Putting Your House On The Market

You’ve made the decision to put your house on the market. How do you get ready and what needs to be done first?

The first step is to meet with several real estate brokers. If you meet with three different brokers they will each give you an idea of what they think your house is worth. You can then decide which person you think will do the best job at selling your house for a price that will make everyone happy. When listing your house the price needs to be realistic. The brokers will do a comparison to other similar houses nearby. By looking at what’s available they should be able to advise you on a realistic price to list your house for.

The next step is to figure out the best time of year to place your home on the market. For example very few people will put their house on the market in the weeks before Christmas. No one is out looking for real estate during the holiday season. Most people want to move during the summer when children are out of school and the school year has finished. That way they can get settled in their new home before the next school year begins.

Some areas of the country have very hot markets right now. In Portland, Oregon a home will usually sell within a week of listing and for the asking price or higher! Here in Vermont the real estate market is much, much slower. It may take several years to sell a house and during that time you may only have six people actually come look at your home.

It’s hard not to let your emotions get in the way. You love your home, you have many happy memories of living there, you’ve improved the home and you want to make money on selling your home. You also want to walk away with enough money to purchase your next home. However, you have to be realistic and list your home for a price that will show that you’re interested in selling, and have it be in the ballpark of what people are looking for.