Selling your home, rather you are getting ready to move across the street, across town, or to another state, can be a very stressful period in your life. It is never easy to sell a home, even if it is the greatest home in the area. There are many things you have to look at and consider before you list your home on the market for sale.
Here, we are going to discuss some of the things you must take into consideration when you are looking to sell your home. There are a host of decisions to be made and none of them should be taken lightly. The following points are designed to guide you through the process and provoke intense thought in the decision making process.
Real Estate Agent vs. For Sale By Owner
This is a very tough decision for many people. There are advantages and disadvantages in both areas. Real estate agents can be a big help when it comes to listing your home. They have access to a variety of resources allowing your home to get maximum exposure. They take care of open houses, listings, selling, and showing. In fact, with a real estate agent, you really have no duties, except to guide them with information. However, the downside to real estate agents is the listing fees and any other commission based fees that you may be charged.
Selling your home yourself is not as costly. You do not have to worry about commissions or dealing with multiple people to get your home sold. However, there is a great deal of work, less resources at hand, and in some cases more troubles if you decide to sell the house yourself. This is a decision only you can make, so consider both sides extensively. Of course, if you are not in a hurry, you can list the house yourself first. Then if you don’t sell it, you can get an agent to help you.
Getting Your Home Ready For Sale
Of course, if there is more to selling a home than just deciding rather to sell it yourself or use a real estate agent to sell your home for you. You want to make sure the home is ready to sell. You need to decide rather you want to make improvements or you want to sell the home as is.
Making improvements is usually the best way to go. They may be slight improvements or even major improvements. However, either way improvements can do several things for you. First, making the necessary improvements can help you sell your home more quickly than you might sell as is. Furthermore, you would likely sell your home for more with these improvements than you otherwise might.
Selling your home as is, leaves you time and money for focusing on the new home. It also saves you from investing in the current home further, even though you may lose out on the final sale prices.
Therefore, it is important to consider the improvements that are needed. Here are some things to look at:
Roof Repairs
A new coat of paint (exterior or interior)
Repairs in home siding
Plumbing repairs
Electrical Repairs
Exterior Repairs (such as yard, driveway, garage, lighting, etc.)
Floor Cleaning
Some of these repairs may be extensive, some may be slight, but all of them can greatly help in the speed and final price of the sale.
Move and Sell, or Stay and Sell that is the question
This is a big question for many sellers. Do you continue to live in the home while you sell or do you go ahead, move into your new home, and sell? For some people, this is not a choice. In many cases, it depends on the sale of the current home to purchase the new home. If you have a choice, it is something to consider. By moving into the new home, while waiting for the sale of the current, you have many benefits. For example, you will have the opportunity to get yourself settled and not have to worry about closing deadlines.
You will also have the ability to make any necessary improvements on the home you are selling, without having to go around furniture and possessions. However, if you do not have a choice, try to make the closing date at a time when you are able to move into your new home. This way you are not stuck without a place to live until the new home closes.
