If you’re looking to sell a home for the first time, the home selling process can be, in a word, overwhelming. Though you may have purchased a home before, selling it requires a different understanding.
I’d like to give a brief overview of the home selling process for those who are just starting out or who need a refresher.
1- Meet with a Realtor to establish the value of your home. Your Realtor will compare similar homes in your area and how they have been selling recently to help you decide where to price your home.
2-Prep your home! De-clutter, staging, touching up paint, and cleaning are typical steps that nearly everyone selling their home needs to do. Sometimes you will do minor updates or change out carpet or flooring, etc. This process takes a month on average.
3-If you’re buying a home again, meet with a lender to figure out what you’ll qualify for before actually selling your home. We don’t want you to end up homeless because you’ve sold your existing home but can’t qualify for the home you thought you could!
4-Professional photography! Absolutely essential. You want your home in its best light- and 92% of buyers look at your home online before ever stepping foot in the door!
5-Seller disclosures- where you write down every known issue you have with the house.
6-Marketing- this is when your Realtor lists your home, shares it on social media, signs, and whatever else is necessary to get your home exposure.
7-Showing your home! Once your home has been listed, you hope to get as many showings as possible. Quick tip? Try to not be home! Taking buyers through a home when the seller is present is almost always awkward- and you don’t want a potential buyer to feel awkward in your home! Another quick tip? Pack away guns, money, medications- any small, valuable item could be pilfered. Be safe, not sorry, and keep valuables locked up!
8-Offers! This is when the interested party (or parties!) submits their best offers to your Realtor.
9-Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate! Your Realtor now gets to negotiate on your behalf. First, for the initial agreement, then again once the buyer has had inspections done (maybe there are underlying issues they want you to address). More negotiating follows after the appraisal (perhaps the appraiser says the house isn’t worth as much as you thought and the buyer now wants a price reduction). Then MORE negotiating over the closing dates! Definitely an area where your Realtor can shine!
10-Close and sell! Everyone’s favorite part- you fill out all the paperwork and officially sign the home over to the buyer!
Any questions about these 10 steps? Feel free to contact me!
