The idea of selling your home usually comes upon slowly as you start to think about life changing events that may make you want to sell. Possibly your family is growing and you need more space or you’re going to be empty nesters and would prefer to downsize. Whatever your scenario is, having a plan going into listing your home is a great idea. Here are my top 5 things you will want to think about before listing your home for sale:
- Talk with a REALTOR® you trust. My advice is that it is never too early to loop in a REALTOR®. They can give you insight on things like the best month to list your home, some suggestions for updates to make to your home to maximize your profits, and prepare you for what to expect.
- If you will be listing a few months out, now is a good time to start sprucing up your home. Tackle those projects that you know must be done — from cosmetic updates that will be eyesores to potential buyers to the big items that you know may come up in an inspection. It can’t hurt to service items like the central A/C unit, furnace, and have the chimney cleaned.
- Organize dates & documents that buyers may request like age of the roof, age of appliances, dates of latest services, HOA documents, typical monthly utility bills, and warranties. This will help answer questions from serious buyers considering purchasing your home & save time during the transaction. You cannot hide from bad news with your house — seller’s failure to disclose known material defects with the house may result in legal liability.
- Consider your options for “where to next” and plan for the scenario where your home sells fast. If you are planning on buying another home, remember that it usually takes at least 30 days to close on a home if you are getting a loan. You are going to want to talk with your REALTOR® about your options if you are buying & selling at the same time, as well as a lender if you plan to get a loan on your next home purchase. You don’t want to be left homeless with no plan in place!
- Start to de-clutter and prepare for the move. Less “stuff” in a house looks better to potential buyers and will help make the transaction period less stressful for you. You will have a lot of to-dos with the real estate transaction itself, the less stress you have with packing up & moving, the more you will thank yourself.
Once you & your home are prepared for the sale, your REALTOR® will get to work listing your home for sale. You may want to review my past blogs on “Improving Your Home’s First Impression” & The Seller’s Roadmap to further prepare yourself for the sales process.
Once your home is listed – support your REALTOR® and respect their opinion on the process. Try to be as flexible as you can with showings & open houses and keep your house clean & presentable. The easier it is for buyers to come in and see your home, the more traffic you will get with prospective buyers. The more enjoyable the experience is for the buyer in your home, the more positive of an impression it will have on them.
Good luck & happy selling!
***********
If you need assistance from a local REALTOR® to sell your home in the Boulder-Denver areas, I would love to help!! Please reach out via email at beth@goodacreproperties.com or through the contact info below.