Step 1. Choosing a Salesperson
When it comes to selling your home, one of your most valuable assets, it makes sense to take the time to choose a qualified and knowledgeable salesperson who has the right tools and strategies at their disposal.When speaking with a salesperson don’t be afraid to ask questions to make sure you trust your salesperson and to make sure you’re confident they have the experience to sell your home quickly and for the best price.
Some of the important things to consider are:
Step 2. Preparing your Home
When preparing your home for sale, some of the top tips for attracting more potential buyers and higher offers are:The first tip is the simplest. It’s obviously a must to clean and tidy your home before an inspection, but it’s crucial to also get rid of clutter that could stand in the way of a potential buyer picturing themselves within the home.
Make any aesthetic repairs well before inspections commence. Things as small as a chip in paint in an interior wall could detract from the overall feel for the home, so get these things up-to-date before your open home.
Once clutter-free, consider using a home stylist or home staging service. The results can be dramatic. Read more about dressing your property for success here.
Before even getting to your first home inspection, consider using a professional photographer to take quality, well-lit pictures of your home. After going to the trouble of updating, de-cluttering and staging your property, the last thing you want to do is turn people away before they’ve even inspected your home.
Step 3. Pricing your Home
The most difficult task for most sellers is determining the value of their home. Many different elements can combine to create unrealistic expectations. The best method is to study the current real estate market facts and figures. Your Harcourts salesperson will show you comparisons of other similar homes in your area - those which have sold, those which have yet to sell and those which will represent your competition. Quite simply, the current property market determines the value of your home.Step 4. Choosing a Method of Sale
There are typically four methods of sale that you can choose to sell your home. These are:Your salesperson will be able to talk you through all of these options and which would suit your needs best.
Step 5. Marketing Your Property
Your salesperson will prepare a personal marketing plan tailored to your specific needs. Marketing your home for sale forms part of Our Promise, a written assurance that we will strive to deliver the best result possible for your property.Buyers purchase with emotion rather than with logic. To enable Harcourts to encourage a potential buyer to take emotional ownership of your property, we recommend you are not present in the property during open homes. Rest assured we will maintain the security of your property and possessions at all times. Group viewing at open home times will allow you to prepare the property to be seen at its best.
Buyer enquiry and inspections will be at their highest when your property first enters the market. Current prospective buyers will always be quick to view a new listing. However, once this rush of activity has passed, there is no need to feel concerned or anxious as the level of enquiry decreases. Most buyers look at, on average, 14 properties before they buy. Rest assured Harcourts will be staying in regular contact with all potential buyers for your property.
When a buyer has viewed several properties they often act quite quickly once they find a home that appeals to them the most. This can often lead to a keen buyer presenting an offer early to avoid ‘missing out’. We would recommend you consider any early offers seriously.
Step 6. Accepting an Offer
Once you have chosen your method of sale, and gone through the marketing process with your salesperson, the next step may be to consider an offer from a potential buyer.At Harcourts, our commitment to you is to bring you each offer formally in writing. We will do this by providing interested buyers with a contract and will give both you and the potential buyer the opportunity to add conditions when negotiating the sale of your property.
Common conditions of sale are subject to:
Once an offer has been accepted and all parties have signed the contract, the purchaser will be asked to pay a deposit. This usually equates to 10% of the purchase price.
Step 7. Completing the Sale
Settlement generally takes place between you and the purchaser and your legal/financial representatives. As the seller, you would have set the settlement date within the contract of sale. Settlement usually occurs 30-90 days after the contract has been signed, depending on what has been agreed upon.Possession of the property usually takes place on the settlement day although you and the buyer can agree for these dates to be different.