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Ignore all the horror stories you’ve heard. While selling your home can be a lot of work, it’s also simple. How far you want to delve into each of the steps will determine how complicated your home selling experience becomes.
To simplify, let’s focus on five basic steps for selling your home.
1) Decide how you want to list your home for sale.
Do you want to sell your home as a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) or hire an agent?
Selling by owner gives you the opportunity to save money. Without hiring a real estate agent, you won’t be obligated to pay a commission when your house sells, but it also means that you’re on your own.
If you don’t have a lot of experience with the real estate market, you might consider hiring an agent. Hiring an agent means that you have a professional on your side and you won’t have to handle as many of the details. They will be able to walk you through the steps involved in home selling.
Need help deciding if a FSBO is right for you? Check out our free ebook, For Sale By Owner, Is It An Option For You?
2) Prepare your home to sell.
Whether you choose to hire an agent or sell your home yourself, you’ll need to create a to-do list go get your house ready for potential homebuyers.
Outside: Think about your curb appeal. Replace or remove dead plants, overgrown landscaping, broken railings or mailbox. Touch up exterior paint on the house, railings, trim, or front door.
Inside: Touch up paint or add a fresh coat of neutral paint all over. Replace broken baseboards, dingy carpet, and broken tile.
Stage: Remove clutter and make your space look open and clean. Consider staging your home to show buyers the property’s potential.
Creating a to-do list might include enlisting a friend’s help to objectively look for things that need fixed or updated that you may not notice anymore.
Take a look at What Home Sellers Should Know About Appraisals.
3) Create a listing.
Now that your home is ready to sell, create a listing to put in front of potential buyers. Whether or not you use an agent, you can list your home on MilitaryByOwner.
Start by taking phenomenal photos of your home. Consider hiring a professional photographer for this, but if you choose not to, make sure you have plenty of natural light when you take photos to make your space look bright and open. Your online photos are the first thing a potential buyer will see, and will influence them to read more or keep looking. When creating an ad, use these tips to write a detailed description of your home.
4) Market your home.
Your listing won’t do you much good if it isn’t seen by potential buyers! If you’re working with a real estate agent, they will cover this step. You or your real estate agent can market your home by advertising with online real estate sites like MilitaryByOwner. Getting your home in front of home buyers is one step you don't want to skip.
Follow up your online listing by sharing it through social media and asking friends to share it. Finally, put a sign in your yard and flyers around town. Most buyers begin their search online, but you can’t deny it’s hard to miss a "For Sale" sign sitting in someone’s yard.
5) Close the deal.
After you’ve negotiated with your qualified buyer and it comes time to close, you might consider hiring a closing agent, even if you’re doing a FSBO. The laws vary from state to state, so research which professional parties need to be involved with your closing.
Home selling can get complicated. As you approach your home sale, focus on the basics and follow MilitaryByOwner’s blog for more home selling tips!
By Danielle Keech