A Guide to Selling your Home

Selling your home does not require a real estate agent.  In fact, anyone can do it, but selling a home, and selling it well can often be two decidedly different things.  There is much to be learned about the process of selling your home successfully that you need to know before you plan to put it on the market.

If you aren’t sure where to begin, a guide to selling your home can help you to get all the steps down and inform you of many different laws and tips to help your sale be successful.  Steps like preparing your home are often overlooked, but can be essential in making a quick sale.

Preparation and planning

Any good guide to selling your home will contain information about the preparation and planning of selling your house.  By taking a critical look at your house, you will be able to determine what changes you should make, and what repairs will need to be done before putting your home up for sale.  Exterior repairs, such as gutters, siding and shingles, might be necessary and can help your home to sell more quickly.  Interior changes may include appliances, flooring, and paint colors.

The next step in planning will be to determine how much you want to sell your house for.  You know how much you owe on your home, and that should be the very lowest you will go on the price of your house.  Set that number aside and think about how much money you would like to make on your house.  This will likely be your down payment for a new home.  Then find out what your house is worth and what other houses in your area like yours have sold for recently.  Now, you have a range for the price of your house.

Plan the right time of year to sell your house.  Certain times of years can accentuate the beauty and personality of your house, so know what time of year it is and put your house on the market at that time.

This is also the time that you want to secure the services of a real estate attorney to help you navigate the bumpy road of home selling legally.

Marketing

A solid marketing strategy can help you to sell your home quickly, so choose the right forms of media to help you get the word out about your home.  Websites allow you to use photos and videos, so make sure you get plenty of both.  You might also find that listing your home on social media and in the newspaper is an excellent option, as well.

Showing

Another critical aspect of selling your home is the showing process.  Develop a plan to help you be available to schedule showings of your home in a timely manner; have a place where your pets and family can go, and give everyone in the family a job for a quick clean up should the time come.

Air your house out whenever possible and make sure that it is “smell neutral.”  Heavy scents, such as those that can occur with candles can actually make potential buyers wonder what odors you are trying to cover up.

Selling your home can be challenging, but there are many different guides out there that can provide essential tips to help you take the steps necessary for a quick, easy sale.