10 Important Things To Know Before Listing Your House For Sale

Selling your home takes work, but at Urban Cool Homes, we want to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. Below, you will find 10 tips to help you getting started on your home selling journey. 

Doing your homework and researching the price range of properties in your area can save you from over or underpricing your home. Look into houses within your area that are similar to yours in terms of lot size, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and parking capacity. If you have time to spare, visit these homes yourself during their open houses. Checking competition will also help you evaluate not just the right price for your home, but also things that you could improve to make it more marketable.

With all of the free information available today, buyers have higher standards when looking at properties. To overcome this, you need to make sure your home is market-ready. Buyers may have envisioned the perfect magazine-ready home, and it would advantageous if you could make it look like the buyer's dream. If you're willing to spare the extra cash and effort, you can hire a team of professionals to stage your home. The cheapest and easiest way to make sure your home is market-ready is to clean it and remove any excess clutter. 

You shouldn't just hire an agent from a pool of names in a directory. You need to make sure you interview protential agents so you know exactly how they will handle listing your home. With Urban Cool Homes, you get access to a group of skilled agents and client care specialists who will put your needs first.

Buyers may make their offer contigent on things like pest and septic inspections, so it's a good idea to hire a professional home inspector to identify issues in your home that you may have missed. Ask for a detailed report from your inspector and have them include photos for proof. This will help prevent headaches later on.

With holiday errands and family gatherings abundant in the winter, not many buyers are out looking for homes. Sometimes it makes sense to put your listing on hold until the spring to make sure as many potential buyers see it as possible. However, with other homeowners waiting, the winter months also have low competition, so that should be considered as well. One of our experienced agents can help you make the best determination for your situation. 

Your agent will notify you about all of the necessary documents needed once the selling transaction begins. This may include documents on title of property, outstanding balance on mortgage (if any) and pay-off balance. Talking to your agent and gathering these documents ahead of time can help speed up the transaction process. 

Despite countless preparations and believing you have the Best house on the market, it may not sell as quickly as you hope. That is the nature of real estate. A house is a huge investment on the part of the buyer. However, at Urban Cool Homes, we have a dedicated team of client care specialist reaching out to potentials buyers every day to help your home sell as quickly and painlessly as possible. 

Don't rely solely on your agent to do all of the marketing (although they will do plenty). Ask a photographer friend to take photos of your home or use social media to your advantage, asking friends and family to share info with their circle of friends. 

Reduce the selling price to the following expenses that will be incurred throughout the selling process:

• Title charges
• Government recording and transfer changes
• Real estate agent sales commissions
• Additional settlement charges
• Debt obligations that need to be paid off on an ongoing mortgage
• Home repairs and enhancements prior to listing

You can have your agent explain this to you, as they may be knowledgeable and updated on tax law, but it's good to also do some research on your own. It could help when estimating your potential profits after selling. 

Ready to find your dream home? Create a free Property Tracker account to get notified when a home matching your preferences comes on the market. 

If you have any questions, please reach out and we will do our best to help!