It is the one thing that almost every home owner does at one point in their lives - sell their home. This can be a very confusing time, filled with many questions and few answers. It is hard to understand all of the questions you may have about selling your home.
Randolph & Co. can help you with all of the questions you have about selling your home. Our Agents have many years of experience in the real estate industry. We pride ourselves on quality customer service. Our clients come first and we make selling your home-quickly and at the most profit-our first priority.
Let's begin the home selling process so that you can understand how easy and hassle-free Randolph & Co. agents make it for our valued clients.
#1 Why Are You Selling?
The first question you might want to ask yourself is, "Why do I want to sell my home?" Do you need more space? Are you an empty nester looking for a smaller space? Have you accepted a job in a different part of the country? All of these questions affect the potential sale of your home and the negotiating process of that sale.
#2 Preparing Your Home For Sale
Assessing your home is key in beginning the home selling process. You may want to ask yourself, "What would I like to see or not see if I were touring this home as a potential home buyer?" You may want to begin by preparing a list of all interior and exterior projects to be done. Problems like chipped paint, dirty walls, windows and doors, unfinished remodeling projects and cluttered garages are all areas for home selling improvement. Treat the sale of your home as you would with any day living in your residence. Neat, tidy and organized works!
We will point you in the right direction and give you professional advice on how to make your home the most appealing to buyers.
#3 Determining Property Value
There are a number of factors that go into determining the value of a home.
- It is realistic to compare the homes in your area and the asking prices of those homes as these are your competition. Does your home compare to homes in the same price range.
- The law of supply and demand always comes into play. Do you live in an area with increasing job opportunities or an increasing supply of homes?
- Owners needs greatly impact the selling price of a home. Do you need a quick sell or do you have time to sit on your sale?
- The selling price is not cut and dry. On many occasions, the seller will negotiate the price, split closing costs or offer different allowances to the buyer, to make the sale of the home complete
- Only a qualified Randolph & Co. agent can provide a fair market analysis of the homes for sale in your area. A Market Analysis is free and without obligation. For more information on how to receive a FREE Market Analysis that will help you properly determine the value of your home, contact Randolph & Co. at 407-454-0214 or contact us here.
#4 Getting Your Home Out There
There are a number of different ways that an agent can drive traffic to view your home:
- Multiple Listing Service (MLS)
- Open Houses
- Websites/Internet Strategies
- Randolph & Co. Marketing Strategies
#5 Selling Your Home
The Offer
An acceptable offer depends on many different things:
- Is the proposed offer near the asking price?
- The timeframe of the seller - Does the seller have another house payment? Insurance?
- Does the owner have enough time to wait for the agent to bring them more potential buyers?
The Counter-Offer
Once the sellers receive an offer, and have made a counter offer, potential buyers can respond in three different ways to the seller(s):
- This home is not what we were looking for. We are not interested in the property.
- We are interested in the home and we will purchase the property on the buyer's terms per the real estate agreement.
- We are interested in the home, but here is our counter-offer for the property.
Negotiating
This negotiating process can at times seem very complicated. However, if you are equipped with the right agent, all of this can be made hassle-free.
During the negotiating process of the sale of a home, the seller can react in one of three different ways:
- Accept the buyer's proposed offer
- Decline the buyer's offer
- Make a new counter-offer
#6 Saying Goodbye To Your Home
The closing process is always changing. It is even referred to as "settlement" or "escrow" in different parts of the county. With increased technology, most closings are completely automated and both parties do not have to be present at the same time to sign.
Closings usually take about 30 days to complete. This mainly depends on the buyer's financing availability, successful home inspection completion, and various lender conditions (ex. title search, title insurance, termite inspections, surveys and appraisals).
The closing process is the transfer of the title of the property from the buyer to the seller. The buyer will receive the keys to the home or the deed to the land, while the seller receives payment for the property. The amount the seller receives is based upon the amount that is still owed on the mortgage, any outstanding fees or taxes and any additional closing costs. All legal papers are filed with the local record office.
It is this step where the buyers and sellers do very little. It is important as the seller to take a final walk through the property to make sure the property's condition as not changed. It is equally important for both the buyer and seller to make sure the paperwork they are signing reflects the agreement of the original sale.
#7 Surviving the Move
Moving can be one of the most emotional times in your life. The thrill of something new ... new career, a new neighborhood, a new home. While this may sound great to some people, for others, these changes can be an emotional rollercoaster.
The key to surviving your move is to first analysis the situation. You may want to ask yourself this question, "What does my move entail?" "Will I be moving across the country or just down the block?" "Could I handle the move myself, provided I have the right packing materials and friends to help "Or" Do I need to explore the option of hiring a professional moving company?"
There are many resources out there. You may want to consult your agent for guidance or refer to our Moving Checklist for more information.
#8 Hiring A Moving Company
If you plan on hiring a moving company, you might want to do some research first. Our Moving Guide offers great information for those researching the possibility of hiring a mover.
