Listed to Sold: your Long Island home seller's guide

"I can't handle surprises right now." We hear that from sellers all the time, so we wrote this guide to show you how we sell a home, how to get yours ready, and what to expect from the day we meet until the day you hand over the keys.

We're Mark and Gina, the partners behind The Vogler Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty, based on Main Street in Huntington. Mark spent 30 years in construction and homebuilding, so he looks at your house the way a buyer's inspector will: what deserves attention, what adds appeal, and where you can save your money. Gina brings a design eye and 22 years as a hairdresser in Southampton, listening to her clients, which is where she learned that the house is never just the house.

You work with both of us. Debra Brzozinski helps us cover showings, open houses and appointments when we can't be in two places at once. Every home and every seller is different, so we build the plan around your goals, your timing and what comes next for you.

1. Prelisting. We meet, talk through your goals and timing, walk the house, review comparable sales and set the price together. You sign the listing agreement, and we talk about whether a prelisting inspection makes sense for your home.

2. Preparing for market. Repairs worth doing, cleaning, decluttering and staging. Then professional photos and video, the property packet, the sign, and the Coming Soon push before the listing goes live on the MLS.

3. Active on the market. Showings, open houses, buyer feedback and weekly updates from us. You keep the house ready to show and we keep you posted on what buyers are saying.

4. Offer and closing. Offers come in, we review them with you, negotiate price and terms, and once you accept, the buyer's inspection, the attorneys, the contract, the appraisal and closing follow. More on each stage below.

First impressions decide a lot. The moment buyers walk in, they start adding up everything they see, and that impression shapes how much they're willing to offer, or whether they offer at all.

Repairs. Start with what buyers can see: a dripping faucet, a cracked tile, peeling paint, a loose handrail. If something bigger needs attention, get an estimate from a qualified pro before you decide what to do. Not every project adds value, and spending more doesn't guarantee a higher price. This is where Mark earns his keep. He'll tell you what's worth fixing, what a buyer's inspector is going to flag, and what you can leave alone. It's also the time to pull your permits and certificates of occupancy from the building department, so an open permit doesn't surprise you in the middle of the deal.

Clean. You wouldn't want your mother to come over when the house was a mess, and she isn't even being asked to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on it. Buyers are easily distracted, and every dish in the sink takes a little away from what they think the house is worth.

Inside:

• Wash the windows and mirrors.
• Take personal photos and items off the walls.
• Put laundry away and take the trash out.
• Clear out pet items and food.
• Lock up paperwork and medication.
• Remove extra furniture so buyers can move through each room easily.

Outside:

• Clean the screens and touch up paint.
• Weed the beds and add seasonal flowers.
• Clean the front porch and tighten any loose railings.
• Move extra cars out of the driveway.

Listing a home on the MLS and waiting is where a lot of marketing stops. Ours is just getting started. Our listings typically get what we call the Full Exposure Marketing Method:

• Professional photos and video
• A Matterport 3D tour
• Zillow Showcase
• A property website and a printed brochure
• A YouTube video tour
• A Coming Soon push on Facebook, Instagram and Zillow before the listing goes live
• Paid, targeted online ads
• Just Listed postcards to the neighborhood, and email to our own list of buyers and neighbors
• Open houses with QR sign-in, signs around the neighborhood, and calls and door knocks to the neighbors
• Wide syndication to Zillow, Realtor.com and the other major sites, plus the reach of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network

Every showing is by appointment and accompanied by an agent. When an inquiry comes in, we answer it fast, because a buyer who waits a day has usually moved on to the next house. You'll get an update from us every week on the marketing, the showings and what buyers are saying. The full campaign is on our how we sell page.

After a showing you want to know two things: how it went, and whether an offer is coming. We ask the buyer's agent for feedback after every showing and share what we hear. One comment is one person's taste, so we look for patterns across showings, alongside the activity and the competition.

• "The furnace is old and they're just not sure." They're worried about big expenses down the road, and that at this price the house will cost too much later.
• "The rooms are smaller than they thought." The photos may be setting the wrong expectation, one way or the other. Sometimes it's worth reshooting.
• "It was their first time out." They need to see more homes before they understand the value, and yours didn't excite them enough to stop looking.
• "It smelled funny." Clean, skip the air fresheners and take care of any odor. A fresh-smelling house sells for more.
• "The street was busier than they expected." Location surprises are better handled in the listing than at the front door.
• "Lovely home, thank the sellers." Nice to hear, but kind words don't always mean an offer. We follow up to find out how interested they really are.

It always comes back to three things: location, condition and price. You can't change the location, but your price and presentation should reflect it. Condition can often be improved, and we'll help you weigh the cost against the likely return. If showings are slow or offers aren't coming, we look at the pricing, the marketing, the access and the feedback together before deciding anything.

Four weeks out: declutter every drawer, closet and shelf, donate or sell what you don't need, make an inventory of anything valuable you're moving, and get estimates from moving companies.

Three weeks out: book the movers, find packing supplies and start packing.

Two weeks out: confirm closing arrangements with your attorney, call the utility companies, update your mailing address and subscriptions, and go easy on the grocery shopping.

One week out: finish packing, clean, pack an overnight bag of essentials, and confirm the moving date with the movers. Give them your new address and your cell number.

"This is not the first time Mark and Gina helped me sell a house... Their marketing strategy, attention to detail, and negotiation skills really stood out." K.A.

"...from pricing and staging advice to how beautifully they presented our home..." T.C.