year of membership to a nearby golf course, or pay a year’s homeowner association fees?

Your biggest ally in the relocation process is your Real Estate agent. She can provide advice, connect you with reputable repair professionals, guide and advise you in pricing and timing, and represent you through the negotiation and contracting processes. Marie Babin is committed to helping you meet all of your real estate goals. Give her a call today.

_{*Header photo courtesy of Marie Babin}