Tips For A First-Time Home Seller
As you prepare to put your first home up for sale, you will have a lot of questions. I am here to help you understand the selling process, get your home ready to sell, evaluate offers, deal with closing and make your move to your next home. I am committed to make the sale of your home as smooth as possible.
1. Make a plan
Having a plan is the key. That means making some important decisions:
- Hiring a full-time Realtor
- Determining when to list your home
- Setting a price
- Selecting what to keep and what to leave behind
- Staging your home
- Plotting your next move
2. Timing is everything
Knowing the right time to sell – financially and emotionally – can make a big difference in both your selling experience. This will be discussed, with you, in regards to when the best time is for you to sell.
3. Set a realistic price at the beginning
Your home will get the most buyer exposure immediately after it’s listed, so pricing it right at the start is important. Price it even a little too high and you could miss out on your best group of buyers. Price it too low and you risk leaving money on the table. With my experience and local knowledge, I will help you set a competitive price.
If you’re thinking about selling your home without an agent, be prepared because all the decisions will be yours alone. Unless you’ve got the kind of time and expertise that few non-professionals do, FSBO (for sale by owner) could lead to sleepless nights and costly missteps.
4. Look at your home with “buyer eyes”
Remember what made you want to buy your place, well before you created memories and made it “home.” You’re going to need to leave behind your emotions and make tough, reality-based decisions about improving, pricing and marketing. I can suggest items to fix or refresh which will make your home appeal to the most amount of buyers.
And there’s a reason agents talk about “curb appeal.” Exterior photos are usually the first ones to pop up on for-sale home listings, and it’s the first thing a buyer sees. To make that all-important first impression, power wash the driveways and sidewalks, and add some seasonal plants to pots and garden beds.
5. Get ready for visitors
Shifting your mindset from homeowner to home seller will also help you decide which belongings to keep, store, sell or give away. Decluttering and de-personalizing your space are essential so buyers can envision making the space their own. In some cases, I can recommend a home stager who can offer advice and support.
If you plan to live in your home while it’s on the market, you’ll have to keep your home show-ready. That’s hard, especially for young families. But the better it shows, the faster it can sell.
6. Set your priorities
Make sure you know what’s important to you: Selling your home quickly? Getting your asking price or more? Keeping your closing costs to a minimum? You might not be able to have it all, so prioritizing your wants before you list your home will help me to understand your expectations and needs.
7. Think about what’s next
If you’re planning to buy your next home, remember to get pre-approved early so you have an edge in the market. We can also “shop” your areas of interest for what you can expect from your new home.
It may seem daunting, but we have more tools and data than previous generations of home sellers could have hoped for. With me to help you navigate, all your planning, tough decisions and hard work will mean you’ll have your first “Sold” sign out front before you know it.