The 6 Most Important Steps to Selling a House
Selling a home is one of the most stressful things people face. It makes sense that anxiety levels rise when the prospect of selling your most valuable asset presents itself. There is a lot of advice out there – probably more than you actually need – so let’s get back to the basics. Here are the most important steps to selling a house and keeping your serenity.
List smartly.
Before you even think about alerting the rest of the world to the fact that your home is for sale, call a real estate agent. These professionals not only know the market inside and out, but they can tell you exactly how to stage your home for the maximum chance of it selling. Your real estate agent may make some suggestions on changes you should make to the home before listing it that may increase your asking price.
Allow showings.
Make it really easy for prospective buyers to come look at your home. If you have a lot of restrictions on when people can come by, or ask for too much advance notice, buyers may just cross you right off their lists and move on. It’s a little bit of a hassle to keep your house “showing ready” all the time, but it will speed up the amount of time it takes to sell your home.
Have an appraisal.
To ensure that your home is appraised at its highest possible value, fix minor things that need repair (your realtor can help point these things out). It may seem like obvious advice, but clean up. A little bit of clutter shouldn’t hurt you but anything that appears worn out or just a mess can hurt what the appraiser has to say about your home.
Read contracts.
Better yet, get help from real estate professionals to understand what your contracts actually say. If there is something that you don’t understand, ask. When it comes to something as big as selling your home, no question is a bad one. You should also ask for a second opinion to read over contracts. This can be a family member familiar with real estate law or another lawyer you pay to consult you.
Get an inspection.
This is one of those steps to selling a house that is mandated by law. If your home inspection comes back with any red flags, consult with your real estate agent on what to do next. It may be worth your time and money to fix the items that come back, or it may make more sense to just reduce your asking price.
Be prepared at the closing table.
It’s not unheard of for real estate deals to fall through at the closing table. Of all the steps to selling a house, being ready for your closing is the most important. Read your contracts carefully in advance and have all your questions already answered. Some other things that sellers should be ready with at closing are a valid photo ID, social security numbers, keys, garage door openers, alarm code information and any other code compliance materials.
Once you make it through closing, congratulations! You’ve sold your home and now you can focus your energy on your family’s next journey. These are the main steps to selling a house but there will be other things you need advice on as you go along. That’s why hiring an experienced and savvy realtor is the biggest thing you can do to boost your chances of selling at a price that’s right.
If you would like to sell your house on your own terms and timeline – without paying commissions – please give us a call.