Thinking of selling your house?

This is probably a stressful time in your life as you try to remember all of the important details that go along with selling a property. If you feel overwhelmed wit
h decision-making or with the entire process itself, you’re not alone. Thankfully, these five simple steps will keep you on the right track and guide you from the day you decide to sell to the day you hand over the keys.

1. Hire an Agent

The first step you should take on the road to selling your home is to hire a real estate agent. An agent will help you list your house and negotiate for you to ensure you get the best offer for your home. You should ensure that you find a realtor that’s right for you. A realtor should be honest, reliable, and personable. You should feel comfortable with him or her and you should be able to envision the two of you working together successfully.  It also helps to have someone who maintains a list of buyers to help ensure they can bring qualified prospect to the table right away.  See who hires us to help them buy and sell properties.

2. Prepare Your Home

Prospective buyers establish an opinion of a house within the first few minutes of viewing it. To help make sure this opinion is a good one, there are several things you should do. Start with the front of your property. To enhance curb appeal, make sure the lawn is neatly manicured. Cut the grass and consider adding sod to any problem areas. The garden should look well-maintained as well. You could plant some flowers and hang floral baskets to increase the appeal of the exterior. It’s also wise to make any necessary cosmetic changes to the outside of the house itself. Could your window frames or doors use a fresh coat of paint? Are there any exterior fixtures that could use updating? Could you use a new mailbox? These are all relatively inexpensive problems to fix and doing so could help you sell your home faster.

After improving the exterior, it’s time to move on to the interior. There are several things you can do quite easily to enhance the inside of your house. Start by cleaning and decluttering. Potential buyers try to picture themselves living in the house and they don’t want that vision to include dirt, mildew, and grime. Make sure your house is impeccably clean. Have your carpets professionally steamed, wash all of your windows, and give your house a good, deep cleaning. It’s a good idea to declutter by removing knickknacks and any bulky or excess furniture. This will help your house look more spacious.

3. Have Your Home Inspected

Although home inspections are usually carried out by the buyer’s team, getting a pre-inspection of your house before you put it on the market may benefit you in the long-run. A pre-inspection can alert you to any problems that a potential buyer would most likely want repaired. You can then resolve any issues before you list your home; you want your house to be as problem-free as possible to ensure a faster sale. Securing an inspection also allows you to factor any needed repairs into an offer. If any required repairs are disclosed to the buyer, you are better protected against claims the buyer might make later that could lead to lawsuits. So although it might cost you more now, in the end, an inspection can save you thousands of dollars. 

4. Put Your Home on the Market

Once you’re satisfied with the interior and exterior of your home, you can put your home on the market. An important thing to remember when starting this step is to not list your house too high. The more realistic you are with your initial asking price, the faster your house will sell. You must choose the best pricing strategy for your home. Look at other properties in your area that are comparable to your property and see how much they are listed for. This will ensure that your expectations are reasonable and not too high.

When it’s time for your house to be shown, remember to stage each room accordingly. The living room should look inviting and comfortable. A kitchen should be sparkling clean and organized. If you have any rooms that are just a storage space for miscellaneous items, clear them out and give them a purpose. For example, you could turn one of these rooms into an office or game room. A staged house will greatly improve your chances of selling your house quickly. 

5. Sale and Negotiation

The last step to selling your home may be the most stressful, but it is also the most exciting. Your realtor will show you every offer that’s submitted. Once you receive an offer, you have three choices: you can reject it, accept it, or counter it with a different offer. Your agent will walk you through the process and address any questions you may have about the offer. Make sure you look closely at every detail of it so that you have a clear understanding of what’s being presented. If you engage in counter-offers, you and the buyer will have deadlines for responding and meeting various contingencies, such as getting home inspections and buyers securing their finances. Negotiations continue until you and the buyer reach an agreement or until one of you walks away.

If the negotiations are successful, contact your lawyer and begin to fulfill any conditions of the agreement that you are responsible for. On settlement day, your lawyer will finalize the details and you will hand over the keys in exchange for your payment.

Following these five simple steps will help you stay organized and limit confusion when trying to sell your house. Remember to be as informed as you can be and to take your time making important decisions. The better prepared you are, the smoother the transition will be. 

Bottom Line?

By listing now, you may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated Buyers.  Ask about our 1-Day Listing Guarantee.

The Reason?

You have less competition, resulting in a quicker sale and a better price for you.

List now! You might be doing a smart move! Selling Your House During the Holidays May Be Smart!