Santa Maria · Selling Your Home
Selling your home in Santa Maria
A contractor's walkthrough before the price when you're open to it, three EPIC prices, and marketing that finds the buyer.
What selling in Santa Maria really takes
Selling a home in Santa Maria means competing in a city with a bit of everything: single-story ranch homes, two-story houses, newer developments, townhomes, and manufactured homes. Buyers here have choices, so how your home shows and how it's priced against homes like it matters more than the citywide average.
Many Santa Maria homes were built between the 1950s and the 1980s. That's a lot of original plumbing, older electrical panels, and roofs on their second or third life. Those are the things that come up in inspections here, and they're the first things I look at.
A walkthrough before a number
Most agents start with a price. I start with your house. Before we talk numbers, I like to walk it as a licensed general contractor: the roof, the foundation, the plumbing, the electrical, and the attic. I'm looking for what a buyer's inspector will find, so you hear about it first, from me, while you still have choices.
If you're open to it, that walk becomes your Fix/Skip list. Fix what changes your price or could stall the sale. Skip everything else. You won't spend a dollar on a repair that won't come back to you, and you won't get blindsided in escrow by something you could have handled on your own terms.
Three prices instead of one
Your EPIC Report replaces the usual comparative market analysis. Instead of one number pulled from past sales, you get three prices, each with its tradeoff written out: one built to draw a crowd, one aligned with the market, and one that stretches. I'll tell you which I'd choose and why. You make the call. Here's how the EPIC Report works.
Then the marketing goes to work. Every listing gets professional photos, video, and drone footage, a virtual tour, a page built for the home, Facebook ads tested and adjusted, and short videos on five platforms. See the full marketing plan.
Offers you can trust
A high offer that can't close is worth less than a fair one that can. I check every buyer and their lender before you review an offer, so you know which ones are real. During escrow, I read inspection requests as a contractor and tell you what a repair should actually cost, so you don't overpay to keep the deal together.
You'll get weekly updates with real showing data, not vibes: how many people came through, what they said, and what it means for your price. If something isn't working, we change it early instead of waiting a month to find out. You're always in control of the final decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do inspectors usually find in older Santa Maria homes?
In homes built between the 1950s and 1980s, the usual items are original plumbing, older electrical panels, and aging roofs. I check all three on my walkthrough so you hear about them before a buyer does.
Should I make repairs before selling my Santa Maria home?
Only the ones on your Fix/Skip list. I like to walk your home as a contractor first, so you only fix what changes your price or could stall the sale.
Do you charge for the photos, video, and drone?
No. Professional photos, video, and drone footage come with every listing, at every price.
Santa Maria
What selling your home looks like in Santa Maria
The Central Coast city with a bit of every kind of home, from starter homes to newer two-stories, at prices well under Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.
Santa Maria has a bit of everything: single-story ranch homes, larger two-story houses, newer developments, townhomes, and manufactured homes. It's where many first-time buyers get into the Central Coast, and where move-up buyers find the extra bedroom or bigger yard they need, surrounded by farmland, vineyards, and Santa Maria-style barbecue.
- The homes
- A bit of everything: single-story ranch homes, larger two-story houses, newer developments, townhomes and manufactured homes. Many older homes were built between the 1950s and 1980s, with practical floor plans, decent yards and two-car garages. Some are fully updated; others suit a buyer who wants to make a home their own.
- Why people choose it
- First-time buyers getting into the Central Coast without Santa Barbara or San Luis Obispo prices. Move-up buyers who need another bedroom, an office or a bigger yard. Military buyers and relocating professionals working at Vandenberg Space Force Base or nearby employers. Retirees and rightsizers who want single-story, smaller yards and shopping and healthcare close by. Buyers from pricier California markets who find more house for the money near the coast.
- Nearby
- Pismo Beach, Avila Beach and the coastline for day trips; wine tasting in the Santa Maria Valley; Santa Maria-style barbecue; shopping, restaurants, healthcare and parks, surrounded by farmland and vineyards.
- The trade-off
- Santa Maria isn't trying to be Santa Barbara. It trades the big-name address for more space and a lower price, with its own personality, agricultural roots and a real sense of community.
The method
How we do it in Santa Maria
Selling Your Home: keep exploring
Ready to make your move with Lisa Bognuda?