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There are so many things you have to worry about. Knowing how much to list your home, decorating, what the current market is, advertising your home, etc. With that being said, it can be done (especially with a little help from a local real estate agent).
Below I’ve created a checklist of everything that you need to succeed in selling your home during COVID! Number one and number two should be no surprise to you!
It is very hard to sell a home without a realtor. The first step in your home-selling process is to decide if you want to hire a real estate agent or not. Hopefully, the answer is yes. Selling a home by owner is hard work. If you don’t think you need an agent, you might want to think again. It’s almost impossible to sell a house on your own. You will need to do all of the work preparing your home to sell, advertising the sale, know the housing market, do the closing, etc.
If you try to sell your home on your own, you may spend more money than hiring a realtor to do it for you. It’s best to save the hassle and find a professional who knows the real estate industry and can guide you through every step of the home selling process and (hopefully) sell your home above market value.
Find A Real Estate Agent
Finding the right real estate agent is very important. You will need to spend some time researching real estate agents in your area.
Please just don’t pick the first real estate agent that you find on Google. Not all real estate agents are equal or care about their job. Some agents are passionate about what they do. Others only buy/sell real estate only because they need income.
Find a real estate agent who loves what they do and who is committed. A committed agent will have the following characteristics:
Is passionate about their career. The best real estate agents love their job and want what's best for their clients.
Knows all of the current real estate trends. Find a realtor who knows the current housing market as well as current trends. Real estate is always changing, you need to find a realtor that keeps up with a constantly changing market.
Knows the area. A good real estate agent will be familiar with real estate in your area and does the research for you.
Is willing to learn. The best agent for you will learn everything there is to know about your house.
The price is right. The right agent will know the best price they can get for your home and will make sure that they get you the highest price they can possibly sell your house for. Getting the highest price for your house is a win-win for both you and the realtor, typically realtors get a percentage of the property's sale price so it shouldn't be hard to find a realtor who wants to get the highest price for your home.
If you are having trouble finding an agent, you can ask your friends for referrals and then look the agent up online. You can also look at the top-rated agents in your area and learn more about them such as the average time it takes for them to sell a home.
A home full of clutter will drive potential buyers away!
I remember when I was looking for my first home, I went to one that looked nice on the outside but was cluttered on the inside. I couldn’t really envision myself there. Furthermore, I couldn’t tell if there were issues with the house that were hiding in their clutter. Either way, I decided together that I didn’t want to give the house a second thought and told my agent that I wanted to leave after five minutes.
When it comes to real estate, buyers, unfortunately, look at a house’s “cover”. First impressions are always important- make sure your home gives a good one.
You can do so by doing easy fixes such as repainting an old door or planting flowers. This will make your house look more inviting and will get more prospective buyers to walk through your door.
If you're not sure how you can enhance your home's curb appeal, you can ask around and get your friend’s and family’s advice. You can also ask your real estate agent as he/she wants your house to sell as much as you do.
A house with neutral colors tends to be more appealing than other color palettes. Houses with neutral colors sell for thousands more on the market. Take color into consideration when selling your home (you would be surprised how much it matters).
If you're anything like I am, you love natural lighting. I love a sunny house, and your potential buyers probably do as well. Open up the blinds, curtains, and shades in your house before people step in. As long as your potential buyer isn’t a vampire (or photographer), they aren’t looking for a dark room.
You need to make sure that you portray yourself as the type of person who cares about who buys their home. Be flexible and let people tour the house when they can- you need to work around their schedule. Set a price but be willing to negotiate (just a little).
Additionally, get ready to answer whatever questions your potential buyer has, and always be polite. You need to know your house from top to bottom (and your realtor should too).
Cleaning and decluttering your house before it goes on the market is one thing. Maintaining a clean and decluttered house will probably be even more difficult. As I stated earlier, you need to be flexible. Think of your house as a hotel that people can check-in and out of whenever they please (with some limitations).
A potential buyer may want to check out your house within the hour because they are in the area and are interested. Or perhaps their realtor found your house and your potential buyer is only free to view it within the next 24 hours. You cannot allow your house to get messy as you may not have the time to clean it within a small window of time.
Time For Closing!
Congrats! You are selling your house. Don’t forget to do these few things…
Spend some time at your house. Relive all of the memories shared. Once you move out, you probably won’t step foot in it again.
Shut everything off. A very important thing to do, an example would be the valves.
Don’t forget- To check for anything you may have left behind.
Get organized- Gather up all necessary documents (such as your purchase agreement).
Get all of the contingencies taken care of. Many purchase agreements have contingencies— which are the things required of you to do before the transaction is official.
Don't pay for policies you don't need anymore. Cancel your insurance policies on your home.
Cancel all accounts. Cancel all home-related accounts (such as your garbage company).
Make sure to change your address.
Selling your house can be easy if you find the right agent and follow the correct steps (shown above). We hope that this guide helps you on your home-buying journey! Please share any thoughts and/or suggestions in the comment section below!