Sarasota is such a popular place for vacationers that once they visit, they don’t want to leave! Myself included! This area is easy to love for a thousand different reasons, but, at some point, the time comes to make a decision: either sell the vacation home or make it your permanent residence. While we’d love to have you stay, we know sometimes it simply makes more sense to sell. That’s where I step in and help!
Here are 5 things that are good to know before you sell:
- If you’re a resident of Canada, the UK, or another country, there are taxes you’ll likely have to pay when you sell. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. Google FIRPTA taxes (or don’t, you can just ask me!). Essentially it’s a 15% tax you’ll remit to the IRS and, once the slow wheels of government have turned, you may get some of it back. More info for foreign sellers.
- What to do with your furniture? If you don’t want it and it’s in good shape, leave it. The next homeowner will likely appreciate that they have some furniture to use until they get some of their own. Remember, chances are it will be their vacation home too and they’ll need some time to find furniture so this will be a convenience for you as well as them. Easy peasy.
- Is it worth it to come and get all your personal things? Maybe! If you can drive here to get it, yes. If you can fly and fit it in your checked baggage, yes. If you can’t do either, then let’s FaceTime and you tell me what to pack up and send to you. I make it easy! I pack it, you pay for postage. If it’s a ton of stuff, I’ll help you find a moving company to do it for you!
- What about my stuff in the garage, like my car!? There are garage clean-out companies here and they’ll sort through it with you (via FaceTime if necessary) and if you’ve got a car, we can work with that too. It can be put on a transport truck or I can connect you with a wholesale car buyer. There’s a solution for everything!
- What if I have a renter coming for a couple of weeks but I want to sell the house before they come? It all depends on the rental agreement. In some cases the new homeowner must honor the rental period and in other cases the reservation can be cancelled. If the new homeowner is going to use the property as a rental, they’ll likely be happy to hear you’ve got some bookings!
What other questions do you have for me? Shoot me an email and I’m happy to answer them for you!
If you’re thinking about selling but aren’t quite ready to chat yet, or are just curious about your home value, get your FREE home valuation here.
Want to more about Christine’s 123 SOLD Program for Home Sellers? Check out the 123 SOLD video here.