Steps to Selling

Selling your home?

Step One - Determine the market value of your home. This is easy to do. Simply invite a Realtor over to look at your home. It only takes a few minutes to check out the condition. They will most likely go back to their office and run “comparable's” that are similar to your home, that have recently sold. The Realtor can suggest a price range, but you, as the Seller, set the actual asking price.

Step Two - Listing your home involves paperwork. It’s not as overwhelming as it may seem, and the Realtor can supply everything you need. This will include a Listing Agreement; Agency Paperwork; Property Disclosure sheets; Personal Property Agreement; possibly a Lead Based Paint Disclosure; and any additional information that should be known, such as a survey, any recent fix-ups, etc.

Step Three - With the above paperwork completed, the Realtor will go through your home and make suggestions, typically including “de-cluttering” your home and repairing items such as a dripping faucet, etc. They will measure rooms and take photos to put your home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and any additional sites that your Realtor uses to promote their properties. This can all literally be completed within a day if you’re in a rush to get it on the market.

Step Four - Keep your home looking as nice as you can, keeping in mind that “clean is king!”. That first impression of your home is the most important. If it looks and smells clean, you’ll impress Buyers. You can arrange “showing” instructions with your Realtor to fit your needs. The more flexible you can be with showing instructions, the easier it it to get prospective Buyers in to see the property.

Step Five - When a Realtor is showing your home, it is best to leave and let them show it without the home owner present. This does two things....it allows the potential Buyer to talk freely to the Realtor, letting them know what they like and do not like about the property, plus, it prevents any defensive feelings from the home owner regarding paint color or quality or condition of their home. A typical “showing” only takes around 20 minutes but occasionally a Buyer spends more time looking. This is usually a good sign that they are liking what they see.

Step Six - The Realtor must present any and all offers to the Seller. Never be offended by an offer. All offers show that someone is interested in your home. Buyers want the best deal possible and, unfortunately, they hear stories nationally about properties selling for very little. As the Seller, you can simply say “no” to an offer, but it is best to give back a “counter offer”. This feels better than a direct “no”, but it still reflects your terms for selling your home. As the Seller you “rule” the situation. Nobody can “make” you accept an offer but your Realtor can help determine if it is fair.

Step Seven - You now have an accepted offer. The Buyer will most likely order inspections of your home and when the results come back, there could potentially be another round of negotiations regarding any repairs or safety issues. Keep in mind you are not required to do any additional repairs, but a good faith effort to help keep the Buyer happy is often in your best interest, particularly if it’s a safety issue.

Step Eight - Closing day means your home will become someone else’s home. You’ll need to have all your belongings out, plus, have it clean and nice for the new owner. You want them to be proud of their new purchase. At the “closing” all your payments associated with the house will be paid off and you’ll get any remaining money handed to you. Your Realtor will see to it that all the legal paperwork is completed along the way.