The Cherished Home Seller's Guide
Ann's guide to selling a MetroWest home, from choosing your agent to getting the house ready for a great sale.
Before you list: what this guide is for
Selling a home starts with a handful of decisions, and most of them are easier to make before the sign goes up. Who will you hire? What will it cost? What do you keep at the end? I'm Ann Atamian with Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, and I wrote this guide so you can work through those questions at your own pace, in plain words.
It has 11 modules. Read them in order, or jump to the one that's keeping you up at night. Either way, the guide is information, not a pitch. If you finish it and want to talk, I'll go over it with you, with no pressure.
What the 11 modules cover
1. Choosing your agent. You are hiring someone to represent one of the biggest assets you own. This module covers what to ask, what to listen for, and how to compare agents on how they work, not on who talks the loudest.
2. The Smaht way to market your home. How your home gets in front of buyers, and why attention is the point of marketing. This is where the More Eyes Marketing Plan comes in: know the buyer, market the home, follow the interest.
3. Smaht-charging traditional marketing. The traditional tools, like the listing, the photos, the sign and the open house, and how they fit with everything else.
4. Compensation and commissions. How agents are paid, explained in full inside the guide. My rule is the same everywhere: every cost is itemized and on the table before you sign anything.
5. Smaht negotiation. How offers work, what a negotiation is really about, and why the number on the first page is only part of it.
6. The importance of communication. What you should hear from your agent and how often. With me, that means weekly updates with the numbers and feedback after showings.
7. Goals and priorities. Timing, the money you walk away with, and how easy the move is can pull in different directions. This module helps you rank them before anyone starts making decisions for you.
8. Getting clarity. What the home is worth to a buyer and what you keep after every cost. We put it on one page, a net sheet, so the decision rests on numbers instead of worry.
9. How to prep for a great sale. Fix what matters and skip what doesn't. Start with one room, sort into keep, sell, donate and give, and let the buyer see the home, not the clutter.
10. SMAHT seller do's and don'ts. The things sellers should do, and the things I'd ask you to avoid, while the home is on the market.
11. Why I'm the right choice. My background, how I work, and what you can expect from me, so you can decide whether we fit.
If you've lived in your house for decades
"We've been here 30 years and I don't know where to start." That is normal. When a house holds decades of life, the worries are usually about numbers: is there enough equity, what will it all cost, and what if we sell before we know where we're going?
Sell first or buy first? The honest answer is that it depends on your numbers. I'd start with a conversation with your lender and your attorney, so you know what's possible before you look at one house. Then we choose the path that fits you and lay out the trade-offs of each.
If you're weighing a condo, a 55+ community or a single-level home, I start with a different question: what do you want to stop doing? Shoveling, mowing, fixing the roof? Condo and community fees pay for shared things, and what they cover differs from building to building, so we ask for the budget and the documents first. For the full picture, see my page on downsizing in MetroWest and my page for long-time homeowners.
How I work with sellers
I've sold 365+ homes over 25+ years in real estate, and I've lived in Southborough for 30+ years. I spent years on the buyer's side of the table, so I know what buyers notice and what makes them walk away. That shapes how I help you prepare and price.
I stage most of my listings myself, at no extra charge. I believe in being there for showings and inspections. And when we sit down together, every cost is itemized and on the table before you sign anything. The steps from first conversation to closing are in my home selling process, and the basics are on my selling your home page.
Two identical homes are not worth the same. The lot, the grading and the spot on the street all change the value, which is why I'd rather look at your house than quote you an average. If you want a starting point, read what your home is worth, or look at the Southborough page if that's your town.
Your next step
Read the guide first. Mark what you don't understand. Then, if you'd like company, tell me about your plans or call me at 774-249-8718. We can start with a no-pressure conversation and a look at your numbers. Guide, not push.
Ann Atamian, REALTOR®, Global Real Estate Advisor, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty. Love life, Cherish home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does reading the guide mean I'm committing to sell?
No. The guide is information. If you want to talk it through afterward, I offer a no-pressure consultation and market analysis, and you decide what happens next.
How do agent commissions work?
Module 4, compensation and commissions, explains it in full. My rule is simple: every cost is itemized and on the table before you sign anything.
Should I sell first or buy first?
The honest answer is that it depends on your numbers. I'd start by talking with your lender and your attorney, then we compare the options side by side, each with its trade-offs.
Do you stage the home?
I stage most of my listings myself, at no extra charge, and I believe in being there for showings and inspections. Module 9 covers how to prepare your home for a great sale.
Where do you work?
I work across Southborough, Framingham and MetroWest, including Hopkinton, Natick, Holliston, Westborough, Ashland and Northborough.
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Ready to make your move with Ann Atamian | Gibson Sotheby's International Realty?