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Selling a house can be relatively simple or it can be quite complex and difficult. Since it such a significant undertaking, it will pay you to become educated about the process.
Before I get started, are you relocating to Austin from outside our area? If you are, take a look at how I may be able to help you to
reduce your selling costs
. If you live in the Austin area and are thinking of selling your home, call me for a free
market analysis
.
Why are you selling?
It is important to think about the reasons that are motivating you to sell a home. It is even better if you will write them down and rank them in order of importance. It may be that your family is growing and you need more room. It could be a job change and relocation. It might be because you are retiring or scaling down.
Explore your short and long term goals and decide how selling your house fits into those goals. Your REALTOR® can be a huge asset here. An informed REALTOR® will be able to listen to your needs and desires and talk with you about current market conditions. Remember that there are a lot of factors involved in getting your home sold quickly. The condition of the home, location and market conditions can work for or against you.
Pricing the house
Now it is time to talk about pricing the house. Keep in mind that pricing a house has nothing to do with what you paid for it, the dollar value of the improvements you have made, your current mortgage balance or what you want for the house. Buyers determine the sales price. Your agent will create a comparative market analysis by taking into consideration the type of market you are in and recent sales of comparable properties. Ultimately it is up to you to determine the list price, but your agent will have good guidance for you. If you don’t like what the agent shows you, get a second opinion.
Often, it can be hard for you, as a seller, to maintain objectivity, so remember to be reasonable about the price you set. You will always be better off setting a fair market value price than setting your price high expecting that someone will come along and be willing to pay it. If your home stays on the market too long because it is overpriced, potential buyers may think that something is wrong with it. You may end up selling it for less than what you could have gotten if you had started out with a realistic asking price. Also, if a speedy sale is required, you may want to price the house a bit lower than the sale price of comparable sold properties. Take a look a serious look at
what really sells your house
.
Sometimes, getting your house ready to sell can be a bit tricky. Now it is time to address making your house saleable.
There are several of steps after making your house saleable. Later we will review
listing and marketing your house
and
closing the deal
.
Please go on to read about
making your home saleable
.
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