The Selling Process

I’m here to help you navigate the process of selling a home.

1. Step 1:  Meet with a realtor, virtually or in person, for a seller consultation.
2. Step 2:  During the seller consultation you will discuss market conditions, your home’s value, and any preparations needed to get your home market ready.
3. Step 3:  Make a plan with your realtor for getting your house ready to go on the market and sign a Listing Agreement for your agent to list your home.
4. Step 4:  Prepare your home to go on the market by decluttering, cleaning, and fixing any known issues.  (I have many excellent resources who can help you with these steps in my Local Resource Guide.)
5. Step 5:  You realtor will schedule a professional photographer to take photos, videos, and drone photos (depending on the property).
6. Step 6:  Your realtor will have a “for sale” sign installed, put an electronic lockbox on your door, and enter your listing into the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) on the date your home is going on the market.
7. Step 7:  Keep your home in “showing condition” at all times and allow as many showings as possible.
8. Step 8:  Your realtor will provide you with any feedback from the showings.
9. Step 9:  Your realtor will let you know when offers are received and you will review them together.
10. Step 10:  Your realtor will help you negotiate any offers that you are interested in and help you and the buyers come to a written agreement with a ratified contract.
11. Step 11:  Once you have a ratified contract on your home, you will need to provide any requested documentation to the settlement company.  You can either use the same settlement company that the buyer is using or your realtor can recommend another settlement company if you’d like to have your own representation during this transaction. 
12. Step 12:  Once you have a ratified contract on your home, the buyers will begin to schedule inspections which often include a home inspection, radon testing, well inspections, septic inspection, and a termite inspection (often called a WDO or wood destroying organism inspection).  Plan to be out of the house during these inspections.  Many of these inspections are paid for by the buyers, but at times the seller may need to pay for the septic inspection and the WDO, depending on the contract.
13. Step 13:  Your realtor will help you negotiate any issues that arise during the inspections.
14. Step 14:  You will need to hire a licensed contractor to make any agreed upon repairs of issues discovered during the inspections at least one week prior to settlement.  (I have excellent local contractors that I can recommend in my Community Resource Guide.)
15. Step 15:  You need to prepare to move from your home prior to settlement.  Make sure that your movers will have all personal property removed the day prior to settlement to ensure a smooth transition.  Also, make sure that the utilities remain in your name through the date of settlement so have them scheduled to transfer to your buyer on the day after closing.
16. Step 16:  The buyers will do a final walk through with their realtor prior to closing. This is often the evening before closing (once all of your items have been removed from the home), but can happen within 7 days of closing, especially if buyers want to check on any repairs that were made to the home.
17. Step 17:  Buyers and sellers will both sign all documents on closing day.  Sellers can sign early as long as prior arrangements have been made with their settlement company, but buyers must sign on the actual day of closing.
18. Step 18:  Your home sale is now final.  Your transaction will be recorded and your funds will be distributed within two business days.