In lists of the top ten or twenty life event stressors, buying or selling a home is often pretty prominent. The entire process can be stressful. As a real estate professional it is my aim to help minimize the stress on my clients. Additionally, my years in the industry have taught me some practical steps that can help reduce the stress of the process.
- Hire a caring competent real estate professional. Maybe I didn’t need to include this step, you might consider it a given, but it makes all the difference in the experience to have an empathetic professional guiding the process from start to finish. (By the way, I would love to be your real estate professional!)
- Ask questions. When you are confused or concerned, before you get upset, ask questions. A compassionate real estate professional has the patience to explain the steps and communicate information so that you are informed throughout the process.
- Get a home warranty. If you are the buyer, it gives you peace of mind that if an appliance randomly goes out after escrow closes, it will be covered by the home warranty. If you are the seller, it saves you from sleepless nights worrying that an appliance will break after the sale and you will somehow still be responsible (or feel it.)
- Have a home inspection. This is really for the buyer, so there are no surprises as to the condition of the home. The buyers pays for it, and it can be worth its weight in gold for the information it provides. For the seller, cooperating with a home inspection early in the process means that the buyers knows what they are getting in to, allowing you to have more confidence the deal with close.
- Hire a cleaner. For sellers, hiring a cleaner after you have moved out your stuff means that you can focus on the transition, which is plenty of work as it is. If you are emotional about the move, having a cleaner spruce up the empty house can allow you to put your energy in to your new location. For the buyer, it offers a fresh clean slate to start off the move. That fresh start feeling can reduce the stress of figuring out where to put everything in the new home.
If you are considering selling or buying a home, I would consider it an honor to be your trusted real estate professional. I will put my expertise and experience to use, and work to make it the best possible experience!