Any major undertaking always goes better when you know what to expect when and plan accordingly. And this definitely applies to something with as many steps and contingency factors as selling a house. Any number of things can go wrong, but they don’t necessarily have to if you have a solid plan in place. So with that in mind, we offer you this timeline for home sellers in Metro Atlanta.
1. Today
This timeline for home sellers begins right now, today. You should pick a target date for listing so that you’ll have a terminus for your timeline and plan. But keep in mind that some seasons (usually spring in most areas) are better for selling.
2. Two Months Out From Listing Date
About two months out from the target listing date on your timeline for home sellers in Metro Atlanta is the time to start researching your local market. You should have at least a general idea of what comparable homes are selling for in your area. An agent can help you nail that figure exactly.
3. Six Weeks Out
At about six weeks out, you have two major tasks to take care of: hiring a real estate agent and preparing your house.
This is the point at which you should begin interviewing agents to find the one that is the best fit for you. Your agent should have a good track record of sales at or near list price and should also possess niche market knowledge. Once you’ve selected an agent, you will sign a listing agreement and begin hammering out a marketing plan.
You should also start preparing your house at this point on the timeline for home sellers. These preparations will likely include painting, some repairs and renovations, and just general sprucing up.
4. One Month Out
At one month out from the target listing date, it’s time to start de-cluttering and even moving out, especially if you’ve been using a room or two for storage. And be sure to depersonalize your house removing things like family photos.
5. Two Weeks Out
At two weeks out, the timeline for home sellers in Metro Atlanta is growing shorter, but there’s still much to do. First, you should get your finances in order, especially finding out what your mortgage payoff is. And, next, you’ll need to start the deep cleaning and look into staging.
6. One Week to Go
Now, with just one week left to go on your timeline for home sellers in Metro Atlanta and after you’ve whipped your home into shape and got it looking its best, it’s time to take listing photos. Make sure to take plenty of quality photos that display your home’s best features in their best light. Having done that, get your agent the help you craft a compelling listing ad/description.
7. Listing Date and After
This is the endpoint on the timeline for home sellers because after this point so much is out of your control. This, though, is where you go live and your agent actually lists your home in all the best venues and sets her marketing plan in motion. And then you wait for offers to roll in – hopefully.
But do make sure you are always on perpetual cleaning duty. You never know when potential buyers may want to view your home on very short notice, so it must stay clean and tidy. Ensure that everything in every room is in order every morning before you leave for the day.
Doing the right things at the right time – as seen in our timeline for home sellers in Metro Atlanta – can hugely impact the success of your selling efforts. These things can affect both how long your home is on the market and what price you get.