Thinking of selling a home in Harnett County, NC but not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered! The home-selling process can seem a little complex, even if you’ve sold a home before, so it helps to be prepared! (Having a great agent is an even better way to ensure your home sale goes off without a hitch!) Here are ten simple steps to selling a home, from prep work to closing day.
10 Steps to Take Your Home from For Sale to Sold
Step 1: Find an awesome agent
Choosing the right agent might be the difference between selling your home for top dollar and losing thousands of dollars in equity—or waiting around for months for your home to sell. Be sure to get recommendations from friends, explore various agents’ experience, and interview several agents.
Step 2: Consider repairs and improvements
In most cases, making big updates to your home won’t pay off in the long run. However, minor aesthetic improvements can help make your home more appealing to buyers—and boost its value. If you’re not sure which updates are worth the time and money, be sure to ask your agent. A good agent will know which improvements are most likely to pay off in the long run.
Step 3: Set the price right
Every good home sale starts at the same place: the right price. Accurate pricing is critical to ensuring your home sells quickly—and for the maximum amount of money. Overpricing your home might be tempting, but ultimately, it could end up costing you money (and time) in the long run. A good agent will be able to help you find an accurate and competitive price for your home.
Step 4: Prepare your home
It’s time to get your home looking like a model home from a magazine! Cleaning and decluttering are perhaps the easiest and most transformative ways to make your home look amazing. Aside from that, neutralizing colors, removing personalized decorations, and adding light touches of decor can take your home to the next level.
Step 5: Market your home
A good agent will be able to get your home out on a variety of platforms across the internet. A great agent will do so much more. Home search websites are just the beginning. Social media platforms, agent sites, print flyers, direct personal networking… there are dozens of ways for agents to get the word out about your home. Make sure you’ve picked an agent who’s going to take advantage of as many as possible!
Step 6: Show your home
Once the word is out about your home, you’ll likely have some interested buyers who want to take an in-person tour. Ideally, you want to keep your home ready to show—that is, clean and tidy. You might also want to have a plan for somewhere you can go for an hour or so while a buyer tours your home.
Step 7: Negotiate and accept an offer
Once you receive an offer, you have three options: you can accept the offer, you can refuse the offer, or you can negotiate for different terms and conditions. In most cases, there is some level of negotiation, most often on price. Once you and your buyer reach common ground and sign a purchase agreement, you’re under contract and ready to move on to the next step.
Step 8: Cooperate with inspections & due diligence
At this point, your buyer will likely have a set period of time to do a little research and investigation into your property to ensure they still want to buy it. In most cases, this process includes a home inspection, an appraisal, and a title check, among other things.
Step 9: Renegotiate (if necessary)
Should any issues arise in your home inspection, or should the home appraise for less than the agreed-upon price, your buyer may want to renegotiate the terms of your contract. In most cases, buyers will ask the seller to make repairs or provide credits towards future repairs.
Step 10: Close!
As the seller, you may be able to complete all your paperwork before closing day. If not, you’ll sit down with your agent, your lawyer, your buyer, and your buyer’s representatives to complete the remaining paperwork, hand over your keys, and collect any equity you’ve earned in your sale. Congrats—you sold your home!
Ready to Sell in Harnett County?
Are you thinking about selling a home in Harnett County or the Triangle suburbs? We'd love to help! Give us a call, and let's chat about your home-selling goals.