What the selling process might look like for your home this spring.

I’ve had an amazing 30 years in the business, but I’ve never seen a spring quite like this one. That’s why I wanted to cover what it looks like to list a house today. There are a few things I keep in mind whenever I meet with sellers.

I always ask, “Where do you plan on moving to?” Are they going to live in a condo, another house, or move to a different state? This gives me a good idea of the time frame. If they want to rent, we can sell the house very quickly. If they want to buy another home, they may need to stay in their house for a while after closing.

Next, I walk through the house, look for problems, and talk to the seller about any upgrades they’ve made. I’ll check stuff like the water heater, furnace, plumbing, and electrical. I’ll also ask about the roof. We might discuss some staging tips and what they should do before they list.

”The most important thing in real estate is communication.”

After that, we’ll talk about what else has sold in the neighborhood over the last six months. We can’t look too far back because property values have increased rapidly. Then, we go over all the paperwork. One of the more important forms is the seller’s disclosure. On that form, we have to list how old the furnace is, the age of the roof, etc. It can get complicated, so I walk the seller through it.

We’ll also talk about the price of your home. We’ll go over all the costs involved like title insurance, transfer tax, closing fees, commission, etc. You’ll also know all about the timing. If we list your house today, it might take 10 days to sell and 30 days to close. You might even get 60 days to move after closing. Selling your home can be a 90-day+ process, but that gives you plenty of time to search for a new home.

After we wrap all that up, we'll see what makes sense for you. Should you list now or wait a little bit? What has to happen to help your situation?

If you’re interested in the process or have any questions, call me at (616) 532-7200. I would love to help you.