Your agent will handle most of the tough stuff at this point, but there’s a few things that’ll be on your plate.
YOUR TASKS>
PRO TIP
“Ask about the average sale price and selling time in your neighborhood so you know what to expect.”
Selling Properties 0/4
Make Repairs and Improvements
Start freshening up your space – whether it’s just fixing that loose doorknob or remodeling the whole kitchen. Try looking at your home from an outside perspective and change the things that might prevent you from buying it.
Ask your agent:
- Which repairs are needed to sell the home?
- Are there any renovations I should consider making?
- Will these improvements make a difference in what I can ask for?
Prepare Your Home for Showing
Your job now is to keep your home neat and tidy. Your agent will be scheduling showings and bringing in buyers, but to seal the deal, the space needs to be in mint condition. Consider hiring a stager if your furniture is a little worn or dated.
Start working on:
- Cleaning, organizing and decluttering
- Hiring stagers and photographers (if necessary)
- Creating a spare key for your agent when showing
- Coordinating schedules with your agent
Compare and Negotiate Offers
In a hot market, you might get multiple offers on your home. Your agent can spot any red flags in an offer – set a time to sit down and go through them all together. If you only have one offer and it doesn’t feel right, there’s no pressure to accept it – you can always make a counteroffer.
Ask your agent:
- Which offers are best compared to what’s on the market?
- Which offers are best for what I need?
- What clauses or contingencies should I put in a counteroffer?
Accept the Right Offer
Found the right offer? Congrats! Your agent will now open escrow and order a title report, and you can move into the closing phase. Halfway there…
Start working on:
- Setting a closing date
- Signing the offer agreement
- Learning the closing process
- Preparing to resolve issues on title or deed