You have decided that it is time to sell your house. You are finally ready to sell your first home that you have put hours and hours of time and energy into renovating. It is time to upgrade to something larger that better fits your needs. Navigating the selling process can be overwhelming and confusing. But, if you choose the right real estate agent, it is easier and your house will be sold in no time.
Contact and consult with a few different agents
The first step in listing your house on the market should be to consult with a couple of different real estate agents. Your agent will be an important resource in listing, pricing, and negotiating the offers on your house. Make sure you choose one that you trust and that you are able to get in touch with regularly. There is nothing more frustrating than an agent that does not answer your phone calls or Emails. Once you choose an agent, you will have to sign some paperwork and fill out a lot of information related to your house.
Consider hiring a professional cleaning service
It can be more difficult to sell a house while you are living in it. Potential home buyers want to imagine themselves and their own families living in the house. They want to picture their own items in the house and this can be difficult to do, when it is already filled with your items. Not keeping a clean house can make this even harder. If you are unable to move out during the sale process, make sure you at least hire a professional cleaning service. The cleaning service will get those hard to reach areas and will attract buyers with the professional cleaning.
Always accept house showings
Much of the home selling process is automated today. A buyer?s agent requests a showing for a specific time. In many cases, these showing times can be last minute. It is best to accept as many house showings as possible. Declining a request to show the house means that less home buyers are viewing your home. Even if they reschedule, they might find a better option before making it to view your house. You have the best chances of selling if you accept all house showings. Additionally, if you arranged for a professional cleaning service, your home will always be ready to show.
Consider all offers
You are likely to get a wide range of offers. Most offers will depend on the current real estate market in your area and your agent can be a valuable resource in understanding the different offers. About 78% of recent buyers found their agent to be a very useful information source. It might not be wise to hold out until you get full asking price, or over asking price. This offer might never come and then you are left with an unsold house. In fact, HGTV.com recommends that when selling your home, you take 15 to 20% off what the home is worth. Your agent will use MLS online listings to compare other nearby homes for sale. With this comparison, they will come up with a listing price that is fair.
What to do when your house is not selling
Even the best kept houses listed at a fair market price do not sell. In the meantime, it does not mean that you have to give up on shopping for a new house. If possible, you can also add your house to a list of rental homes. Rental homes can help you pay your mortgage while the home is still on the market. In some cases, you can even make a profit from rental homes. Many sellers that struggle to sell place their homes for rent.
Approximately 52% of home buyers cited finding the right property as the most difficult part of buying a home. This can also make it difficult to sell a home. Placing your home for sale can be very stressful. Make sure you use an experienced agent and trust in their skills. If your home doesn?t sell right away, consider listing it with other rental homes.