Everything You Need to Know Before You List Your Home for Sale

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Boca Raton, this guide walks you through the basics.

Selling 101: Everything You Need to Know Before You List Your Home for Sale

This guide covers:

Asking a REALTOR® to value your home
Preparing your home for sale
Setting the right price
Always being ready for showings
Negotiating offers
Closing the deal

Moving out

Here’s a closer look at each.

Asking a REALTOR to Value Your Home

The first step in selling your home is to get a professional opinion on its value. A REALTOR can provide this by researching sales of similar homes in the area, as well as current market conditions and trends.

If you price your home too high, it can linger on the market, leading to lower offers and a longer sale process. Too low, and you may not get what your home is really worth. That’s why it’s important to work with a REALTOR who knows the local market and can help you price your home competitively.

Preparing Your Home for Sale

After you know your home’s estimated value, it’s time to prepare it for sale. This includes basic staging such as decluttering and cleaning, as well as more involved projects like painting or repair work.

Your REALTOR can help you identify any updates that will increase the appeal of your home and command a higher price. You should also stage your home, which is the act of making it as appealing as possible to the widest possible range of buyers. (You can learn all about staging your home here.)

Setting the Right Price

Once your home is ready for showings, it’s time to decide on an asking price. Your REALTOR may suggest a range of prices based on what similar homes have sold for in the area. It’s important to consider current market conditions when choosing a listing price, because it’s in your best interest to get it right the first time.

If, however, you find that your home is priced incorrectly (which you can tell if it’s not selling), you can make adjustments after the fact. It’s just best to get it right the first time.

Always Being Ready for Showings

After you list your home, it’s important to be prepared for showings. This means making sure the house is clean and presentable at all times. You’ll also want to remove any items that you don’t want potential buyers to see, like personal documents or family photos.

You can tell your agent when you want – and don’t want – showings. But remember: The more available you are for showings, the more likely you are to sell your home.

Negotiating Offers

Once you start getting offers, your REALTOR can help you evaluate which is the best fit for you. They may suggest counteroffers or other strategies to get the most out of the sale. Having a professional on your side is invaluable when it comes to negotiating offers.

Closing the Deal

When you accept an offer, it’s time to move on to the closing process. Your REALTOR can help you with paperwork and provide guidance as to what documents need to be signed. Once all of that is complete, you’ll officially be in contract and will have a closing date set.

Moving Out

After you sell your home, you’ll probably need to move out by the closing date. This can be a stressful time, so make sure you plan ahead and allow yourself plenty of time to move all of your belongings out. In some cases, you can rent back the property from its new owners; if that’s something you’re interested in, talk to your real estate agent. They may be able to negotiate it into your deal.

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