Seller's Guide

Hilton Head Island and Surrounding Areas

So you have or are seriously considering selling your property? As a suggestion, we recommend that before proceeding, take a moment and think about what is motivating you to sell. The next step is to generate a timeframe for when you would like to accomplish the whole process.

Why Should I Sell?

Some questions you may want to consider before making a final decision are: Why do you want to sell your property? Do you want something bigger or smaller? What neighborhood, school district, city, and state are you considering? At first, you may think your reasons are obvious but considering the impact that each of these decisions will make on your lifestyle, opportunities, and finances might reveal other unforeseen benefits or concerns that have not been on your mind. These steps will make it easier for us to help you determine the most appropriate option for your finances, lifestyle, and goals.

When Should I Sell?

One of the first things to do is to establish your time frame for selling your home. Do you need to sell your house quickly? We can speed up the process by providing you with a personalized market analysis and action plan to assist you in accomplishing just that. If time isn’t a constraint, we can arrange an appointment with you to thoroughly review the current Hilton Head Island market conditions, give suggestions for making the home more appealing, and map out the best overall time to sell.

What Is The Current Hilton Head Market Conditions?

By choosing us as your Hilton Head Listing Agent, we will use all our knowledge, expertise, and negotiating skills to your advantage to ensure you arrive at the best price and terms. By comparing other properties in the general vicinity, we can keep you current with any element that may impact the price, financing, terms, and conditions of surrounding properties. You are in good hands with the Dacia Allen Real Estate Team!

How Do I Get the Most Out Of My Investment?

Deciding to sell your property certainly requires considering your current financial situation and future possibilities. With our help, you will be better able to assess the impact of all these combined changes. We will provide a detailed Summary of the Sale to give you an accurate idea of closing costs to better prepare you for your next chapter. We love to help people use their investments to provide stability for the future.

Why Should You Choose Us Out Of All Of The Hilton Head REALTORS®?

Simple Answer – because we know how to sell! The Dacia Allen Team provides you as the seller with a professional full-time REALTOR® that knows the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton markets. We have been in this market for a long time and have many contacts on the island that will help you get the exposure you need. We pride ourselves on our marketing and advertising strategies for Hilton Head Island and surrounding areas. Our past client recommendations are excellent.

What To Look For In An Hilton Head Real Estate Agent.

Here are a couple of things for you to keep in mind when looking for a listing agent:

1. Education. Signing on a well-educated real estate agent gets you in a better position right out of the gate. Our team has completed their advanced training and education. 
2. Hilton Head Realty Experience and Expertise. You want a local real estate agent that is familiar with the area. You also want them to be familiar with the types of property you intend to sell. Do they know and use a variety of marketing and advertising strategies? Do they keep current with the market conditions and new technology to give you the best advantage? Another good gauge is to know how many properties have they sold in the last few years. What are their average days on the market before they are sold? What is the average percentage of the list price they receive for their sold properties?
3. Availability and Commitment. Your Hilton Head real estate agent should be attentive and a decisive and effective communicator during the entire course of selling your property. Does your agent keep in touch with you regularly? Are they easily contacted, even for something you may feel is small but important to you? Are they making themselves available on the weekends or evenings while most buyers are out looking at houses?
4. Good Listener. Does your agent take the time to listen to what you’d like to get out of this experience? Do they help you figure out your goals and perceive your needs? Can your agent grasp your unique situation and be genuinely concerned about the outcome? An empathetic Hilton Head listing agent as your guide and partner in this process is invaluable! 

What is Your Property Worth?

Appropriately pricing a property is everything! Without the assistance of a professional real estate agent, most people that attempt to sell their own property, tend to overprice the property’s true value. WE KNOW THE HILTON HEAD ISLAND MARKET!

What to Do to Make Your Home Stand Out From The Other Houses For Sale on Hilton Head Island:

Here are some things to keep in mind when listing your property for sale:

1. Curb Appeal

Make sure your landscape looks pristine. You never know when a potential buyer will drive by to look at your home. So, adding small creative touches to your Hilton Head Island Homes, such as colorful flowers and mulch, will increase the impact on someone driving by.

2. Property Repairs On Your Hilton Head Island Home

Simple upgrades such as minor window repairs, replacing kitchen and bathroom cabinet hardware, replacing light fixtures, or adding a fresh coat of paint to your walls. Sometimes simply painting a lighter color, will make the room “feel” larger and brighter.

3. Keep it Showroom Clean and Ready.

Keep your property uncluttered and have a simple decorative touch. Having well-lit rooms is always helpful. Be sure to pay attention to details for example: are the animals cleaned up after? Having fresh-cut flowers can go a long way too. When people come to look at your house you might think of baking a batch of cookies beforehand. Trust us this helps! One more thing that we have seen that helps a lot is getting your carpets cleaned and soft washing the exterior of your home including the windows. As your Hilton Head Listing Agent, we will review your property before it is listed for sale to see how we can improve the home’s appearance. This involves Teamwork!

4. Disclosures and Inspections.

You will be asked to fill out the Property Disclosure and addendum.  It is extremely important that you answer all areas, on this paperwork, thoroughly and honestly. If we are trying to sell your home as quickly as possible, sometimes doing our own home inspection and CL 100 termite inspection can save time. We can offer the reports for the new buyers’ review.

5. It’s Showtime.

Not to worry! The Dacia Allen Team will arrange showings that are convenient for you.  We will leave a lockbox outside your property for the buyer’s agent to access the key to your home. We will supply a binder particular to your home – advertising all the facts and paperwork we have on the home. We will also share any specifics about the appliances or warranties.  We will get feedback from every showing and share what the potential buyer said about your property. 

