Introduction
Whether you’re buying or selling a home, knowing what to expect can help get the process off on the right foot. Whether you’re interested in buying or selling your first home, this is your guide to planning for and navigating the home-selling process.
Have a plan.
A plan is a must for first-time home sellers. It’s always better to know where you’re headed than to wander aimlessly into the unknown. To help you write your plan, here are some tips:
- Make sure it’s realistic and flexible.
- Be mindful of costs. For example, keeping an eye on utility bills can help predict if there are any upcoming maintenance issues that might affect your sale price or time frame (for example, if the air conditioner breaks down and needs replacing).
- Make sure it’s achievable in a reasonable timeframe, since most buyers will want to move in within a few months’ time after closing escrow on their new home purchase.
Prep your home for showing.
- Clean the house. This is a given, but it’s important not to ignore this step. Make sure everything is tidy (including window sills and baseboards), that your carpets are clean (if you have them), and that your home smells good when someone walks through the door. It doesn’t need to be perfumed with rosewater or anything like that; just don’t let anyone walk into a musty, damp room full of dirty laundry!
- Make sure the property looks good from outside as well as inside—that means cleaning gutters and removing any leaves or other debris from around vents so they don’t accumulate there later on too much either! Also make sure all lights work properly; it’s very common for them not too after years of use because they’re probably old now so check them before walking away from each room just in case something happens while showing prospective buyers around next week 🙂
Show your home in the right light.
- Make use of natural light. You can’t control the weather, but you can place furniture and other decor in your home to make the most of what little light there is. Buyers will be more likely to linger in a room that’s bright and cheery than one that feels dark and gloomy.
- Use neutral colors throughout the house so that it doesn’t look like every wall has been painted black after each tenant moves out—this means avoiding bold hues like reds/oranges/yellows which could clash with anything else already there (such as artwork hanging up). Also consider getting rid of any bright green paint job because some people might find this color difficult on the eyes while others may get headaches after looking at it too long.
Listen to offers.
When you’re selling your home, the first thing you need to do is listen to offers. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of making an offer and working with a realtor, but it’s important that you take a step back and think about what’s best for your family.
If someone comes along with an offer that seems too good to be true, chances are there is something wrong with it. Be prepared to walk away from any deal that doesn’t make sense or feels like a risk for one reason or another.
If a buyer wants to pay less than what their bank says they can afford on the mortgage, there could be trouble down the line—and your bank will require you as sellers not only provide information about the buyer but also agree on credit checks and other verification before moving forward with anything final (you’ll find this out during escrow).
Conclusion
We hope that this post has given you some useful tips and tricks. Home-selling can be a stressful process, but if you follow these steps and set yourself up for success before trying anything else, the process will go smoothly. You’ll be able to sell your house faster with less hassle—but most importantly, you’ll save time and money! And if everything goes according to plan (and it usually does), we hope that soon enough your dream of homeownership will become a reality. If you’re looking to sell your home in Chicago, send us a message right away!
