Are you looking to sell your home in Massachusetts? Did you know that you have more options than just listing with a realtor? Sure, the MLS is great and helps you sell your home faster, but it’s not the only way. Every day more people realize the savings in selling their home on their own, but what does it entail?
Figure out the Right Price
This means more than the price you want for the home. Sure, you are emotionally attached and think your home is worth a certain price but is it? Without a realtor, you’ll have to figure this out for yourself. No, don’t use the online valuation sites. While they provide a great estimate, it’s just that, an estimate. You need to use professional data, from a professional appraiser. If not, you can gather the data yourself, but you’ll need to know the price homes in the area with the same features and of the same size sold for within the last six months. It’s best to get a professional’s help with this part, even if you consult with a realtor, but don’t hire him to actually sell your home.
Take Great Pictures
Pictures sell your home – honestly. Everyone scours the internet before walking through a home. If you don’t have attractive pictures of your home, expect it to sit untouched for months. Hire a professional real estate photographer, enlist the help of a talented friend, or do it yourself, but make sure you get the input of an outsider. Do the pictures highlight the amazing features of your home? If not, start again.
Market Your Home Well
Without a realtor, the marketing is on you. Don’t rely on the sign in the ground and down the street. Sure, that lets your neighbors know the home is for sale, but you want to grab the attention of outsiders – people that want to move to the area. This requires flyers, online marketing, and even phone calls. Expect to spend a lot of time handling the marketing – it’s an ongoing task that will last until you get that sales contract.
Keep Your Home Clean
You never know when you’ll get a last-minute phone call asking to come see your home. While you could turn them away, what if that was ‘the buyer’? Keep your home clean and your schedule clear so that you can bring buyers in when it’s convenient for them. Expect this to take up a good portion of your week until your home sells.
Negotiate the Sale
Here comes the hard part. Yes, be excited, you got an offer, but now you have to negotiate the sale. This includes the price you sell it for and under what terms. Think about what you want out of the sale. Will you leave the appliances or take them? Do you need to move by a certain date? Do you want an earnest money deposit? Make sure you write down everything you want out of the sale so that when you are in the heart of negotiating, you don’t forget or get overwhelmed, because it’s stressful.
Close on the Sale
The final step is the closing. This is where you’ll have some help. Hopefully, you’ve hired an attorney. He can look over the contract and help you get through the legal aspects of selling the home. You’ll meet with a closing agent that will fund the buyer’s loan, which is what pays you in combination with their buyer’s down payment.
The closing agent will handle the final details of the sale, but it’s best if you are properly prepared leading up to it. This way there are no snags in the process when you go to close on the home.
Selling your home without a realtor is hard work. Make sure you know what you’re up against and if you aren’t sure, you can always entertain selling your home to a cash buyer. You don’t have to deal with any of the stress and you still get a fair price for your home or condo in Massachusetts.
Are you ready to find out how much you could get for your home? Get in touch with us today!