So you have decided that the time has come to sell your home.

Usually when people decide to sell, it’s because there are BIG things in store. Maybe you’re ready to move into a bigger home because of a growing family, a new job awaits you in a shiny new city, or maybe your darling children have left the coop. Regardless, this is a big step – and not one that should be taken lightly. In order for you to get the most amount of money for the least amount of hassle, we’ve compiled this guide to… well, guide you. Step-by-step so that you can go from overwhelmed to empowered on your home selling process. Deep breath. You’ve totally got this!

We want to be as transparent as possible. You do not need a real estate agent to sell your home. There are people who decide to go without, often referred to as for sale by owners. As much information as there is online about selling your home, there’s also a lot the blogs don’t tell you. That most for sale by owners lack the exposure of the multiple listing service, struggle to get full list price, be there for every showing, avoiding possible scams (unfortunately they exist), and to top it off, being completely overwhelmed with calls from unqualified buyers. Most agents are able to get their owners at least 6% more than if they were to sell themselves, therefore paying their own commission.

I’ve personally found it easiest to reflect on my ‘WHY’ when I use statements like the ones below. Take some time, put on a brain food playlist on Spotify and ask yourself these questions so that you can get crystal clear on what your overall outcome will be in this radical journey of homeownership.

we are deciding to sell our home because…

selling our home would allow us to…

You fell in love with this home for a reason. Help us understand that. Reminisce on your journey through the home for the first time, paint a picture of every detail you fell in love with. That is what will help it sell. Of course people are looking for a certain amount of beds, baths, etc., but it’s the small details that turn like into love into have-to-have.

the features of the home we originally fell in love with are…

some upgrades we made are…

Now that you have mapped out your why’s and the unique selling features of your home it is time to take a look at what the selling process and timeline looks like.  Here is what to expect.