4 tips for a stress-free home sale
If the thought of listing and selling your house is already giving you a headache, you’re not the only one. It’s no secret how stressful a traditional home sale can be — from attending open house after open house to drawn out price negotiations.
But good news: There are factors within your control that can help make the process of selling your home a smooth experience. Here are some steps you can take to ease the stress of selling your home.
Before you kick off the logistical process of actually selling your home, try starting with a broader question: Why are you selling your home? To relocate for a new job? To downsize? To live in your dream home?
Understanding the “why” for moving and discussing it with all parties involved will act as your home selling North Star and help guide your decision-making from start to finish.
Once you’ve nailed that down, you can start looking at your home sale from a financial perspective. That might look like:
If that amount is less than what you want, consider delaying your home sale and wait for the real estate market to improve or until you have additional equity in your home. You can also discuss this with your real estate agent.
→ Gather these documents you need to sell a home
While the time frame for selling your home can vary depending on many factors out of your control, it’s good to map out a general timeline of milestones to keep your expectations in check.
If you plan on selling your current home and buying a new home at the same time, things can get a little tricky. In a perfect world, you would sell your old home first before buying your new one, but often that’s not possible.
That’s where planning out a step-by-step timeline will help you keep your priorities in order that delay your move. That might include deadlines to complete repairs, lock down the house you want to put an offer on, and locking down a short-term rental or lodging between moves.
You also have options like working with Orchard. We can help you make a competitive, non-contingent offer on your dream home before needing to sell your current one. Plus, we’ll help line up your closing dates, so you can avoid double moves or overlapping housing costs.
You’ve probably heard of terms like “move-in ready” and “turnkey” when hearing about what homebuyers look for in a new home. Ensuring your home is in tip-top shape, both aesthetically and foundationally, is one of the most effective ways to attract potential buyers and sell fast.
On the outside, you can boost your home’s curb appeal by applying a fresh coat of paint, repairing broken windows, touching up your landscaping, and anything else that might affect your home’s first impression.
Inside your house, there are a number of home improvement projects you can take care of to get your home ready to sell, for example:
This process can take up a good chunk of time and money, so plan and budget accordingly to avoid delaying your home sale.
→ Here’s a guide on how to get ready your house ready for sale
It can be tempting to wrap up the process as quickly as possible, but try not to take the first (or even highest) offer for your house. When deciding between offers, make sure that your prospective buyer has their home financing ready to go. This can help speed up the closing process and reduce the risk of the offer falling through.
If you’re ready to take the next step in your home selling journey, the team at Orchard can help. Our goal is to make home buying and selling simple and stress-free. That means removing the stress and uncertainty that comes with the traditional process, from costly repairs to contingent offers. Start by getting a free home valuation.
Say goodbye to the days of needing to sell your home before buying a new one. There’s an easier way, and our FREE guide breaks down how it can work for you.
On top of Orchard’s Home Sale Guarantee, we list, prep, and show your old home after you’re all moved out.
Grow your business and make $50-$70K more per year.
When you list with Orchard, we’ll get your home show-ready and make repairs to increase your home’s value at no upfront cost.
Orchard guarantees your home will sell, so you can buy your next one worry-free.
On top of Orchard’s Home Sale Guarantee, we list, prep, and show your old home after you’re all moved out.
Use our home sale calculator to estimate your net proceeds.
Our Home Advisors are experienced local agents who know how to sell for top dollar and help win your dream home.
All Orchard Home Advisors are experienced agents who know your local market inside and out. Request a consult today.
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