When you are getting ready to sell a condo in Charleston or the surrounding Lowcountry, it is natural to think about the asking price, the photographs, and how quickly a buyer might come along. Those things matter. But before hiring a listing agent, I would encourage you to ask another question: "What will you help me understand before we put my condo on the market?" In my experience, some of the most useful work happens before the first showing.
Selling a condo involves the home itself and the association that helps maintain the community. A freshly painted interior can make a wonderful impression, but it does not answer questions about exterior maintenance, monthly dues, insurance, or upcoming work. I want to understand both sides of that picture. Preparing a condo for sale means looking at what buyers will see and asking about things they may not see at all.
One question worth asking an agent is, "What experience do you have...
Sometimes the story behind a sold sign includes a few months of patience, a willingness to make changes, and an ongoing conversation about lightbulbs.
That was certainly true of my seller's condo at 1508 Basildon Road in The Battery at Park West. This one-bedroom home in Mount Pleasant had plenty to appreciate, but helping buyers see it meant paying attention to how it felt when they walked through the door.
Before we listed, he decluttered and had the condo cleaned. He also put in brighter lightbulbs for the listing photographs. Everything was ready for its introduction to buyers. Then, the next thing I knew, the dim lightbulbs were back in.
I had to smile. He knew what he liked living with, and I understood that. But the lighting that feels comfortable when you are relaxing at home can create a different impression for someone seeing it for the first time. I kept encouraging him to give buy...
When people shop for a condominium, they usually compare three things: the purchase price, the monthly HOA fee, and the amenities. If one community has a higher monthly fee than another, it's easy to assume it simply costs more to live there. Sometimes that's true. But sometimes there is much more to the story.
One of the things I enjoy most about real estate is asking questions. If something doesn't seem to make sense, I start digging. Recently, while researching a condominium community for one of my listings, I noticed the HOA dues had increased substantially over a relatively short period of time. My first thought was probably the same as many buyers: Why would anyone want to pay that much every month? Instead of guessing, I called the HOA to understand what had change...
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