For everyone who has sold their home before, they know that it isn’t as simple as listing your home, finding a buyer, and signing off on it. The home selling process comes with a long list of steps and processes that people who haven’t sold before might not recognize. If you’re considering selling your home, be prepared for several weeks of learning the ins and outs of doing so. There are a lot of decisions you’ll need to make throughout the process, and familiarizing yourself with the steps before you jump into things is going to be your safest bet. Here are a few tips that we’ve put together for first-time home sellers!
Find Out What Your Home is Worth
When you sell your home, it’s very important to sell it for the right price. Finding the right price for your home will help you to sell it quickly and to find a great pool of potential buyers. By listing it for too high, people will be put off by it being too expensive. Also, by listing your home for too low, you’re missing out on earning money off of your home’s true value. Additionally, people might be skeptical of a home priced under market value. Before choosing a good price based on other homes in the areas as well as your home’s appraised value, look at a net proceeds calculator to get a good understanding of what you’ll take home after the sale.
Find a Realtor, Or Go Another Route
When selling a home, most people go with a real estate agent. Agents are an invaluable tool and work for you to list your home, market it, complete showings, and find serious buyers among many other things. If you choose to go with a Realtor, interview a few of them to find your perfect fit.
Realtors aren’t the only option out there when it comes to selling your home. There are also the options of selling your home for cash or selling your home on your own. Going the cash buyer route cuts out the process of having to list your home and find a buyer and selling your home on your own means you don’t need to pay your agent’s commission. While they both come with pros, they also come with the con of not getting the full value of your home that is more guaranteed with an agent.
Work on Improvements
At the beginning of the process, you should assess what parts of your home need to be updated. Start with any necessary improvements, like roofing, plumbing, and electricity, then move on to more cosmetic renovations. These renovations don’t need to be major, but smart home improvement projects can help you boost the value of your home. Start by cleaning and organizing, and then move onto areas of the house that are looking worn down. Painting, adding new cabinets, and adding eco-friendly features are a few of many ways to get your home for-sale ready!
Find a Good Buyer
Now for the “fun part.” Once your home is ready, you’ll list it, market it, and connect with buyers. Once you find someone, you’ll have to work through a few more steps, contracts, and negotiations before finally closing. During these final steps, be very aware of all of the delays and roadblocks, including failed inspections and waiting on the buyer to be approved for a mortgage.
Selling your home for the first time might seem daunting, but by educating yourself on the process and finding a great Realtor—if you go that route—everything should go smoothly. We wish you the best!
