Selling your home can be an emotional milestone and is also a complex process with various moving parts.
No matter whether you decide to work with an agent or list FSBO, it’s essential that you understand how the process works. This article provides a general overview of what to expect during this journey.
Price
Selling homes requires careful consideration when pricing the sale price. If it exceeds what was paid for the property, any profit gained through capital gain taxation must be reported as income and paid back over time.
An experienced real estate agent can assist in assessing the value and listing price of your property, while offering guidance on how to improve it in order to increase buyer appeal. When setting the listing price for your home, be realistic when setting its value; overpricing may make selling more challenging and could potentially result in you losing money from the deal.
At the core of real estate selling is commission fees; however, additional expenses such as appraisal costs, title-related costs, notary and recording fees, attorney’s fees, escrow fees can all add up to as much as 10% of the sale price or more.
As New York has some of the highest closing costs in the country, to avoid any unpleasant surprises make sure to include these fees when creating your estimate for selling costs.
Home sellers must also pay state transfer taxes and may face property taxes from certain counties as well. Furthermore, sellers are expected to disclose any known issues with the property that could potentially interfere with its marketability.
As per market needs, some buyers will ask sellers for concessions (also called seller concessions) to cover some or all of their closing costs; this practice is generally allowed under most mortgage programs up to certain levels and gives sellers an edge in competing in a buyer’s market and attracting qualified buyers.
Costly repairs or renovations to bring a property up to buyer standards must also be considered; these could prove significant if its condition is poor, or structural work needs doing.
Simple Sale can provide a fast and effortless solution for selling your home quickly. By bypassing costly repairs and staging expenses, this online platform enables closing in as few as 10 days.
Condition
Before listing your home for sale, it’s vitally important that it is in excellent condition. First impressions count; foul odors, dirty floors or walls could put potential buyers off and overstuffed closets could thwart negotiations altogether. Make sure your home remains tidy throughout the selling process and consider clearing out half of its items from closets in order to create more storage space – buyers will definitely open and examine personal belongings!
Let go of your home can be emotionally trying. To ease through the process, try framing it as a business transaction and remove yourself from any emotional attachment. An agent can make this easier; their commission ensures your property will be prepared properly for sale. Similarly, hiring an inspector could provide invaluable insights into any issues with the property that should be addressed before selling.
Staging
Staging a home can help make it more appealing to prospective buyers by using furniture, lighting and decorations as well as cleaning and fixing anything that needs it. Some people hire professional stagers while others choose to do it themselves with help from their real estate agent or do it themselves if possible. Staging can be expensive; however it could help sell your property quicker for more money!
According to the National Association of Realtors report, 31% of potential buyers increased their offer by 1-5% when viewing a staged home. This is likely because buyers can easily envision themselves living there and imagining all their belongings there; additionally, staged homes also photograph better and attract more viewers online.
Barion Design in New York City reports that virtual staging services can create virtual renderings for as little as $35 per room – considerably less costly than hiring professional stagers, who may charge up to $2,500 for each room staged. Sellers may opt to stage themselves or incorporate pro ideas with some DIY touches, to save money.
Staging aims to make a space feel welcoming to a broad range of buyers by eliminating clutter, replacing worn items as needed and reorganizing cabinets and closets. Cleaning and deodorizing also play an integral part in this process as do getting rid of pet odors as well as personal items like family photos, monogrammed towels or artwork which may make a space seem less inviting to potential buyers.
Home improvements such as painting or new carpeting could be worth investing in; however, the timeline of your property sale can play an integral part in this decision. If a seller needs to sell quickly on short notice, focusing on smaller improvements which have an immediate effect may be better.
Marketing
Selling a home can be complex and involve many steps, and sellers typically hope for an uncomplicated sale where all steps occur as smoothly as possible. While most sellers want this scenario, which would entail simply listing their home, finding a buyer, collecting money and handing over keys as quickly as possible; unfortunately this isn’t always achievable due to local market trends and property condition affecting this process; with professional guidance a real estate agent can assist in managing any hurdles they might come across along the way.
Pricing your home correctly is of utmost importance when selling it, as overpricing may leave it languishing on the market for too long and underpricing can leave money unclaimed. A knowledgeable real estate agent can offer expert guidance in pricing by using comparable sales in the neighborhood and other factors to establish what price would work for your property.
An accurate understanding of your property’s current condition and any upgrades such as new appliances or kitchen renovation can also increase its chance of garnering higher offers during marketing.
Before listing a property for sale, it’s essential to clean and declutter it thoroughly. This will allow buyers to focus on the features of your home rather than being distracted by any clutter caused by personal belongings such as photos or bulletin boards that you may have stored away. Ideally, have a professional cleaner give the home an extensive deep-clean before listing it online.
Once your property is on the market, it’s essential to actively market it through multiple channels. Your real estate agent can assist in this regard; but make sure also to share it on social media and post in local real estate listings in order to expand the potential buyer pool and encourage a faster sale.
Once you receive an offer, it’s essential that you be ready to negotiate. Even though it might mean accepting a lower offer than initially planned, remain flexible as the home buying process can often be unpredictable and seek guidance from an experienced real estate agent for guidance through this journey towards a successful closing.