Steps To Take When Selling Your House
Selling a house may be an emotional and stressful undertaking. There is a huge amount of pressure to make the most of your greatest life investment. However, if you are aware, prepared, and realistic about your sale, you can eliminate a lot of the uncertainty and worry associated with selling your property.
Find a Listing Agent
You may be tempted to sell your home without the assistance of a real estate agent. Why pay a commission to an agent when you can do it yourself, right? While a FSBO (for sale by owner) may appear to be an excellent option, sellers frequently lose money when they sell without the help of an agent.
Not only do you have to commit time and money to prepare, market, and sell your home on your own, but the ultimate sale price is frequently lower than what you could have obtained with the assistance of an agent. If you answered “no” to any of the following questions, you should avoid doing a FSBO:
- Do I know how much my house is worth?
- Do I understand the current trends in my market?
- Do I know how to promote my property?
- Do I know how to screen potential buyers?
- Do I know how to negotiate with a buyer’s agent?
A listing agent not only represents your house and looks out for your best interests, but they also bring their wealth of expertise, market knowledge, connections, and negotiation power to the table. These are advantages that you would not have if you did a FSBO.
Asking friends and relatives who have recently purchased or sold a house for referrals is a good starting point for your agent search. Be careful once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential agents. Interview at least three agents to see whether or not you like their style. Check their training, how long they’ve been in the industry, and the licenses and certifications they have.
Get A Pre-Inspection
Before putting their property on the market, a responsible seller will have it pre-inspected. It will not only provide potential buyers added peace of mind that your listing is forthcoming about concerns, but it will also expose you to any problems that you can fix before listing.
When you locate a buyer, they will check the house, so any underlying problems will be revealed. As a result, it’s a good idea to check the property ahead of time and make repairs that might significantly raise the value of your home before listing it. You don’t want to have to deal with unexpected issues soon before the closing.
Appliances, plumbing, septic, electricity, heating and air systems, the roof, and the foundation will all be inspected. Make any repairs recommended by your inspector before listing your house for sale or having it appraised.
Make Renovations
Things that are simple to repair should be done before selling a property since they will increase the value of the property. But what about major renovations? What is valuable, and what should you sell as is? In general, buyers seek a property that is move-in ready and up to date. They don’t want to be burdened by maintenance issues when they get the keys.
Deep Clean Your Home
Before you begin promoting your home, it should go without saying that it must be impeccable. Pay special attention to the kitchen and bathrooms, as well as the windows, floors, and dusty corners. Also, clean places that are often overlooked, such as baseboards and blinds. Consider hiring a professional—and it’s an investment worth doing.
Stage Your Home for Sale
Staging a home may appear to be an unnecessary cost, yet studies indicate that staged homes sell faster and for 10% more than unstaged properties. A well-staged house may make a significant difference in the selling of your property.
Have Your House Appraised and Decide on a Price
Your realtor will have an idea of how to price your house when selling it, but they won’t know for sure unless you get it appraised. Real estate agents are generally familiar with a number of appraisers with whom they frequently work.
Make your home appraisal go as smoothly as possible by having the plot plan or survey of your house, the most current tax bill, your home inspection report, and the title policy available. You should also provide them with a list of the most recent upgrades, such as a new roof or a renovated kitchen, which will increase the value of the home. Your agent should also offer the appraiser with recent sales prices from houses in your community that are similar to yours. After your house has been evaluated, consult with your real estate agent to establish the appropriate listing price.
Market Your Home
It’s time to get some eyes on your property now that it’s listed and ready for buyers. Your agent will post it on the MLS, the world’s largest computerized database of available real estate. This will make it visible to buyer’s agents as well as all major real estate websites.
Take professional images of the inside and outside of your home, as well as providing a floor plan, to maximize the marketability of the property. Professional photography, like staging, has been demonstrated to help properties sell faster and for more money. Once your property is listed, your agent will advertise it to their network of agents, but you can assist your cause by sharing it with friends and family, on social media, and scheduling open houses and showings.
Leave Your Home During Showings
You might be tempted to stay at your home during showings to hear what potential buyers have to say, but the best thing you can do is delegate showings to your agent. A seller not lurking in the background, just like depersonalizing your property is necessary for establishing a blank slate for buyers. It will make them feel at ease when they tour your home and they will even be able to imagine their lives in your home.
When Selling Your Home, Consider Offers and Negotiate
All of your hard work in researching, planning, remodeling, and marketing your house should result in some strong offers. Ideally, you’ll have many bidders on the home, which might push up the price. However, this is very dependent on the market, so don’t get too excited.
Set a rock bottom price with your agent—the price you will not go below—and then take the time to examine potential bids. Be practical, listen to your agent, and make counter offers to buyers who appear to be truly interested. Finally, when it comes to selling your property, the final decision is yours.
