A Step-by-Step Guide to Sell a House

When you have made the major decision to sell your house, there will soon be plenty of factors that you will need to consider and details to figure out throughout the process. It can be very overwhelming for those who have not been through it before or do not have the right resources and guidance. That is why we have developed a 12-step home selling guide to walk you through each step in order to sell a house fast and for top dollar!

There are many things that need to happen in order for you to have a successful home selling experience. Our realtors at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite – The Augustine Team know that your home is probably your most important and largest asset, and selling that asset is not a decision you should make lightly.

With our home selling guide, you can rest assured that you will be able to protect your investment, capitalize on it, reduce your stress levels throughout the process, and remain in control as you achieve your home selling goals. When you work with us, you get access to all the information you need, including our guide, at absolutely no cost or obligation!

What’s Your Motivation for Selling Your House?

Before you start your home selling journey, it is important that you understand your motivation for selling the house. It will determine how you approach the process as well as many different aspects of the process at various stages.

Your motivation will help you determine your asking price as well as the amount of time, money, and effort you are willing to invest in preparations for the sale. To learn how to sell your home for more, we have a free report outlining unique strategies to get more money for your home.

Most Common Reasons People Need to Sell a House

Selling a home is a very common process, and homeowners embark on the home selling journey for a wide variety of reasons. Some of the most common of those reasons include:

• Transferring for a job
• Trading up to a bigger house
• Needing to downsize
• Reducing the mortgage payment
• Avoiding the Real Estate Catch-22
• Wanting a change in location or neighbourhood
• Being closer to family or medical facilities
• Getting a divorce

For most people, the motivation to sell a house quickly is quite clear from the beginning of the process. Once you do understand why you are selling, though, you should always remember to keep that information on a need-to-know basis. Potential home buyers do NOT need to know! It can jeopardize the sale.

The Importance of Concealing Your Reason for Selling a Home

When it comes to selling a home fast and getting top dollar for it, revealing your reason for the sale to potential home buyers is not a good way to accomplish those goals. It is vital that you keep your motivations to yourself and your realtor, so that the house can simply stand on its own merits.
If a home buyer finds out why you are highly motivated to sell, that information may affect the way in which the negotiation process proceeds. When home buyers know that you want to sell quickly, it gives them an advantage while negotiating.
So, what happens if a home buyer does ask you why you are selling a home? Very simply, all you need to say is that your housing needs have changed. It is best to be vague and general rather than revealing one of the reasons mentioned above. Any of those motivations could cause home buyers to imagine detrimental scenarios about the house, and that could jeopardize your ability to sell quickly and for the highest price possible.

Transferring for a Job

Just about everyone has changed from one job to another, and some people even have to relocate in order to secure a new job. If this happens, you will likely have to sell your current home in order to buy one in the new location.

This is, of course, a perfectly legitimate reason, but it may cause home buyers to think that you are desperate to sell, and they may submit a lowball offer hoping your desperation will lead to an acceptance of that offer.

Trading Up to a Bigger Home

When you originally bought your home, you probably thought it was the perfect size for you and your family. Over the course of time, though, it may have started to feel too small. This does not mean that the size is too small for another home buyer; it’s just not right for you anymore.

If a home buyer were to find out that the reason you are moving is to find a larger home, that person may begin to think that this house is also going to be too small for their needs. This could lead the home buyer to rethink the search and begin looking for a bigger home (and them in competition with you!).

If you are looking to trade up to a bigger home, we have a Moving Up Guarantee you will want to take advantage of, and our team will certainly help you find the ideal new home. We will also ensure that the marketing of your current home shows how perfect it can be for a new owner.

Needing to Downsize

Just as a home may start to feel too small for a family, your home could also begin to feel too big for many reasons. This is when you need to downsize to a home that is more appropriate for your changing circumstances.

Perhaps you are an empty nester or going through a divorce, and you simply don’t need all the room anymore. Older individuals who can no longer keep up with the maintenance of a home may need to downsize as well.

Avoiding the Real Estate Catch-22

Many home sellers will also be playing the role of home buyer because they will need a place to live once their current homes sell. This can create a potentially disastrous situation if the timing is not perfect. The Real Estate Catch-22 means that you are stuck with either 2 mortgage payments or no home at all, depending on the circumstances.

If home buyers find out this information, they may think you are desperate to sell and get yourself out of this dilemma. This may result in the submission of a lowball offer. To help you avoid this situation, our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite – The Augustine Team has developed the guaranteed home sale program.

Wanting a Change of Scenery or Location

While you may simply be tired of your neighbourhood or location in the city, this doesn’t mean that it is a bad area. Unfortunately, if home buyers find out that you don’t want to live in a region anymore, they will automatically think there is something wrong with it. Don’t allow them to question if there is a major problem!

Being Closer to Family or Medical Facilities

Medical issues are a very common concern for many families, but they are no one’s business but your own. It could be the reason why you need to move – being closer to your family and a medical facility. However, it may be a giant red flag for home buyers.

Price to Sell Fast – Find Out How!

