Mergers and Acquisitions from A to Z, 3rd Edition

CHAPTER 2

Preparing for the Dance: The Seller’s Perspective

Two houses in my neighborhood recently went up for sale. The sellers took very different approaches to preparing for the transaction. One couple, who were nearing retirement, began the process almost two years ago. Every weekend they would work on a different part of the house or the garden, taking steps to increase the value and hence raise the ultimate selling price. The proceeds would represent the bulk of their retirement nest egg, and every dollar of value was critical. Naturally, there were certain items that could not be specifically addressed, such as new wallpaper and paint, because they did not know the needs and wants of the possible buyer. In such cases, they took steps to ...