Selling your home can be a bit like whitewater rafting: a thrilling adventure to many and a rewarding experience, but much easier to do with a guide that has been down the river many times before. Over the years, we’ve learned how to “navigate the bends and rapids,” and how to prepare for the unexpected.
With our own personal experience and our experience as Pittsburgh real estate agents, we’ve gone through the home selling process countless times, so we know exactly how complex it can be (in fact, it has just as many steps as buying a home).
If you’ve never sold a house before, this guide will give you a good idea of what to expect!
How to Sell Your Home
Here are some steps you can expect in the process of selling your home in Pittsburgh and in other locations:
1. Determine whether it’s the right time to sell your home.
“Is now really the right time for me to sell my home?” It’s a question we encourage everyone to ask before committing to the process.
In some cases, it may make more sense for you to explore ways to build equity in your home or to strongly consider ideas for remodeling your house before deciding to sell.
After you’ve weighed your options and determined it’s time to move on, consider the second most important question in the timeline of selling your home: “When is the best time to sell my home?”
2. Decide when to sell your home.
In most cases, houses sell best during the summer months. For example, many sellers see more offers on their home in the first half of May.
Understanding your local trends is vital—and something your real estate agent can assist with. In Pittsburgh, homes generally sell quickest from July through October, and then again in December. If you’re trying to sell your home quickly, look to September: houses sell 14 days faster compared to the rest of the year!
Of course, COVID-19 has altered the real estate market in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, so contact your local real estate agent for additional perspective.
3. Clean and stage your home.
Cleaning and staging are vital for capturing great photos to add to your listing.
Properly staging your home can help it stand out among the competition, so brush up on staging tips and ideas for the best results—or ask your local real estate agent for assistance.
4. Show your home.
An open house during COVID-19 might seem scary, but there are strategies for hosting a safe, productive open house even as we wait for the pandemic to die off.
If you’re uncomfortable with strangers streaming through your home, you do have alternatives to traditional open houses. Our clients have seen great results from 3D walkthroughs and virtual tours, both of which are safe, digital options that allow a buyer to view homes from the comfort of their own couch.
5. Weigh your offers.
How quick your offers come in depend on a few variables:
Your location (Remember the real estate cliché: location, location, location!)
How well your real estate agent has marketed the home
Market conditions
Condition of your home itself
At the moment, the Pittsburgh real estate market is red-hot, and we’ve seen many homes sell in a single weekend!
But the process of closing on a house often opens up new issues. About a quarter of sales hit a snag during the closing process. Buyer financing, home inspections, appraisals, and a dozen other issues can interrupt the process of closing on your home.
Again, this an area where your local real estate agent can assist.
6. Navigate escrow and any title issues.
Once you’ve accepted an offer and it has gone into escrow, it’s time to review the title.
This is where a real estate attorney can become incredibly valuable. During the title review, you may uncover liens, judgments, property taxes, or other legal or financial issues that may interfere with the sale of your home.
Together, your agent and real estate attorney can help you navigate any title complications.
7. Get ready for an inspection.
The home inspection is the last chance for the buyer to find any undisclosed or unknown defects on your property.
Most home inspectors will look for common issues like:
HVAC issues
Plumbing problems
Water damage
Structural issues
Roof damage
Anything that may be a safety concern
If the home inspector finds any problems that the buyer was previously unaware of, they may have an opportunity to change their offer on the home, leaving you with less money after the sale.
This is another instance where an agent can assist. If problems do arise, your agent can help in negotiating any changes in price or help find contractors to make repairs more manageable.
8. Move out—and get ready to celebrate!
You’re not quite done yet. You and the buyer should agree on a move-out date, which means you still have the step of manually moving out.
9. Finish up your paperwork to close.
Once everything else is out of the way, it’s time to meet up on your closing date and sign all of your paperwork. In most cases, it can take a couple of weeks or a couple of months to finally close on the sale of your house. Once you’ve closed, it’s time to pop the champagne!
Find Help Selling Your Home
Navigating the seller’s timeline may seem intimidating, but preparing ahead of time improves your chances of quickly selling your home at a price you love. If you have questions about the home selling process, contact us! Feel free to reach us at theblocks@blocksintheburgh.com.
Cheers,
Julie & Ted