If you’re thinking about selling your property, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s as easy as popping up a for sale sign in your front yard and waiting for an offer. You might think that your home is spectacular – and it probably is – but the real estate market today is tricky and volatile. It pays to know what you’re getting into; here are some important things to consider before you sell your home fast.
Hiring an Agent
source: itsmyownway.com
Hiring a real estate agent is a delicate business – you’ll want to make sure that you’re getting the best person available to sell your home. It’s common practice to interview a variety of different agents before choosing someone to sell your home. Prepare some questions ahead of time to make sure you’re hiring someone who’s good for you and your home, and you won’t regret it. Ask them things like whether they know the area, if they’ve sold similar houses in the past, and how they would overcome any faults in your property when talking to a prospective buyer.
You’ll Need to Declutter and Clean
source: investopedia.com
One of the first steps you’ll need to take before selling your home is doing a deep clean. As it will be listed on real estate websites, you want it to be looking spick and span. For general household rubbish and unwanted furniture call 1300 Rubbish, but that’s really just the beginning. You’ll need to tidy up the garden, patch up any holes or cracks in the walls, scour the entire house for grout, and really make sure to give your home in-depth clean.
Selling a Home is Time-Consuming
source: opendoor.com
There’s no two ways around it – if you decide to sell your home, you’re going to have to give up a whole lot of your time. Expect to spend most of your free time outside of work preparing your home for the sale. That includes all the things mentioned above, as well as things like repainting the walls, having the carpets cleaned, moving any unwanted furniture into storage, and checking that all the light fixtures are in good nick. Even once the house is up for sale, you’ll still spend countless hours making sure it’s immaculate as potential buyers drop round to be shown through by your agent.
There are Hidden Costs when Selling
source: redfin.com
Before you decide to sell your home, it’s essential to be aware of all the associated costs that come with such a choice. In addition to the fee you’ll pay a real estate agent, there are a few other costs that often go unnoticed, and could help you decide one way or the other whether you should sell or not. Listing your property on websites costs, as does putting up the “for sale” sign in your front yard. If you want to list your property in newspapers as well, there’s a cost associated, not to mention all the legal paperwork, settlement fees, and removal trucks. Make sure to really do your research and figure out the true cost of selling your home.
It’s Going to be Stressful
source: mashvisor.com
Selling a home is one of the most stressful processes to go through, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. You’ll be anxious about making sure it’s clean, about potential buyers walking through your home, about the length of time it’s been on the market without anyone showing interest. It’s important to set aside time to take care of your wellbeing and focus on something else other than the house. Choose to do something that you love, a hobby like reading, going for a long walk, or simply playing with the kids.
Your Home Will Need to be Inspected by a Professional
source: ramseysolutions.net
Finally, one of the key steps to selling a home is having it inspected by a professional. And they’re going to find some issues. It could be anything from roof damage to problems with the plumbing, and you’ll either have to pay and have it repaired before a sale or be willing to lower your asking price. Potential buyers use the inspection to figure out whether your price is fair or not and will look for any opportunity to negotiate a lower fee.
