Top 6 Things to Know Before Selling Your Home

It can be difficult to know what to do before selling your home, especially if you’ve never gone through the experience. But that doesn’t mean selling your home is an impossible endeavor. Let the Gagliardo Group help you with these top six things to know before selling your home.

Although some sellers opt out of hiring a real estate agent to avoid extra fees and to accelerate the selling process, having an expert on hand from the Gagliardo Group is extremely valuable when selling. Interview two or three real estate agents; ask friends, family members, or neighbors who have gone through the selling process to get a sense of whether a real estate agent is the right fit for you.

A good real estate agent will manage aspects of your sale like photography, managing the selling process, using marketing tools to reach a wide pool of potential buyers, and guiding viewers to your home for showings. Additionally, an agent should know the surrounding area and match your communication style and availability.

The timing of a home sale can vary widely, depending on factors like its value, its current condition, the area you live in, and the state of the market. Also, evaluate how ready you are to put your house on the market. If your home is up-to-date and looking good, then you can put it on the market sooner. If your house needs more extensive repairs, wait to complete those before selling your home.

Generally, houses sell the best in spring. This is because buyers have time to sell their homes without worrying about the school year or winter holidays. That doesn’t mean you can’t sell in winter—there’s less competition, and those searching for homes in winter may be more serious about buying.

This varies depending on the real estate market in your area. It ranges from days, weeks, or a couple of months to sell your home. And just because you hear of homes selling fast doesn’t necessarily mean that yours will.

If your house does sell quickly, you have to be prepared. Your agent, like a member of the Gagliardo Group, can help you with updating documentation. You should also consider where to move, store your belongings, and where to live once you sell.

Be reasonable when determining how much to sell your home for—a buyer will understand what is and isn’t a fair price. Research the surrounding area and see what other houses that are comparable to your own have sold for, then decide on a fair price for your property.

How much you price your home for also depends on any updates or fixes you’ve made to your home. Making repairs and updates can increase the value of your home, but leaving them for the buyer to fix can impact the sale price.

Sitting down and estimating the costs of a sale is crucial when determining how to price your home. Costs to consider are real estate sales commissions, closing fees, title charges, government recording and transfer charges, and other settlement charges.

Other costs to consider are repairs and updates the home may need, professional cleaning, staging, marketing photos, and moving costs. You may also be paying for costs like utility, mortgages, and taxes even after moving someplace like Gagliardo Group real estate.

Your real estate agent can often help you understand what minor repairs to fix. Although you can list your home for sale as-is, it may impact the sale price. But it may be the better option in the long run if you don’t have the resources for large repairs. Repairs may also be necessary for the home to be a safe space to live in. If there are things like a dryer that isn’t vented well or broken glass or chipped paint, it may not be worth it for buyers to invest in your property.

 

 

Sellers should also make their house look the best it possibly can. Begin by increasing curb appeal and the appearance of your house’s exterior. It’s the first part of the house that buyers see and makes an impression on how they view the rest of the house. Along with landscaping maintenance, like mowing the lawn and pulling out weeds, it’s also worth it to revamp the front doorway. Potential buyers will walk through the front door when entering a home. Clear out dust and cobwebs around the front door and replace an old doormat with something new.

Staging the inside of your home can help with a sale. You can hire somebody to stage your home for you, but making the effort to deep clean, declutter, and move furniture can go a long way to leave a good impression on the buyer. When cleaning, mop, vacuum, dust, remove stains and odors, and store wanted items in a storage space rather than in closets and cabinets. This will help your home appear open and spacious. You’ll also want to depersonalize your home to help the buyer envision how their life might look in the space. This means taking down photos of family and friends, knickknacks, and even removing unique furniture or painting over accent walls.

With these six tools in your toolbelt, you’re ready to sell your home and begin your search for a new home with Gagliardo Group real estate. For help with your home search, contact Andy Gagliardo to guide you through the process.