The Quirky Seller's Guide to Selling Your Home in Brandon and Tampa Bay

Selling your home in Brandon and Tampa Bay? This fun, practical guide covers pricing, curb appeal, inspections and closing.  Pull up a chair and grab your coffee. Iced, obviously. This is Florida, where hot coffee is something we drink for about 40 minutes in January.

Hi, I'm Kellie Donofrio. I've been helping people buy and sell homes around Tampa Bay for over a decade, mostly in Brandon, Valrico, and Lithia. I'm married to Robert, we have two kids and two grandbabies, plus two more on the way (yes, I know I need a bigger photo wall). When I'm not at a closing table, I'm planning a trip, so I know a thing or two about packing and letting go of stuff.

If you're thinking about selling, this guide is for you. You won't find "Step 1: Hire an Agent" here. (Although... hi.) We're doing this choose-your-own-adventure style instead. Every path ends at "SOLD." Some paths just have fewer lizards.

Chapter 1: The Price Is Right (Come On Down!)

Rates are higher than they were a few years ago, so today's buyers shop by monthly payment as much as by price. A price that's "just a little high" can push a buyer's payment out of their comfort zone, or drop your home out of their search filters completely.

Overpricing is like showing up to a pool party in a parka. Everyone notices and nobody joins you. Overpriced homes tend to sit, and when a listing sits, buyers start wondering what's wrong with it. Next come the price cuts, and you end up chasing the market down when you could have been ahead of it.

Choose your adventure:

• Want to "test the market" with a high number? Turn to Chapter 1½: Price Cut Purgatory. It's a sad, sticky chapter. I don't recommend it.
• Want to price it right from day one? Keep reading. This is the good ending.

Pricing right means looking at recent comparable sales, your current competition, what's under contract, and your home's actual condition. Not what your neighbor says they got. A new listing gets the most attention in its first few weeks, so make those weeks count.

Chapter 2: Declutter Like You're Moving (Plot Twist: You Are)

Every Florida home has a junk drawer. Some have a junk garage.

Buyers will open every closet. Every single one, including the one where the vacuum, the wrapping paper, and the Christmas tree all live together under tension. A half-empty closet looks roomy. A packed one says "this house doesn't have enough storage," even when it does.

Then depersonalize. Pack up the family photos, the collections, and the fridge art gallery. (I say this as a grandma with a serious magnet situation.) The goal is to help buyers picture their life there.

And about pool-noodle chic: one tasteful float by the pool is a lifestyle. Eleven inflatables, three noodles, and a deflated flamingo is a storage unit. Corral them.

Chapter 3: Curb Appeal, Florida Edition (aka Fighting the Sun and Winning)

Our curb appeal enemies are the sun, the humidity, and a lawn that goes from lush to crispy in about a week. Here's how to fight back:

• Pressure wash the driveway, walkways, and lanai. For the roof, ask about a gentle soft wash. Those dark streaks show up in photos.
• Refresh mulch, trim the palms and shrubs, and put a couple of bright potted plants by the door.
• Give the front door some love. Fresh paint, clean hardware, a new mat, and a porch light that works.
• Check the lanai screens. A torn screen is how a buyer meets a mosquito, and that's not the first impression you want.
• Hurricane shutters: when there's no storm on the way, take them down for showings. A boarded-up house looks like it's hiding something. (If a storm is coming, safety wins, always.)

About the lizards: you can't evict the anoles. As far as I can tell, they came with the deed. Just sweep up the evidence.

Chapter 4: Small Fixes, Big Payoff

Skip the full remodel. Focus on things that say "well cared for" instead of "project."

• Fresh, neutral paint where walls are scuffed or very bold
• Burnt-out bulbs replaced, all of them, even the one in the hall closet
• Dripping faucets fixed and tubs and sinks recaulked
• That door that's been sticking since 2019, finally fixed
• Nail holes patched, plus updated cabinet hardware if yours is tired
• An A/C tune-up and a new filter (in Florida, buyers always ask about the A/C)

Before you take on anything big, call me. Local buyers don't always want what renovation TV says they want.

Chapter 5: Lights, Camera, Lanai!

Most buyers meet your home online first. A dark, blurry phone photo of a living room, with the ceiling fan caught mid-spin like a UFO, isn't going to make anyone book a showing.

