Selling Your House: A Timeline of What to

Briana Frazier

SELLING YOUR HOUSE: A TIMELINE OF WHAT TO EXPECT

There are many sides to selling a home; it is a stressful process that can be quite draining to new home sellers or experienced sellers. Of course, everyone wishes the process is simple and straightforward, and finding a buyer and getting the house sold is like a walk in the park. However, there are many steps involved in selling a home, and we’ve put together the timeline of what to anticipate when selling your home.

DECIDING THE BEST TIME TO SELL

The first thing to do months before listing your home on the real estate market is to review your budget and decide the best time to actually list your home in the market. Get a financial advisor to help you make the decision. If you’ve carried out a mortgage on the home, collect the information, and see what you can get out of selling. You also need to calculate all the fees you will pay and minus it from the proceeds. Decide if this is the best time to sell a house or if it is currently a buyer’s market before listing your home.

HIRE AN AGENT

A couple of months before you go ahead with the listing, it’s best to get a real estate agent that you find trustworthy to guide you through the entire process. Before picking the right agent, check reviews on different agents and how many homes they have successfully sold. It is also quite recommended that you check out the fees they charge and their years of experience before choosing to work with them.

PICK A SELLING DATE

Now that you have chosen an agent and decided the right period to go ahead with sales, you need to pick a date to actually put your house in the market. There are different days that are considered best for selling your home; compare the date with your schedule and see if it is the right time for you. Weekends are advised against and considered the worstselling time, especially Sundays.

GET YOUR HOME INSPECTED

Before the listing date, you need to make sure your home is in stellar condition, and you can only ensure this by getting your home inspector. It will help you get in front of any surprise that might pop up during the buying process. A home inspector will notice problems you might naturally miss and therefore gives you time to tackle such problems and increase your property’s value.

CARRY OUT REPAIRS

You’ve received the report for the home inspection you carried out; the next thing is to actually carry out repairs on the home. Some buyers find maintenance issues a deal breaker when buying a home, so it’s best that you fix any problem with the wiring, roof, drainage, plumbing, windows, and other parts before you list a home. Even wallpapers that are peeling should be handled quickly.

DECLUTTER, PACK UP, AND CLEAN UP

A month before you actually list your home in the market, it is best that you declutter your home because it could reduce your property’s value. Get professionals to clear out space and organize spaces for you so that the selling process isn’t so draining for you. No potential home buyer wants to go for a home cluttered around, so create clear open space for them. This means packing up some items not in use into storage or in another home to avoid cluttering up the environment all over again.

To get rid of dirt and unaccepted odors, also get a cleaning firm to wipe your house completely of dirt. These cleaning companies are thorough and will leave your home spotless when they’re done.

ESTIMATE THE BEST PRICE FOR YOUR HOME

Even though you have an idea of how much you want to sell your home, you need to also find out if the price is above the ideal price before your home remains in the market for an awfully long time. There are home value calculators online to find an idea of the best value for your home.

HIRE A HOME STAGER AND TAKE PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS

A couple of weeks before you finally list your home, get a home stager to organize the furniture in a manner that improves the space. They will also find the right items to leave behind and which to include in the house; they are trained to make your home look larger and cleaner in a way that makes it stand out amongst others. This makes it easier to take professional photos, which you can put up when listing in the market to attract buyers.

REVIEWING AND NEGOTIATING

OFFERS

After putting your home on the market, offers begin to come in, and you will need to start considering those which appeal to you. Your real estate agent will assist you with the best offers to consider and how to negotiate with buyers. You can also think about getting a real estate attorney to help check out the documents related to offers; they will spot loopholes you can easily miss.

ACCEPTING THE OFFERS AND FINAL WALKTHROUGH

When you find the offer appealing, then it is time to begin the closing process. Some buyers require home inspections to ensure the home is in stellar condition. Sign the paperwork and decide on move-in dates; it is best to make sure none of your belongings are still left in the home before the new owner moves in. Your buyer might require a walkthrough to ensure the home is precisely as expected before finally moving in. After the walkthrough, sign the remaining documents and hand over the keys legally to the new owner of the home.

Reference

https://www.redfin.com/blog/selling-your-house-timeline/