The information in your home listing is crucial because it will be the first impression that home buyers will get of your house. One of the most critical pieces of information in that listing will be the asking or list price. You ought to make sure home buyers know the absolute maximum price they need to pay for your home.
Before you set your asking price, though, you should do some in-depth research about the area and the prices of comparable homes to yours. This way, you can ensure that your price is neither too high nor too low. Both situations could be disastrous.
If the price is too high, home buyers may not take the price (or you) seriously and will move on. Too low of a price could result in the loss of profit for you. To ensure that you get the highest price possible and a fast sale, we have several unparalleled seller satisfaction guarantees that you will want to learn about.

Setting a Listing Price Based on Your Location

Several important factors will affect the price at which you may be able to list your home. In order to sell fast and get top dollar, you need to make sure you have given these factors consideration before you select a listing price. Finding out what the homes in your area sold for recently can also assist you.

Below are a few factors that can certainly affect the listing price for your home.

Subdivision Location

If your home is located in a subdivision, this can provide home buyers with an easy way to look at recent sales in the neighbourhood. This means they will come to your house with the assumption that the price will be similar to the others, as long as the floor plans are the same (as they usually are in a subdivision).

This can have a substantial effect on the asking price, especially if home buyers cannot see upgrades or differences with your home compared to others. Even if your home is worth more than the comparable ones, home buyers may be a bit biased because it is a subdivision.

Older Neighbourhood Location

As neighbourhoods age, the homes in that neighbourhood could become very different in their designs and floor plans. That can make it difficult to find comparable homes upon which to base your listing price. For this reason, it is vital to seek out the assistance of an expert real estate agent to ensure you are pricing the house properly.

Selling Your Own House

One way to make sure that you get to keep as much of the money from your sale as possible is to sell your own house without the help of a skilled realtor. This, however, will be a challenge on your part, but it is certainly possible to complete.

To figure out the right pricing strategy, be sure you are figuring out the selling prices of homes sold within the last 6 months as well as homes currently listed on the market. Remember, home buyers will be doing the same thing to figure out the potential worth of your home.

Another route is to visit City Hall in your region to get home sale information from the public records. If you are set on selling your home on your own, check out the latest report called How To Sell Your Home Without An Agent And Save The Commission!

Keep in mind that according to The Canadian Realtor’s Association, a recent survey showed that nearly two-thirds of home sellers who independently sold their homes would not repeat the process. Their reasons included:

• Setting a price
• Marketing handicaps
• Liability concerns
• Time constraints
  Be sure to consider whether or not this is the right option for you.

Go to Open Houses in the Area

No matter the selling situation, you want to know what the competition is doing and how they are attracting home buyers. When selling a house, a great way to do this is to go to open houses in the area and check out such things as:

• Floor plans
• Condition and appearance of the home
• Lot size/square footage
• Location
• Extra features
  Be sure you also find out the asking price versus the final selling price. When you want to sell a home fast, pricing it lower than your competition will be essential unless you have demonstrably more to offer home buyers.

Work with a Realtor Who Can Guarantee a Fast Sale

Unless you are taking the “For Sale by Owner” route, you will need to make the choice of realtor to work with throughout the process. So, how can you do this? First, check out this valuable report focused on realtor selection factors to help with the interviewing process.

You will quickly find out that not all realtors are equal in ability and experience. That is why it is vital to choose the right realtor to work with our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite - The Augustine Team is your best choice! We know how to sell quickly and get top dollar. We even welcome you to ask us the Questions Real Estate Agents Hate. Others don’t even want you to ask!

Why Are We Your Best Choice

You will find that our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite – The Augustine Team is an award-winning real estate group with vast experience in the real estate market. Our track record for selling homes speaks for itself, and we guarantee to get you top dollar. That is not simply bragging – it’s 100% true. No matter what the market looks like, we will sell your home fast.

Check out these stats:

• We sell houses 3% times faster than average realtors
• Our pre-qualified home buyers database has 1,000s of home buyers looking for a house like yours
• Your home may sell before even listing it on the market
  We guarantee you can’t sell a house any faster than this. To get you started with the home selling process, take advantage of our free home evaluation to determine what your house is worth.

To Discuss Your Home Sale or Purchase, Call or Text Today and Start Packing!

Make the Best First Impression Possible

When home buyers first see the house, they need to be impressed. So much so that they are ready to buy as soon as they take the first look. This is why it is vital to make the home’s appearance as pristine as possible.

The look and feel of a home is what will guarantee a home buyer gets attached to the house and wants to buy. Remember, buying a home is an emotional purchase, so they need to love what they see, hear, feel, and smell. If you can get them to envision themselves living in the home, you basically have it sold. The appearance is everything.

Clean and Fix Everything, No Matter What

Before you allow home buyers to come see the house, it needs to be absolutely spotless and pristine. This means you need to scrub, scour, improve curb appeal, and tidy up on a daily basis – make it a part of your routine until the house sells. Some of the most important things to do every day include:

• Eliminating clutter
• Dusting everything
• Repairing squeaks and other minor issues (like light switches that don’t work)
• Filling in cracks in the bathroom mirror or replacing it altogether
  No two home buyers are alike, and you can’t tell which of these issues could be a deal breaker for them. Don’t give home buyers an opportunity to nit pick and find reasons to pass on your home. Compete on the same level with other resale homes and new construction houses by getting your home into like-new condition.