Professional photos and video make your home look like the best version of itself. I'm a big believer in video (it's why I run the Sunshine Living Tampa Bay YouTube channel). Before photo day, open the blinds, turn on every light, put the toilet lids down, move the cars out of the driveway, and send the pets to Grandma's.

Chapter 6: Showing-Ready (The 15-Minute Tornado Drill)

Showing requests don't always come with much notice. Here's your drill:

• Keep a "showing basket." Toss in the clutter, put it in the car, and go.
• Cool the house down. A sweaty buyer is a grumpy buyer.
• Go easy on the scents. "Clean" beats "Tropical Mango Explosion."
• Lock up valuables and medications, and take the pets with you.
• Leave. Buyers can't open your closets in peace while you're narrating.

Chapter 7: Inspections, Insurance, and the Mysterious World of the 4-Point

Here's where Florida gets its own chapter. Most buyers will get a general home inspection. Insurance companies also often want a 4-point inspection, which looks at the roof, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC (especially on older homes), and a wind mitigation inspection, which can help buyers qualify for discounts on their windstorm premium.

Insurance is a big deal for buyers right now, and things like roof age and condition can affect what coverage they can get. So get ready ahead of time:

• Gather receipts and permits for the roof, A/C, water heater, and any upgrades.
• If you have a recent wind mitigation report, find it. Hurricane-rated windows, doors, or shutters can be worth mentioning.
• Disclose known issues honestly. Florida sellers are required to disclose known problems that affect value, and honesty saves you headaches down the road.

Chapter 8: The Negotiation Tango (and a Little HOA Drama)

After the inspection, the buyer may ask for repairs. Don't take it personally. Their inspector gets paid to find things, including the one outlet behind the couch that nobody has used since the Bush administration.

Your options usually look like this: make the repair, offer a credit, adjust the price, or decline. Credits can be simpler, though lender rules may limit them. My general advice is to take safety and insurance items seriously and to be choosy about cosmetic nitpicks.

HOA heads-up: if you're in an HOA, start pulling documents early. Some associations need time for paperwork, fees, or even buyer approval, and nobody wants closing held up because the architectural committee meets "every other full moon."

Chapter 9: The Appraisal (Your House's Report Card)

If the buyer is financing, the lender orders an appraisal. If it comes in at or above the contract price, wonderful. If it comes in low, you usually have a few options: renegotiate, the buyer covers the gap, you meet somewhere in the middle, or we ask for a reconsideration backed by solid comparable sales.

And this is where Chapter 1 pays off. When a home is priced right from the start, appraisal day is a lot less stressful. See? It all connects.

Chapter 10: Closing Day (Cue the Confetti)

The title company coordinates the paperwork and the money, and the buyer does a final walkthrough. Keep the utilities and your homeowners insurance on until closing. Buyers want lights and A/C for that walkthrough, trust me. Leave the house broom-clean, and leave the keys, remotes, and manuals.

Then you sign, celebrate, and start your next adventure.

The Cheat Sheet (For the Skimmers, I See You)

1. Price it right from day one. Buyers shop by monthly payment, and overpriced homes sit.
2. Declutter and depersonalize. Buyers open every closet.
3. Win at curb appeal. Pressure wash, mulch, trim, fix the door, and take the shutters down when there's no storm.
4. Do the small fixes: paint, bulbs, caulk, A/C service.
5. Go pro with photos and video.
6. Stay showing-ready with your basket, a cool house, and a quick exit.
7. Prep for inspections, including the 4-point and wind mitigation, and disclose honestly.
8. Negotiate smart with repairs, credits, or price, and get HOA docs moving early.
9. Price right to make the appraisal easier.
10. Close strong and keep utilities and insurance on until the end.

Let's Chat (Coffee Optional, Iced Recommended)

Wondering what your home could sell for in today's market? I'd love to put together a free home value and pricing chat for you, with no pressure and no pool party parkas. Whether you're in Brandon, Valrico, Lithia, or anywhere around Tampa Bay, call or text me at 813-928-6198, or visit makeyourfloridamove.com. And come say hi on YouTube at Sunshine Living Tampa Bay!

Kellie Donofrio | eXp Realty
eXp Realty is the brokerage of record.