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When you’re ready to sell your house, it’s important to know the steps involved in the process. If this is your first time selling a property, you may be feeling overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. By understanding what’s involved, you can be better prepared and have a smoother selling experience. Here are the six steps that can help you sell your house.
Get the Best Agent
If you want to sell your house quickly and for top dollar, then it’s important to work with the right real estate agent. That means choosing someone who is an expert in your area and has a strong track record of success.
Your agent will help prepare your home for showing, market your property to potential buyers, negotiate offers on your behalf, handle documents throughout closing and ensure that all associated tasks are completed on time.
To find the right agent, get recommendations from people who have recently sold their homes successfully. You can also find an agent by checking real estate agency reviews online. Ask friends, family, and associates for recommendations. Then, interview more than one so you can find a good match for your personality.
Price the House Competitively
When pricing the house, your agent will begin by researching recent home sales in your neighborhood. Using this information plus any updates you’ve made to your property (repairs, remodeling, etc.), they’ll come up with a list of comparable homes and their sale prices.
Your agent will also look at local real estate market trends so he or she can calculate a competitive asking price to attract potential buyers.
If you price too high, it may sit for too long on the market, and you might have to reduce the price. This can have a negative effect because when a house is reduced, buyers wonder why and may not be willing to offer what they would have when the house was originally listed.
If you price too low, your house may sell quickly for less than you wanted. You also risk leaving money on the table if your property is worth more than the offer price.
Make Repairs and Prep for Showings
Curb appeal is essential when it comes to staging your house. You want potential buyers to walk up the driveway and feel excited about seeing the inside of the property. However, when they get to your front door, they need to be impressed by what they see there too.
Your real estate agent will help you determine if any repairs are needed before putting the property on the market. They can also provide recommendations for changes that will make showing easier through staging the house.
Staging is an important aspect of the sale and can be done by preparing for your move, which involves decluttering and personalizing. Then, give the house a good scrub from top to bottom or hire a professional cleaning service.
Accentuate the home with things like potted flowers at the front door, fresh fruit on the kitchen table, or live plants in the rooms. All of these things make a home feel warm and inviting.
To master curb appeal, you’ll want to pay attention to the outside of your house. Landscaping and gardening can help make a positive first impression, but you must do it well and keep up with it, so it looks professional at all times.
Prepare for Showings & Open Houses
When buyers are interested in looking at your home in person, your real estate agent will call you to give you advanced notice. It’s important that you are not home during showings and that you also make arrangements for your pets.
The buyer’s agent will access your housekey via a lockbox placed on your door by your agent. That agent and the potential buyer(s) will tour the home in private, and the agent will leave his or her business card on the counter for you to give to your agent. If the buyer is interested in the property, their agent will contact your agent with an offer.
Offers and Negotiations
Your agent will present all offers to you for consideration and work with you on negotiations until a deal is reached. They’ll ensure that any contracts are written up properly and submitted within legal guidelines before taking further action. You can feel secure knowing your best interest is at heart when negotiating on your behalf.
Look for more than just the dollar value in an offer. Check the contingencies and closing date, too. For example, the buyers might have to sell their current home before being able to close on yours.
Once an offer has been accepted, it’s important that you work with your agent until closing to ensure there are no hiccups along the way.
The Closing Process
Selling a home is one of the most stressful things that you’ll do. Setting up an effective plan of action before actually listing the property on the market will help speed up the process and ensure higher chances of success.
Talk with your professional real estate agent for more information about the steps to selling your house.
