You’ve Decided to Sell Your Home—Now What?

Deciding to sell your home is one of the biggest steps you can make in your journey as a homeowner. You’ve likely gone through every scenario in your head and are eager to make sure that the next step for yourself and your loved ones is the right one. The shift from homeowner to seller can feel like a roller coaster, but with the right preparation, it will go smoothly. Here are a few ways to make this transitional period a little easier.

Rely on Your Support System

It’s common to experience waves of emotion when selling your home. Leaning on your support system—your Windermere agent included—can provide some stability.

Selling a home is an exciting endeavor to be shared with the people around you. Reach out to your friends and family to share the great news and start the conversation about how, where, and when they can help you. Whether it’s helping you pack, getting you out of the house during open houses, lending a hand on moving day, helping you get settled into your new home, or simply offering words of encouragement, involving your community will help make it all feel a little less overwhelming for both you and them. If you’re looking for a place to stay while you sell your home, someone in your network may have the perfect solution.

Ask Questions

There is no such thing as a stupid question, especially when selling your home. Whether you’ve sold your home before or this is your first time, each transaction in unique. Your Windermere Real Estate agent will be equipped to address your every question, so don’t be afraid to pause the conversation to ask a clarifying question if something doesn’t make sense.

For information on every aspect of what it takes to sell your home, visit the Selling page on the Windermere blog.

Create a Timeline of Selling Your Home

From prep work to closing, there are many steps to selling your home. It may be helpful to create a timeline or schedule of events, so you know both what you’ve accomplished and what’s coming next. Here’s an example of what it could look like:

• Prepare to Sell

  • Move out & clean

  • Stage the home

  • Marketing Photos

  • List the house

  • Open House Weekend

• Accepting the Offer

  • Review Offers

  • Accept an offer

  • Negotiate with buyer

  • Buyer’s Inspection

• Moving

  • Pack up

  • Move

  • Update all addresses and bills

Expect the Unexpected When Selling Your Home

There’s a fair amount of unpredictability in a transaction as intricate as selling a home, so it’s best to be prepared. A pre-listing inspection will let you know of any major issues with your property that might impact the price of your home and the eventual negotiations your agent will pursue with the buyer’s agent. This lets you make necessary repairs before you go on market, providing you with one last chance to increase your return on investment.

Keep your home secure with a few precautions while you sell. While your house is on the market, you’ll have a lot of foot traffic during open houses and private tours. You can protect your home by adding cameras in and around your home, hiding valuables in a safe, and talking to your agent about taking the appropriate safety precautions.

For more on what you can expect when selling your home, read our blog post on the 10 Costs Associated with Selling Your Home.

This post originally appeared on the Windermere.com Blog.