Q+A: Most Common Home Selling Questions

As you prepare to sell your home, you may face emotional and logistical overwhelm. From house showings, negotiating offers, packing, and leaving your memories behind, the home selling process can be a lot to navigate. To help the process feel more manageable, the most common questions sellers often ask when selling their homes are below.

When is the best time to sell a house?

The spring selling season is when most homes typically go on the market. This season starts in early February and goes through the beginning of the school year in August. However, if you list your home in the late fall or winter, your home may appeal to more serious buyers, making the process progress faster. If you know you will be listing your home in the spring, it’s best to take exterior photos in the late summer to capture the green grass, trees, and abundant flowers.

What do I need to do to prepare my house to sell?

Assess your home with a pair of fresh eyes to determine necessary repairs, and hire painters to paint any spaces that need touch-ups or to create a more neutral space. This is also the time to make the repairs you’ve been delaying. Once significant improvements are made, being ruthless with decluttering initiatives is imperative. Sell, donate, and throw out everything you will not take with you. Hiring a cleaning company and staging company to sell your home will ensure the house photographs well. The house should present well because high-quality photographs are essential to successfully selling a space. 

How can I be confident my house is priced correctly?

Research your local market to understand housing values, the inventory available, and how long homes have been on the market. This will help you feel comfortable with your asking price and give you an idea of how quickly you can expect your home to sell. Investing the time to find the real estate agent who is the right fit for you will also help you feel confident as you sell your house. Working with an agent you trust and who is a good personality fit is vital to a positive selling experience. Interviewing three agents will help you best assess who you want to represent your home. Your real estate agent will create a marketing plan for your home. This plan should include how the agent will showcase your property and ensure it reaches the most appropriate buyers. Part of this plan should consist of showings and open houses.

What happens after I accept an offer?

Once you accept an offer on the house, a home appraiser will come on behalf of the buyer’s mortgage lender to appraise the property. Also, a home inspector will come on behalf of the buyer to inspect the house. You won’t need to attend the closing as the seller but must sign closing documents. Once the buyer closes on your home, the property is officially theirs.