By Linda Chuss

For anyone who has lived in their home a long time and is considering a transition - perhaps to a condominium, assisted living community, or with family - the process of preparing and selling their home may feel overwhelming. Nina Sable, a realtor with William Raveis in Natick, has the experience to help make the process manageable.

“It can be stressful,” said Sable. “Some of that comes from not starting early enough. We can help by explaining the timeframe. And we aren’t pushy. We practice old-fashioned kindness and patience as a homeowner works through this change.

“Some people are concerned about privacy. Realtors are bound by a code of ethics and won’t reveal information about you or your home without your consent. Other people think once they call us we’ll hound them, but we definitely won’t. Still other sellers worry where they’ll go during a suddenly scheduled showing – they can stay in the home for it.”

As for the timeframe, Sable recommends allowing 45 to 60 or even 90 days from first calling her until the sale closes. The range comes from the amount of preparation to be done.

“You have choices,” explained Sable, “either selling your home with little preparation, all the up way to doing some renovations. The upfront effort affects the sales price. So if you just want to clear out some items and take pictures, that’s minimal time and money. Or you can stage the home before listing it, requiring a little more time and up-front expense. Some people even want to fix up rooms or a roof before selling. While a home in better condition and primed to look good will sell for more, we can advise you on what to do, given your needs for upfront expenses, expected sales price, and desired timeframe.”

Some people see postings on telephone poles offering to buy their home instantly, but Sable cautions, “You’ll get far less money that way.” Those types of buyers offer a much lower price because they plan to renovate the home and sell it for profit.

Every home, though, needs some clearing out and that isn’t free. Town dumps now charge fees to dispose of large items. Sable suggests it might be more cost effective to hire a junk hauler. “It’s challenging to choose what to keep and figure out what to do with the rest,” said Sable. “First, know that if you’re moving out of state, take only items of important sentimental value because the cost to move furniture and other large things is usually more than to replace them with new items at your new place. You can sell unneeded things online, or we can recommend an auction house to sell them for you. We know of services to help you sort through it all, removing what you won’t keep.

“Don’t think you need to clear out things or do renovations before you contact us. What your home looks like now won’t affect how we determine the listing price. We’ll advice you on the options and the expected selling price, depending on what you choose.”

Sable encourages someone thinking about selling their home to contact her early. She said, “It’s not too late to complete a sale this year. And it’s not too early to begin working on a sale for next year – the season starts in mid-January. By starting sooner rather than later, you’ll minimize stress from rushing. And because we understand the complexities, we make it simpler for you and less stressful all around.”

For more information on how Sable can help you get started, visit sellwithsable.realtor, or contact Sable at (508) 733-8935 or [email protected].

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