Latest NewsLessen the Stress when Selling your HomeWednesday, 15 May 2019

Lessen the Stress When Selling Your Home

You’ve probably heard the saying that the top stressors in life are moving home, going through a death or divorce, and starting a new job. Unfortunately the most common times a home is sold is due to either a death, divorce or starting a new job.

The process of selling a home doesn’t have to be stressful when you are aware of what is in front of you. Being informed and educated on what the steps are in the process will lessen the stress.

Unless you’re an investor who regularly buys and sells properties, you probably haven’t sold a house for quite some time - if ever, if you are selling your first home!

So what are some of the things you need to know about in the process of selling a home?

Be prepared to ask for help. You don’t have to do everything yourself - even if you are a single person. When using a real estate agent to sell your home, they will have people to help you through every step including the basics of decluttering and styling your home for sale. A good agent will recognise the little things that you may need help with - so make sure you work closely with your agent, and ask for help - even if you don’t think you need it.

Find out about the current market. Is it a buyers or sellers market right now? Is there an election coming up, or a major holiday, or perhaps the Reserve Bank is considering lowering, or increasing the current cash rate. Each state and even each region, will have its own market so it’s important to find out how that will affect the sale price of your home, but most importantly how long you should expect it will take for your home to find a new owner.

The price your home will eventually sell for isn’t set in stone. It depends on many factors including how long buyers have been actively looking for a home, what type of advertising your agent does to increase the exposure of your home to as many potential buyers as possible, and what other properties are for sale in your area that have similar features or price range.

How long your property will stay on the market is also determined by a variety of factors, including those mentioned above. But once you have a buyer and the paperwork is in progress, there could still be a considerable wait until everything is done and dusted. So be prepared for a wait.

A lot of this information can be answered by property data - something your agent will have a lot of, so it’s important that when you’re working with your agent you understand the data behind the sale process. Ask questions, find out why, and most importantly trust the process.

Oh, and don’t forget to tick the boxes such as:

Declutter and store furniture you wish to keep in another location if possible.
Keep the home clean as possible - even if that means keeping the dog outside for a few weeks or even better, go on that extended holiday you’ve always dreamt of.

Stick with your routines so you are as comfortable and healthy as you can be.
Don’t take negative feedback personally - some homes are just not everyone’s cup of tea. It just means the right owner hasn’t come along yet.

Keep communication levels high with your agent. A good agent will give you a lot of honesty, a lot of feedback and if they are the right one, they will be your agent for life.

These are just some of the parts in the process of selling a home. You will come across many more steps so make sure you keep an open mind, work closely with your agent and most importantly, celebrate when the sale is finally complete.

Good luck!