First-Time Home Sellers: 5 Tips That Will Keep Your Real Estate Transaction Moving Smoothly

Are you selling your home? If it's your first time going through a home sale, you've probably got a lot of questions about the process. Here are five tips that can help to keep your home sale moving along smoothly. Let's get started!

Tip #1: Enlist The Help Of A Professional

First, you'll want to ensure that you enlist the help of an experienced real estate agent. Selling a home is a significant financial transaction and the process can be especially daunting the first time. A professional agent with sales experience will be a major asset in having a stress-free sale. They'll know all the legal and other requirements to selling so you won't be buried in paperwork. Plus, they'll have insight into other local sales which can help with listing your home at a competitive price.

Tip #2: Focus On Your 'Curb Appeal'

As the saying goes: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. With that in mind, you'll want to ensure that you focus on how your home looks when a potential buyer shows up. If you feel the home could use it, a fresh coat of paint is an inexpensive upgrade that can give your home a new look and feel. Don't forget your lawn and other landscaping, which should look well-maintained. The last thing a buyer wants to see is a nasty jungle of uncut grass or dying flowers!  Along those same lines, keeping your home clean and tidy ensures you are always “show ready”. The best case scenario is to be prepared for as many showings as possible. If someone wants to see your home 30 minutes from now, and your home could potentially be “the one” for them, do you really want to miss that opportunity?

Tip #3: Decide What Your Deal Breakers Are

Take a thorough walk through of your home and decide what will stay with the home and what you intend to take with you.  Make a list of anything which may be in question. It’s an assumption in real estate that if it’s attached it stays, unless specifically indicated in the contractual agreement between parties. Is that antique light fixture a family heirloom and you’re planning to take it with you? Then you’d better be explicit in the contract about it. Deciding in advance which fixtures, appliances, shelving structures, etc. you can and cannot live without will makes things move along quickly in the end.

Tip #4: Don't Turn Down A Solid Offer

While you likely shouldn't jump on the very first offer you get for your home, you also won't want to pass up on a fair one either. It can be tough attracting a buyer, especially for larger, more expensive, or luxurious houses. If your agent advises you to accept a competitive offer, his or her advice is well worth considering.

Tip #5: Have Your Share Of The Paperwork Ready

Finally, it's worth having your share of the paperwork ready to go. There's a lot of documentation required to complete a home sale, and being unprepared is a guaranteed way to make the closing process take longer. Get organized. Spend the time gathering what you need before you accept an offer and you'll enjoy a faster sale.

There you have it – five tips to help keep your home sale moving along smoothly! Ready to sell your home? We'd love to help.