Which Offer is the Best?

The saying, “The higher the price, the better the offer,” is not the right saying to live by in the real estate world. While price is an important factor in accepting an offer on your home, there are other determining factors to consider. Do they have any contingencies? Do they have a home to sell first? What details are specified in the contract? What is the closing date? Are they paying the transfer fees?  Working with the Dacia Allen team in Hilton Head, SC, you can rest assured that we want to help you thoroughly evaluate every offer we receive.

How Does Your Hilton Head REALTOR® Help You?

We take the responsibility of negotiating very seriously. Respecting contractual terms and maintaining an ethical approach during the whole process is vital. Both parties should benefit from the closing of the deal. Keep in mind that all offers are negotiable. As your Hilton Head REALTOR®, we guarantee we will do a thorough job and maintain our objectivity for the entire process all while selling your property in the shortest time for the highest price.

The Contract of Sale

It is important for your initial agreement to be a legal document between a potential purchaser and the property’s seller. Contained within this initial agreement should be a specified amount of money that will serve as a deposit on the property. The initial deposit and, at times, an additional deposit, will typically be held in the buyers’ attorney’s escrow account.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help you along the way:

• Keep written records for everything and keep them in a safe place. The Dacia Allen Team will supply the seller with all signed documents and copies of any addendums involved with the purchase.
• Always put everything in writing. Remember: take the time to transcribe verbal agreements, especially on any counter-offers or addendums, and then have both parties sign the document. We usually use Dot Loop to help with electronic signing to speed up the buying/selling process. 
• Stick to the timeline that has been agreed upon by both parties in the contract.
• Time is of the essence!

Inspections and Appraisals For Hilton Head Island Homes For Sale

Most buyers have their property inspected by a licensed property inspector within the agreed-upon time between the seller and the buyer. Some people will decide to get several different inspectors to come and check specific items. For example, they may have the roof inspected by a roofer, the HVAC system by a professional HVAC technician, and so on. If the agreement is hinging on obtaining financing, then the property is required to be appraised by a licensed appraiser. The appraisal confirms with the lending institution that their investment in your property is accurate. 

Which Attorney Should I Choose?

A Real Estate Attorney examines and guarantees a clear title to the sale property. After researching the complete recorded history of your property, they will certify that 1) your title is free and clear of encumbrances like mortgages, leases, or restrictions, liens by the closing date, and 2) any new encumbrances are in the title. The buyer’s attorney usually holds the buyer’s earnest money until closing. The Dacia Allen Team has attorney recommendations to share. 

Contingencies

A contingency is a condition that must be satisfied before a contract becomes legally binding. For example, the buyer may not agree to buy the home unless your home inspection is conducted by a qualified professional inspector and meets their professional standards.

Before the purchase is complete, the buyer will review every aspect of the property; to see if it meets the purchase agreement and any addendums that may apply. These include:

• Financing and insurance
• Reviewing all documents, like title reports and disclosure documents
• Inspection of the property. The buyer will determine if they are happy with the condition of your property, such as the roof, termites/pests, chimney/fireplace, property boundary survey, well, septic, pool/spa, arborist, mold, lead-based paint, HVAC, etc.

In the end, the outcome can be one of two things. The first is that the potential buyer is satisfied with the results and removes all the contingencies within the agreement. The second is the buyer wants to renegotiate the price or repairs brought out in the Home Inspection.

Here is where having a professional agent at your side comes in handy! It is difficult, at times, to respond objectively and fairly to buyers when they make demands. Having an agent working for you can make a real difference in the outcome. Having dealt with many different, and at times complicated, sales in the past, we guarantee our expertise and total commitment to every customer, no matter the situation. We are client-centered! 

Loan Approval and Appraisal

As a helpful tip, we suggest that you try to accept buyers who have in hand a lender’s pre-approval, approval letter, or a written loan commitment. This paperwork will lead to a much better result because you can view these documents as a type of guarantee that the person interested in your property already has a loan approval rather than only having a pre-qualification or even no documentation from a lending institute. In cash deals, we would always ask the potential buyer for proof of funds. The Dacia Allen Team wants to do its due diligence to ensure that the buyer is qualified to purchase your property.

Closing Day

You have made it this far, almost time to celebrate. There are a few items that happen on or before closing day…

Final Walk-Through Inspection Of Your Hilton Head, SC Home.

Although it is more of a formality, the final walk-through takes place about a day before the closing or the morning of closing. The buyer and their agent visit the property one last time to verify that everything is looking good and working well.

Cancel Your Cable Subscription and the Landscaper!

A few days before closing, we will provide the seller with reminders to have all final readings on utilities and provide the new buyer with contact information so they can transfer service into their name prior to closing. 

Problem-Solving and Being Prepared For Anything When Selling Your Hilton Head, SC Home.

As your real estate agent, we are always looking to assist you. Sometimes things happen that you were not expecting. For example, something at the property breaks, or the one buying the property’s loan falls through or does not receive the needed approvals in time. There is no need to worry! If this were to happen, it is not the first time and is not likely the last time. The good thing is that we have helped others through the same scenario and know what is needed to help the situation be much more manageable and stress-free. We are great problem solvers and solution finders.

The Actual Closing

The Finish! The time to receive the settlement statement summarizing all the details of the transaction is shared. The final closing statement will need to be signed by the buyer(s) and the seller(s). Each side has a closing attorney that will go through the paperwork to explain the final numbers. The buyers will have made arrangements for their wire to be sent and the sellers would have given their attorney the numbers to their account for the incoming wire. Once wires are confirmed, it is considered closed, new buyers are granted immediate possession and all keys can be released.