First Steps When You Begin Thinking of Selling Your Home

So you are thinking of selling your home. Before you make any repairs to your home or changes to your home, contact a full time professional real estate professional‐ like myself.

The reason I say full time agent is because full time agents eat, breathe and sleep real estate. They know the market better then a part time agent and should be able to respond quicker to buyers and other agents regarding your home.

Your agent should make an appt with you to view your home and discuss the value of your home by providing a market analysis as well as discuss the needed steps to get your home ready to be put on the market. What I mean by put your home on the market is; is it in tip top shape? Is it spotless‐ drawers, cupboards and rooms organized? Are there any repairs that need to be made? The agent should provide staging tips such as removing furniture and de cluttering. Do some rooms need to be painted? How’s the landscaping and curb appeal? If your agent is not offering any suggestions to help increase your homes value then you may want to find an agent that will. Very very few homes are “sell ready” when they are inquiring to sell. You’re having to de personalize your home to appeal to the vast majority of buyers. This is not an easy task but I promise if you do what is suggested, you will reap the benefits by adding more money in your pocket in the end.

Now let’s talk about the market analysis. Your agent should provide you with comperable homes for sale in the area that are similar to your home that are active, pending and recently closed sales. Your agent should also provide pictures of these comperable homes so you can compare the condition, upgrades and features. Another thing your agent should provide you with is a market update. What is going on in the market in your area. Is there a lack of homes for sale in the area, are there too many homes for sale in the area? Are home values increasing or decreasing and if so‐ at what rate? All of this information should be provided so an appropriate value of your home can be determined.

Now let’s talk about time frames. In your market analysis your agent should have provided you with an average approximation of how long homes similar to yours are on the market before they go under contract. From there you can calculate an estimated time frame of when to expect and plan to move.

Once all repairs, staging advice, cleaning and organizing is completed, your home is now ready to go active for sale on the market. Now marketing your home for sale is a whole other subject which I will later explain.

www.LaurelNielson.com