There seem to be a lot of resources for those hoping to buy a home, but what about people who are selling? When selling, you are often doing both: trying to sell and buy a home all at about the same time. Cue the stress.
To help you fully focus on finding the next home, here are some of our favorite resources to help make the selling process a breeze.
1. Home Valuation Tool
Finding out what your home’s real value is can be one of the most important things you do when selling your home. You can often get a free estimate to give you an idea of what your home could sell for or how to price your home. You can also hire a professional appraiser for your home to give you an official value, although this step will often be completed anyway during the due diligence period once your home is under contract. A home value estimate can start you off on the right foot with realistic expectations.
2. Market Reports
A market report can give you a snapshot of your local real estate market. It often includes new listings of homes in your area and their prices, as well as homes that have recently sold, how long they were on the market, and what they ultimately sold for.
These reports give as much of a direct comparison as possible and help you set an expectation for what your home selling timeline may look like. These market reports will also help you in pricing your home in the sweet spot of not too little, but not too much to scare off potential buyers. These market reports are often shown to buyers who see your home, so they can see how your home compares to others in the neighborhood.
3. An Inspector
An inspector can come and look at the bones of your home. While we aren’t worried too much about the aesthetics that will help sell your home, an inspector can ensure everything is in working order and can disclose any renovations or fixes that need to be made.
You will need to make some of these fixes, but you can opt to let the new homeowners take care of other issues for a discount on your home’s price. Similar to a home appraisal, you or the ultimate homebuyer will handle this step at some point during the process. Who pays for it often depends on the market and what you have written in your contract.
4. A Home Consultation Professional
A home consultation can be a valuable tool in helping you get the best price for your home as possible. What usually happens is a realtor or other professional comes and can guide you on what to improve, update, or fix to increase your home’s value. They may also give you tips on how to present your home when the time comes for open houses and showings. These consultations can help you see which investments you would make your money back (and more) for, and which investments wouldn’t be worth it, which can potentially save or earn you thousands.
5. A Landscaper
A landscaper can go hand in hand with a home consultation. If you or your home consultant noticed any curb appeal that could be updated or improved upon, a landscaper may be someone you want to hire.
Try to have fresh and clean landscaping with neatly manicured grass, shrubs, and mature colorful flowers to make a good first impression when buyers come. Although you could do this all yourself, sometimes hiring out is worth the cost during the chaos of moving and trying to sell a home.
6. A Home Stager
Similar to a landscaper, a stager can come to help your home show its best side. A home stager can help arrange the furniture and decor in the home—or even redecorate altogether! They can suggest different paint colors, help arrange closets and storage spaces to look bigger, and they can even help with cleaning your home.
Ultimately, they are there to put your home’s best foot forward and present it in the best possible way. This often leads to less time on the market and higher offers from buyers when they see a clean and aesthetically pleasing house.
7. An MLS
An MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is a large database where realtors from all different companies and firms list their clients’ homes as well as look for future homes for their clients looking to buy.
Getting your home’s listing to shine out above the others is what will help drive traffic to your home. All the previous resources culminate together to help your listing stand out, with a good market price, valuable upgrades, and clean fresh staging. Before buyers come to your home, this listing will be their first impression—so make it count!
8. A Real Estate Contract
The contract you write up with your real estate agent is what protects your interests and prevents major headaches further down the home-selling line. You can include contingencies, the terms of the sale, and your specific closing date and costs. Some of these options can be negotiable when a buyer makes an offer, but this is ultimately created to help keep you safe.
9. An Experienced Realtor
Speaking of writing up a contract, you will need a real estate professional to help you navigate writing one up and suggesting any sort of clauses or contingencies they think will be in your best interest. Not only can a realtor help you with your contract, but they can ultimately help you with all the resources mentioned above: finding your home’s value, analyzing market reports for you, finding professional stagers and inspectors, and listing your home once you’re ready.
Realtors are valuable as you get your home ready to sell, but they become an essential asset when you start receiving offers. They will help you navigate the negotiation process to ensure you are getting the best deal for you and your home.
Although selling your home can still be a big process, using these resources and finding professionals can help you be confident and successful as you prepare to sell your home.
