Your home is your biggest investment and asset. Entrusting me with the responsibility to sell your home is something that I take seriously; from the time we first talk about the possibility of selling to making sure you receive your funds after closing, I have created a proven method to sell your home successfully. Below is a guide to my home selling method. Whether you sell your home in Locust Grove, VA, Culpeper, Orange, or beyond, this guide outlines the key points in the home selling process.
Before You Sell Your Home
Determine Accurate Pricing
If you want to sell your home in a reasonable amount of time, or sooner, accurate pricing is the most important factor. Potential buyers might look at your home online, but few will go to see it in person if it is over-priced. Since the majority of your showings will occur in the first 30 days on the market, it is crucial that your initial list price matches buyer expectations. As the Realtor® selling your home, I will compare it to similar ones on the market and ask you about any upgrades that have been completed in order to determine a value.
Assess Home’s Condition
In order to sell your home for top dollar for you have to make sure your home looks its best. This might mean completing unfinished home improvement projects and fixing any known repair items. Additionally, I will meet with you to make some staging suggestions. Staging is meant to highlight a home’s features like a picture window in the dining room, spacious primary closet, or a fireplace in the living room. Many times simply removing or rearranging furniture and decluttering closets and cupboards can make a big difference. Buyers want to be able to picture themselves living in your home for sale.
Even some of the small things can make a difference; from freshly washed floors to lots of lighting and colorful plants on the front porch, buyers will notice the care you put into your home.
Putting Your Home on the Market
Marketing Your Home for Sale
Did you know that 97% of home buyers use the internet to search for homes (Real Estate In a Digital Age, n.d.)? Digital marketing across many platforms like the MLS®, social media, and home search websites is important to sell your home. In order to stop the scroll on home selling websites, we need to have bright and beautiful photographs of your property that bring attention to your home.
Negotiate to sell your home
My efforts as your Realtor® don’t end the day we get a contract. After receiving an offer, I will help you you to determine the factors of the offer that work for you and the ones that do not. Some factors that can be negotiated include price, closing costs assistance, and closing date. Using my experienced negotiation skills, we will create an offer that works for you.
After the ratified contract: final steps to sell your home
Completing Home Inspections
The negotiations do not end once you sign the contract for your home for sale. Sometimes other steps in the home buying process like the home inspection, pest inspection, or appraisal result in needing additional negotiations between sellers and buyers. For example, if a home inspection finds that the water quality test from your well failed, buyers will request repairs are made. As your Realtor®, I will help negotiation requests, provide references for companies that can do repair work, and lay out any alternative options you might have. I will consistently communicate with you as inspections take place so you know where we are in selling your home.
Closing Day
Closing day is everyone’s favorite day when you sell your home. I will be there to make sure that paperwork is accurate and to celebrate with you! Depending on the day of the week (and if there are any holidays), it typically only takes a few days to receive your funds from a bank. I will check in with you in a few days to ensure that you received the funds from the sale of your home.
After You Sell Your Home
I love to hear from clients even after the sale of your home! I am always here to share my real estate knowledge, offer references for home repairs, and just to chat!
