Being a first time seller can be just as scary as being a first time buyer.  When it comes time to put your home on the market, it can feel a little daunting as to what you should do to get the process moving.  Here are my suggestions to help begin the selling process for your house in Locust Grove or beyond.

 Task One:  Find a REALTOR®

Using a REALTOR® to sell your home helps streamline the process and takes a lot of responsibilities off of your plate.  But, how do you find a REALTOR®?  Many people turn to the internet and use a search engine to find “a REALTOR® in Locust Grove” or “best REALTOR® in Locust Grove” (insert town or area of your choice).  While this can be a great place to start finding local agents, I would also suggest calling a few and setting up some interviews.  Interviews are a great way to get to know the agent better, see first hand the level of professionalism the agent brings (Is the agent on time?  Did the REALTOR® bring CMAs? Did the agent respond promptly to your calls or texts?), and learn about the marketing strategies used to sell your house in Locust Grove.  Here are some questions you can ask during the interview.

Task Two:  Make a game plan

After selecting a REALTOR®, you should have a deeper understanding of your local housing market.  This can give you a general idea of how long your house in Locust Grove will take to sell.  Using this information, develop a game plan for selling your home.  Determine when you need to move to your new home and how much flexibility surrounds this target date.  For example, if you are starting a new job in a new area, then you have a definite date for moving.  However, you may be staying in the area, so that date can change if necessary.

Based on this date, you can work backwards with your REALTOR® to plan when your home needs to go on the market, when professional photographs need to be taken, and when you need your home to be staged and showing ready.

Task Three:  Decluttering and Deep Cleaning

After meeting with a real estate agent, you may have received some suggestions for preparing your home for the market.  These suggestions like taking some furniture out of a bedroom or painting a wall in the kitchen are meant to make your home as appealing as possible to the largest pool of buyers.  While you are waiting for your home to officially hit the market (the timing of which may differ among sellers), now is the time to complete these staging suggestions.  

Decluttering every room in your home will make it easier when it comes time to move and will help buyers fully appreciate the space in your home.  Having a home that is cleaned will also present your home in the best light to buyers.  This is often the biggest and most overwhelming task for sellers, so the sooner you start the better.

Task Four:  Make any known repairs

If your house in Locust Grove has a bathroom faucet that drips or a smoke detector with dead batteries, then go ahead and fix it now.  Why?  Because a home inspector will find these issues and you will probably need to repair them at that point unless you are selling your home as-is.  If you have a known issue that might require a professional, the sooner you get that professional on the calendar, the better.  It can be challenging to find contractors to do last minute repairs.

Task Five: Develop a plan for showings

Once your home is on the market, buyers will start scheduling showings.  These showings, while great because they mean people are interested in your house in Locust Grove, can also be disruptive to your daily schedule.  Talk with your REALTOR® before showings start if you need to consistently block off a certain part of the day, need a twenty four hour showing request window, or want them to end at a certain time in the evening.  Having these times marked off ahead of time allows buyers to select times that work for both parties.

It is also important to think about what you are going to do while the showing is happening.  If you’ve got pets or children, having a plan ahead of time can help reduce stress.

Completing these five tasks will help get your house in Locust Grove on the market and sold while providing you with some guidance for where to being in the home selling process.