There are many reasons why homeowners sell their houses. It could be that they got a new job and are relocating to another part of town or a different state. Another reason is that they’re downsizing because the kids have already fled the nest. But it could also be an entirely different reason altogether.
No matter what reason you have for deciding to sell your house, know that you shouldn’t be doing it as a spur of the moment decision. This is the house you’re talking about. It’s not just candy that you’re planning to sell here; it’s one of the biggest purchases you have ever made in your life that’s on the line.
This is in no way meant to discourage you from selling your house if you’re already decided, but you should at least know what you’re getting yourself into. If you think buying a house is difficult and exhausting, then you might be surprised to know that it’s likely the same case for selling a house.
But before you start finding buyers for your house, there are certain things that you need to have first. Preparing these in advance will allow you to make the entire process of selling your house much easier on your part. That said, here are the three things you must have before proceeding with the sale:
A Real Estate Professional
The very first thing you need once you decide to sell your house is to secure help. You might think that you’ll do better without a realtor, but you must understand that selling a house takes a lot of time and effort. If you don’t have the luxury of time or patience to deal with indecisive buyers, your best bet will be to work with a professional.
So do yourself a favor and find some estate agents that will help you sell your house from the initial valuation up to the completion of the sale. Why burden yourself when there are professionals who made it their lives’ mission to match prospecting home buyers with the best houses in the market?
With a professional by your side, you can simply breeze through the entire process of selling your house. This includes property valuation, listing it on the market, and staging the house for viewing. They will also be there to take charge of the negotiations and finalize the sale, so you won’t have to go through it on your own.
A Timeline for the Sale
Most sales will last anywhere from two to four months or more, depending on the current state of the housing market. If there’s a high demand for available properties, you’ll likely be able to sell much faster. However, on the off chance that there’s a surplus, then it might take a lot longer than usual.
Since there’s no way to tell how long the entire process of selling would take, you’ll need to create your own timeline. This is because before you can list the property on the market, you have to make sure that it’s ready for viewing, which means taking care of the necessary repairs and addressing any problem areas.
You will also need to clean the place up and take appropriate photos to include in the listing. This is why it’s better if you’re already looking for a new place before listing your home. Lastly, you’ll need to stage the house before accepting buyers for viewing because furnished houses sell much faster than empty ones.
A New Place to Live In
Although it’s not necessary to have a new house before selling your old one, it can be a lot easier on your part. This is because when your house is already listed on the market, you’ll need to make it available and presentable to potential buyers who will want to have an ocular inspection of your home.
If you’re still living there, it would mean that you constantly have to maintain the place to accommodate potential buyers. While most home buyers appreciate a furnished home because it feels more welcoming than an empty house, they might not want to see all your belongings, clutter, and whatnot during the viewing.
At least, if you already have a new place, you can bring all your personal items there and only leave behind the necessary furniture or decorations to stage the house. Plus, you won’t have to burden yourself with cleaning up every time. But if you don’t want to use your own stuff for staging, you can always rent the furniture.
Selling a house can be a headache if you don’t know what to do or where to begin. That’s why you need these three things so you can lighten the burdens weighing on your shoulders. You already have too much on your plate with finding a new home, moving, and selling your old house, so save yourself the trouble every chance you get.
