Selling your home can bring all kinds of mixed feelings. You might feel sad to say goodbye to a place that you have truly loved, while excitedly looking forward to what’s ahead. One feeling that doesn’t belong in your experience is confusion. Selling your home is pretty straightforward. Here are three things to be ready for.
Initiating the Process
The first step to selling your home is to find a good agent. While it is possible to do a sale by owner, you will save yourself a huge amount of time and stress by utilizing a professional. Real estate agents can help you know how to prepare your home, offer price suggestions, perform the necessary steps to include your house on top online listing sites, process necessary forms, and help you with every step along the way. Once you choose the agent that you feel will best suit your needs, they can guide you from there.
It Takes Time
Remember that it can take time to sell your house. As you plan your timeframe, include a week to choose your agent, time for repairs and renovations, another week to get the house listed, time for showings, and over a month to work out the details once you have an offer. However, there are ways to expedite this process. First, try to list your house during the best months for selling, generally April-June. Second, get your home in tip-top shape so that it can present a wow factor during showings. Finally, weigh your options if you have multiple offers. The highest offer price is not always the best offer. If time is a factor, a cash offer might be your best option. Selling to a cash buyer can significantly speed up the process.
Plan to be Inconvenienced at Times
If you are serious about selling your home, you should give every prospective buyer an opportunity to view it. You have to be flexible and accommodate their schedules. While effective, this is not very convenient for you. You may have to leave the house for a showing with very little notice, so keep your house clean during the viewing stage. Also, keep a stash of snacks, drinks, and entertainment options in the car to make leaving with the kids more comfortable. Even after the home is under contract, you will need to leave the house for additional inspections.
Selling your home doesn’t have to be overly stressful. Just know what you are doing and be prepared. Before you know it, your current home will be someone else’s home—but it will always be full of your memories.
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