Get Rid of Nasty Odors

As we have said, buying a home is partly a sensory experience. This includes smells. No one likes bad odors in a home, so it is vital that you locate and neutralize any bad smells from things like food, pets, and smoking. If you don’t, it could end a sale before it ever has a chance.

Figure Out a Home Buyer’s Motivation

While you need to keep your reason for selling to yourself, it is important to discover a home buyer’s motivation in order to get an advantage in the negotiating process. With this information, you can control the pace and duration of negotiations.

Remember, home buyers want the most house for the least amount of money. Finding out their motivation will enable you to negotiate more effectively and get your price. Sell fast and for top dollar from a position of strength.

Don’t Move Out Until It Sells

Although this may seem counterintuitive, you need to actually stay in the house until it sells. Why? Because it is more challenging to sell a home which appears to be forlorn, forgotten, or abandoned. If you move out, the house can look vacant and unappealing.

Additionally, a vacant home screams desperation to a home buyer. If you are already moved out, home buyers may believe that you need to sell it quickly because you already have a new home. Even if it is not true, this appearance can cost you thousands of dollars.

Know a Home Buyer’s Budget and Timeline

During the entire home selling process, you need to be in control of it. This includes having all of the information you need to succeed, including details of the home buyer’s budget, approved loan amount (including down payment), and closing timeline.

In the event that a home buyer submits a low offer, be sure you ask the realtor if the home buyer can actually afford to pay your home’s true value. Also, figure out if a home buyer would “like” to close or if they “need” to close on a certain date. This could give you a major advantage during negotiations and help you sell quickly and for top dollar. We will make sure you have an easy home selling process when it is done in your time frame.

Don’t Get Emotional During Negotiations

Although you are probably very emotionally attached to your home, you need to set those emotions aside during negotiations. Getting emotional during the negotiating process can put you at a disadvantage. Stay calm and act in a business-like manner because this is, basically, a business transaction.

If home buyers are emotional, you will have an even bigger advantage. Rely on your realtor to help prepare you for negotiations so you know exactly what to expect and how to deal with the process.

How to Deal with a Low Offer from a Home Buyer

Many home sellers are not aware that it is very common for a home buyer to submit an initial low ball offer. Keep in mind that the home buyer and you both know that this is far lower than what he will actually end up paying for the house, and it is simply a way to test the waters.

If you get this type of low ball offer, here are two things you can do:

Don’t Panic – It Isn’t Personal

First and foremost, stay calm and don’t take the offer personally. Simply evaluate the offer objectively and ensure that it

• Spells out the offering price
• Includes a sufficient deposit on the down payment
• Lists the mortgage amount
• Sets a closing date
• Includes special requests
  Once you have this initial offer, you can begin the negotiation process.

Be Prepared with a Counter Offer

Now that you have the initial offer, you can submit a counter offer. Start with one that is just under the asking price to show the home buyer that you are not taking their initial offer seriously.

To sell your home fast, you must only negotiate with serious offers, and this counter offer process will ensure you only have serious offers. If your house does not sell, however, you have options! Our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite – The Augustine Team has developed unparalleled guarantees and can give you the information you need to ensure your house will sell.

Sell Fast with a Properly Calculated Listing Price

Figuring out your listing price for your home is not a number you pull out of thin air. It needs to be calculated based on a number of important factors which all contribute to the determined price.

Many home sellers ask realtors how much they can sell a home for and how fast it will sell. To answer these inquiries, a realtor can use their expertise to calculate the proper listing price and how long it will take to sell at that price.

Selling a Home for Cash Is an Option for a Quick Sale

If you really need to sell your home fast, considering the option to sell it for cash can make that possible. With cash in hand from the sale, you will have freedom to buy a new home without the need to take on new debt.

So, how can you find cash buyers? With our team at Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite – The Augustine Team, you can rest assured that your home will sell for cash because we have a list of pre-qualified cash home buyers ready to buy for cash. We will match your home with the right buyer instantly using our innovative marketing systems.

This system finds the best-qualified prospective home buyers for your house. Before we ask you to leave your home for a showing, we will ensure that the home buyer is pre-qualified and genuinely interested in your home. If they are ready to buy now, we will show them your house.

Our Realtors Will Sell Your House Fast

If you and your family are ready to sell a house fast and get top dollar, be sure you are working with the best realtors – Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Elite - The Augustine Team. We have the experience, knowledge, and skills necessary to get the job done right and make sure you have the least stressful home selling journey possible.

To learn more about selling a house fast or any of our unparalleled home seller guarantees, give us a call at (289) 235-8000, email us [javascript protected email address], or fill out the form on this page with the requested information. One of our skilled realtors will send you a detailed response as soon as possible.

Get ready to start packing!

To Discuss Your Home Sale or Purchase, Call or Text Today and Start Packing!