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Seller guides

Straight answers to the questions sellers ask before they list. No sign-up, no download, no email required.

Before you list

How do I price the house?
Start from what has sold on your street in the last six months, not from what is currently listed. Asking prices tell you what sellers hope for; sold prices tell you what buyers paid. That is the right place to begin.
Should I get an inspection before listing?
It is optional and it cuts both ways. A pre-listing inspection removes surprises and strengthens your position in negotiation, but anything it turns up becomes a known defect you must disclose. Most sellers skip it. Sellers of older homes often do not.
What raises the sale price?
Cleanliness, light, and photography, in that order, and none of them cost much. Paint returns more than almost any other spend. Kitchens and bathrooms rarely return what they cost if you are renovating purely to sell.
How long should the listing term be?
Long enough to sell through a normal market cycle for your price band. Michigan requires a definite expiration date on the agreement, and it cannot require you to give notice in order to cancel at expiry.
What happens if it does not sell?
You can withdraw in writing at any time before you accept an offer. Anything due at closing is only ever charged on a closing, so no sale means none of it is owed. The package fee is paid when you start and is refundable in full until the listing goes on the MLS.
Do I have to be there for showings?
No, and it is usually better if you are not. Showings are scheduled through ShowingTime. On MLS Listing and Offer Support you manage them yourself; on Full Service we coordinate them for you.

Preparing the house

Worth doing

Deep clean, declutter, fix what is visibly broken, replace dim bulbs with brighter ones, cut the lawn before photography.

Usually not worth doing

Full kitchen or bathroom renovations, new roofing purely for sale, landscaping projects that will not mature before closing.

Do before the photographer

Everything above. Photographs are permanent; a listing rarely recovers from a weak first set.

Do not bother hiding

Known defects. They come out at inspection, and Michigan requires you to disclose them in writing anyway.

Ready to list? Tell us the address and what you want handled. We will verify your address is in our service area, recommend a package, and send the listing agreement before anything is paid.

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