Home sellers must get potential buyers to check out their house. Sellers have to be ready for this process. They must prepare their home and themselves for the sale.
Selling a home requires you to detach yourself emotionally from your house. The sale has to be set up to be attractive to home buyers. No monetary value may match your sentimental attachment to a home.
Yet selling a home must be less about sentiment and more about practical concerns. Home sellers need to address various issues including everything from staging a home to budgeting for selling expenses. A home sellers' checklist can help you prepare to sell your home.
Home Sellers' Checklist
Educate Yourself About The Process
Arm yourself with the tools to get the most from the sale of your home – the best price and the most satisfaction. Free home selling seminars are cropping up across the US, Canada, and elsewhere. Home sellers should take advantage of seminars and similar resources such as e-courses, books, and articles from reputable industry sources.
As well, be open to the advice of your real estate agent and trusted family and friends who have gone though the process. By performing 'due diligence' (researching the situation from all angles), home sellers put themselves in the best position to sell their home.
Organize The Information
A ton of resources exists out there for home sellers. Stick to reputable, well-known, and trusted sources for accurate information. Sellers can collect mounds of research. They need to organize the data. Using folders to file the information according to category will simplify the process.
Store collected research and names of contacts as well as appointment dates in an efficient filing system. In addition, include documents such as household warranties and copies of property tax records and utility receipts. Obviously, you will also need to have easy access to your property deed.
Make Time In Your Calendar
Selling a home takes extra effort and time. Meetings and preparation are inevitable during the process. Plan ahead and arrange free time in your schedule. Sellers must set aside space in their calendar to devote to the selling process. If home owners try to sell their house and still hold down their regular schedule, they will end up stressed and not in the best frame of mind to sell a home.
Budget For Extra Expenses
Of course, home sellers have to budget for the costs of closing a sale. Yet they also have to consider the cost of repairs (major or minor) to improve the saleability of a home. Home sellers must also budget for staging their home.
Staging A Home
Staging your home involves presenting a home so that potential buyers can see themselves living in the space. Staging a home can include removing clutter, making everything sparkle, and adding welcoming touches or even a refreshing neutral shade to your wall. If you figure that staging is not worth the effort, think again. According to a recent survey by The International Association of Home Staging Professionals®, staged homes spend 83% less time on the market than non-staged homes.
What Would You Include On A Home Sellers' Checklist?
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