Selling your home is exciting, but it can also cause anxiety for you, your spouse, and your family. Whether
you’re moving across town or across the country, following these simple steps can make the home sale process go more smoothly.
Sell First or Buy First?
If you’re selling your home, chances are you’ll be buying another one to replace it. Your family may be moving into a larger home or you may be downsizing. The first decision you need to make is whether to sell your current home first or to buy your next one first.
Selling your home before buying your next one can help you present a strong offer on your new home. Some sellers may find it too risky to accept an offer that’s contingent on the sale of your current home. Selling your home beforehand also means you do not risk carrying two mortgage payments in the even that you purchase a new home before your current one sells.
However, if you sell your home before finding a new one, you may find yourself in a short-term rental or living with in-laws. Searching for a home before you sell your current one will ensure you have a place to stay while you’re trying to sell.
Pick a Good Realtor®
Finding a reputable Realtor® to sell your home is one of the most important things you can do to make the sale of your home go more smoothly. Your Realtor® will take a tour of your home, take measurements, and compare your home to comparable properties in your neighborhood and use the data to come up with a fair market value for your home. This will help you set a competitive asking price. He or she will likely ask you to make some small repairs or upgrades that will help nudge your asking price higher.
Prepare Your Home for Sale
When we live in our homes for a period of time, it’s easy to become blind to minor repairs and issues that turn buyers off. Take your real estate agent’s suggestions to heart and patch up dings and scratches, freshen up paint, and make small kitchen and bath updates. These small investments will put your home’s best face forward.
Having lots of clutter is not appealing to buyers. For the short time your home’s on the market, consider it a commodity. Clear out any unnecessary furniture and personal items and give your home a deep clean to show it off.
Put It on the Market and Accept an Offer
Once your home is sale-ready, your Realtor® will list it and market it online and through his or her office and professional networks. You’ll likely host an open house or two.
Once you have an offer, you can choose to accept it, make a counter-offer, or reject it. Your Realtor® will help you determine if an offer is fair. After accepting an offer, the buyer will likely request an inspection and their lender will request an appraisal. If these go well and no issues are uncovered, the sale moves to closing. You’ll likely meet the buyer at that point, sign off on the sale, and pass over the keys.
The home sale process can be complicated, which is why you want an experienced Realtor® on your side. To sell your home in the Rockford-Buffalo-Delano-St. Michael area, contact Trent Shipley at Keller Williams Realty Integrity NW today.
Trent Shipley, Realtor®
