When you buy a home, you spend countless hours dreaming about the perfect house in the perfect neighborhood. To achieve your dreams, you should put the same thought into selling your current home so you can get top dollar to increase the amount of home you can afford, reduce your mortgage payments, or have money to put towards renovations.
You also likely don’t want the burden of holding two mortgages or finding yourself homeless after closing on your existing home. Selling your home is more complicated than simply placing a for sale sign in front of your house. There are many decisions to be made and options to consider.
In This Article:
Is it the Right Time to Sell?
The first step you can take is to contact me to help guide you through this process, answer all your questions, and assist you in getting the most out of your home.
Getting Your Home Ready for Sale
There are a number of relatively inexpensive projects you could take on to improve your home’s appeal and its resale value. Repaint the interior and exterior walls as well as any fences or outside structures. Get your lawn and garden into top shape. Replace any worn or broken light switches, overhead lighting, and other fixtures. Remember, first impressions matter.
Setting the Right Price for Your Home
You should have a decent idea of what your home should sell for, but getting expert help with this important decision is one of the reasons you work with a real estate agent. Even within the same neighborhood during a short period of time, there can be huge price swings based on floor plans and the specific lot.
Additionally, the best pricing strategy — whether you start high and come down or ask for exactly what you want — depends on your specific home and current market trends. Contact me today to find out what your home is worth.
Marketing Your Home
Once you’re ready to put your home on your market, as a real estate agent in Hamilton and surrounding area I will be able to tell you what to do next. I will list your home for you and start spreading the word about it so that you can start receiving offers.
Your house may be listed online, through such sites as realtor.ca, kijiji, my own real estate website and posted on social media to reach the widest audience. There are also some interesting sites like venturehomes.ca which shows virtual tours and floor plans of houses.
You will also likely want to show your home through open houses, often held on weekends to market your home.
Getting Your Home Ready for Showings
Even though you’re still living in your home, you want buyers to be able to picture themselves living there. Take down your family photos and knickknacks, make sure toys belonging to children or pets are put away, reduce any other clutter, and clean your home until it sparkles. You may even want to higher a professional carpet cleaner as well as a pressure washer for your driveway, porch, and other outdoor surfaces.
When It’s Time for a Showing or Open House
Think of a showing or open house like game time — make sure your home is at 100%. Crank up your heat or air conditioning as appropriate for the season to make your home more comfortable. Open blinds to let in natural light and make your home seem more open. Light a scented candle to mask any odors. Then head out for lunch or dinner so buyers are free to walk through with their realtor without feeling intimidated by the homeowner.
Receiving Offers
Once offers start coming in, it’s important to look at each one closely — the value of an offer is far more than the bottom line price. Things to consider are whether the buyer is asking for any repairs or upgrades, what date the buyer wants you to move out, whether the buyer has secured financing, and any other conditions that the buyer may want to attach.
If An Offer Isn’t What You Wanted
You are free to accept, reject, or counter any offer you receive. If the offer is too far off, it may make sense to reject it and move on to different buyers. If the price difference is close or you don’t like certain conditions, there’s probably room to haggle. You’re free to negotiate the price, repairs, appliances, and anything else you want to while you continue to receive other offers.
Closing the Sale
Once you have an offer you like, it’s time to sign the contract. While there’s still work to be done, the sale is now legally binding as long as all of the conditions are met.
Inspections
The buyer will probably want to have an inspector check for things like termites, water damage, faulty wiring, and other defects. If you haven’t hidden anything, this should just be a formality.
Attending the Closing
The closing is the final step where all of the paperwork is completed, closing costs are paid, and the title officially changes hands. While we’ve gotten you this far, we recommend that you have a lawyer review the agreement to ensure that your legal rights are protected. As soon as everything is in order, you’ll receive payment for the sale and be able to put the funds towards your new home.