Selling your house is something most people only do once or twice in their lives. Understandably, many people are not entirely aware of the process. You may think all you need to do is find a real estate agent and let them take care of everything. But there are several things you can do to increase your property’s curb appeal and get more offers.
Prepare your home
The first step of selling your house is to prepare it for sale. These steps can include removing all clutter and most of your items. The gardens should be looking clean and tidy; this may include having the lawns mowed, garden beds weeded, and shrubs and trees trimmed back. If you have outdoor furniture and footpaths, have them cleaned by a professional team.
Decide on an agent
Choosing the right agent to represent your property is a vital decision when selling your house and can mean you get a great price, and your home is sold quickly. Always shop around for real estate agents, and then make sure you pick the one who will offer you the best service; this may not necessarily be the one who charges the lowest commission.
When choosing an agent, you can go to some of their open houses or pretend to be a buyer and see how they treat prospective purchasers. How a buyer is treated can impact the number of offers you receive. Choosing an agent you’d like to buy from is usually a good sign they’ll work well with you.
If you can’t find a suitable agent or want to limit the costs of selling a home, you can try to sell the home yourself.
Nominate your selling price
You and your agent can use existing sales and the suburb (or town) profile to decide on a suitable selling price. It is essential to set your price correctly, as you may find it difficult to sell if your home is priced outside the current market. You can complete some basic research on your area to have a reasonable idea of what price you can expect for your home.
Determine a marketing strategy
When you engage the services of an agent, they will have a marketing strategy that often covers the basics of marketing a home for sale. You may need to pay upfront for advertising costs when selling a house. A marketing strategy can include listing the home with online house sellers, making the selling of property faster than traditional advertising.
A marketing strategy for property selling can include taking professional photos, furniture staging, and international advertising. The way your property is marketed can help it stand out from your competition. In most cases, the cost and fees associated with marketing will need to be paid before the house is listed with your chosen real estate agent.
List your property for sale
After all the initial work is completed, you can list your property for sale. During this stage, everything gets exciting, and you get the chance to field offers and hopefully secure a great price. Some people choose to move out of the home at this stage (or take an extended holiday!) as it helps to keep your home in showroom condition, especially for those last-minute viewing requests.
When the home is listed, you should start receiving offers on the property (provided you’ve set a reasonable price). A good agent will only provide you with worthy offers and negotiate on your behalf to secure a great price. If you’re happy with the offer, you can accept it, and then the home is considered under contract, and the sale will settle in the agreed-upon time (usually 4–12 weeks).
