Apart from being your biggest asset, your home also holds great sentimentality. From precious memories to the time, effort and money you’ve invested in your home, selling can seem daunting, especially your first time. However, if the time comes when you have to sell, how do you ensure you get the best deal? Whether you’re moving for a new job opportunity or you’ve outgrown your current space, one thing is sure: the following guideline can ease your confusion and ensure that you know how to sell your house in 2020 quickly and for the most money.
Find a Stellar Real Estate Agent
With numerous real estate agents being available, you don’t need to hire just any of them, you should find your perfect match. You have to find someone who will go to the greatest lengths to ensure that you get a great deal in a short time. This is why at times it might be unwise to hire your real estate agent friend or relative. You need a professional who will be your advocate and trusted advisor.
How About Going it Alone?
As tempting as is the idea of saving money, it’s never a prudent decision to go solo in real estate. First, only an experienced agent will expose your home to thousands of potential buyers. They do this through Multiple Listing Service (MLS) online and their extensive networks of agents and buyers. Secondly, the agent will more than makeup for their commission by helping you get a lucrative deal.
Set a Price for Your Home
Your real estate agent will help to run a comparative market analysis (CMA). This free report compares your home to those in your neighborhood that have been sold recently. It also checks those homes with similar features, are comparable in size or are currently on the market.
The CMA will feature enough evidence including photos and maps of the properties to ensure you get the right facts. A great real estate agent will walk you through the facts and ensure that you know how your house stacks up to the competition. Then, they work with you to set a competitive price for your house.
Establish a Timeline Within which to Sell Your Home
Ensure that you do almost all the work in the time leading up to your home sale. You can break your tasks into manageable bits if you have an idea of when you want to list. The following tasks are essential but you can rearrange them to fit your personal needs and timeline:
- Interview real estate agents. Take your time to find the best agent who is highly experienced and confident of the sale
- Outline a plan. Work with your real estate agent to plan your tasks into manageable bits depending on your priorities
- Declutter. Establish what you can do without before your home sale and pack it up
- Hire a home inspector. To find out issues that could compromise the sale early on
- Tackle any repairs necessary
- Set the stage to make the home luring to potential buyers
Consider Having an Inspector Visit the Home Before You Sell
A home inspection is not only essential to the home buyer but also you as the seller. Why? Consider the following aspects of a home inspection:
- Plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling, systems
- Ceilings, windows, walls, and floors and doors
- Attic, roof, and visible insulation
- Structural elements, basement, and the foundation
A home inspector combs all the accessible parts and identifies any health and safety issues. They then publish a report to outline what works correctly and what’s not. You can then fix the issues that could scare away potential buyers and ensure that your house retains a top value. The inspection might set you back by a few hundred dollars, but it will be money well spent in the end.
Stage Your Home to Impress Potential Buyers
First, you have to clean the house until it sparkles. Apply a fresh coat of paint, have a professional deep clean the rugs and carpets, and remove clutter to ensure maximum space. Then, you can stage the house. Remember to avoid being too personal as you do this. Keep the colors neutral and take out excessive family photos to allow buyers to imagine their families in the house.
Stage the outdoors by cleaning the porch and placing attractive planters near the entry. Your agent can help you to get the house ready for a photoshoot with intuitive extra touches. Ensure that you stage the house to bring out your home’s positive aspects without being overwhelming to potential buyers.
List Your House and Get through the Showings
Surprise showings can happen when your house looks wrecked. Avoid this by following these tips:
- Have a to-do-list and put things away once done with them to avoid cluttering
- Find a place to put your pets when showing your house
- Be flexible and negotiate great schedules with potential buyers
- Have your kids choose a few favorite toys to keep in their rooms and keep the rest away
- Have the kids join in reorganization and reward them when they do well during practice drills
Negotiate the Sale Agreement and Close the Deal
With a team of real estate experts, you won’t have to worry about the closing process, but it’s important to understand this process and the documents you are signing. Never sign a purchase agreement if you don’t know or are unsure about any of the terms. Pay attention to the price, escrow or closing date, special allowances, deadlines, and any additional contingencies. Ensure that you keep your home insurance until the closing day.
How Much Will it Cost You to Sell Your Home?
Here are some of the costs you may have to incur:
- Real estate agent’s commission. This is split between the buyer’s agent and yours and is normally set at 6% of the home’s price. An easy way to reduce this cost is by working with a LemonBrew Partner Agent
- Home staging costs
- Repairs or maintenance
- Fees included in the contract like title insurance, closing costs, and others
Bottom Line
Selling your home is a great step that can be confusing, so you need the right team of experts on your side. We can guide and inform you of every move to make sure that you are not overwhelmed and enjoy the process of selling your home.
A stress-free experience is exactly what we promise at LemonBrew. Numerous organizations have endorsed our expert real estate agents who boast extensive experience and superb customer service. Contact us today to get the best deal for your house in the shortest time possible and match with your ideal real estate agent.