Saturday, July 5, 2025

A 12 Step Timeline for Promoting A Home: What to Anticipate

A transparent timeline for promoting a home could make all of the distinction in staying organized and on schedule all through an usually traumatic course of. From the choice to promote to closing day, Redfin has you lined each step of the best way.

Whether or not you’re transitioning to a rental home in Tucsondownsizing to an residence in Salt Lake Metropolisor fulfilling your dream of shopping for a house in San Diegothe promoting course of can look completely different for everybody. This timeline for promoting your home breaks down the method step-by-step, so what to anticipate.

On this article:

  1. Determine whether or not to promote now
  2. Rent an inventory agent
  3. Set a promoting value
  4. Choose an inventory date
  5. Get a pre-sale inspection
  6. Declutter, clear, and stage
  7. Checklist your house
  8. Present your house
  9. Evaluate and negotiate
  10. Settle for a proposal
  11. Put together for the ultimate walkthrough
  12. Closing day
    What occurs now?
    FAQs on the promoting timeline

A neighborhood street on a clear sunny day.

1. Decide if now is an effective time to promote your home

Step one in any house sale is making the choice on whether or not it is best to promote your home now. This generally is a extremely private determination, however it’s essential to contemplate and analysis the next that can assist you make the precise selection:

  • Private funds: Collect data in your mortgage funds and mortgage to see what you continue to owe on your home and calculate what your revenue would possibly equal from a sale. Assess your funds to cowl closing prices, taxes, commissions, and different promoting charges.
  • Housing market: Analysis the present state of the housing market and see how related houses in your space are promoting to get a way of pricing and demand.
  • Market kind: Decide whether or not you’re in a purchaser’s or vendor’s market. In a purchaser’s market, houses promote slower and will require value flexibility. In a vendor’s market, houses promote rapidly and sometimes obtain a number of affords. Understanding this helps set practical expectations.

2. Rent an inventory agent

Whilst you can promote your house with out an agentthe house promoting course of is lots of work with no skilled. Actual property brokers are key helpers for each patrons and sellers. A vendor’s agentor itemizing agent, particularly helps with key duties all through the house promoting timeline, like figuring out an inventory value and negotiating affords.

It’s greatest to rent an agent about two months earlier than you’re able to checklist your home. You should definitely take time and interview a handful of brokers, as a result of choosing the proper agent could make your complete promoting course of smoother and fewer traumatic.

>>Learn extra: What Does a Actual Property Agent Do?

3. Set a promoting value

You should use a home-value calculator to estimate your house’s worth earlier than getting an expert house appraisal. Your agent will help you set a aggressive value primarily based on this estimate and present market traits.

Be ready to compromise your splendid value with market realities. You could threat dropping potential patrons if your house is overpriced, finally extending your promoting timeline.

4. Choose a date to checklist your house

Timing can play an enormous position in how rapidly your house sells—and for a way a lot. When deciding the greatest time to promote a homecontemplate components like:

  • Your private schedule
  • Educational calendars
  • Holidays
  • Time of yr
  • Days of the week

Strategize together with your agent to weigh your availability and market traits.

>>Learn extra: What’s the Greatest Day to Put Your House on the Market?

5. Get a pre-sale house inspection

Schedule a pre-listing house inspection to catch any mandatory repairs earlier than your house hits the market. Addressing any points earlier than itemizing your house can stop surprises throughout the purchaser’s inspection and sudden delays when there’s an purchaser. This will even present transparency concerning the house’s situation and cut back your legal responsibility as a vendor.

Whereas some fixes are obligatory after a house inspectionsome might be negotiated between the client and vendor. Decide which repairs are value your time and funds to repair, and which could affect your house’s worth or enchantment if left undone.

A recreational or office room that has just been staged, a step about halfway through the timeline for selling a house.

6. Clear and declutter

It’s not simply to impress potential patrons – having your house cleaned and decluttered makes each the promoting and shifting course of simpler. Begin a few month earlier than itemizing by eradicating private gadgets and extra muddle. This helps patrons envision themselves within the house and provides you a head begin on packing. Hiring professionals to assist will streamline what might be tedious duties by yourself, too. Listed here are a couple of strategies for a clean course of:

  • Have your house professionally decluttered: Decide what you’re holding, donating, or discarding, begin clearing gadgets to current a impartial house for patrons to view.
  • Preserve private belongings in a storage unit: Hire a storage unit to maintain containers and furnishings out of the best way whereas displaying your home. Some storage firms even supply transportable models so you may transfer them on to your new house whenever you’re prepared.
  • Rent a cleansing firm: Make sure that each inch of your house appears – and smells – clear and recent. A clear house with an interesting inside is without doubt one of the best methods to face out from the competitors.
  • Get your house professionally staged: Knowledgeable stager can remodel your house to seem greater and brighter. They’ll rearrange furnishings, add impartial decor, and supply the ending touches that may assist your house enchantment to potential patrons.
  • Don’t overlook the surface: The very first thing potential patrons will see of your home is the surface. Don’t underestimate the worth of the landscaping, exterior window washing, or shining up your entrance door.

7. Checklist your house

As soon as repairs have been made, the within is clear and staged, and the surface is image good, it’s time to checklist your home. First, nonetheless, you’ll wish to get skilled actual property pictures. Although you possibly can take pictures your self, skilled pictures will help your house promote quicker – and for more cash. It’s additionally an effective way to make your house stand out in a sea of listings. Your actual property agent will provide help to create and market the itemizing to get it in entrance of as many potential patrons as attainable.

8. Present your house

Displaying your house by means of excursions or open homes is the climax of the timeline for promoting your home. When potential patrons stroll by means of a home, it’s their probability to image themselves residing there. In the event that they like the image, a proposal received’t be far off. Evaluate this open home guidelines to be sure you’ve lined all of the bases, and have your agent provide help to create a schedule for showings.

9. Evaluate affords and negotiate

Because the affords start to roll in, your agent will current them, advise you on counter affords, and information you thru the negotiation course of. It’s essential to have a look at the total phrases of the supply, not simply the supply value, to be sure you get the perfect deal.

In some instances, hiring a actual property lawyer to organize and assessment remaining paperwork and contracts might be useful to keep away from any points that might maintain up your sale.

10. Settle for a proposal

When you’ve obtained a proposal that meets your wants, it’s time to just accept and start the closing course of. This could take anyplace from 30 to 60 days, during which time you’ll pack the rest of your belongings, full any remaining repairs requested by the client, and decide the ultimate dates.

11. Put together for the ultimate walkthrough

The ultimate walkthrough will give the patrons an opportunity to check out the property and ensure that each one the agreed-upon repairs have been made and no new issues have come up. On the time of the ultimate walkthrough, your house must be clear and utterly empty, apart from gadgets that have been a part of the settlement.

12. Shut the deal

Whether or not the vendor must be current at closing is dependent upon the kind of sale and native practices, however a couple of duties are sometimes required:

  • Signal the required closing paperwork: Not all closing paperwork are for the client. Sellers signal and obtain paperwork transferring property rights and possession. Some paperwork, just like the deed, overlap and are signed by each events.
  • Pay remaining balances: Any excellent mortgage balances, HOA charges, or negotiated seller-paid closing prices are sometimes paid at closing.
  • Flip in your keys: Bodily keys, storage door openers, and codes that entry the house must be handed off to the brand new proprietor.

A young woman hands someone out of frame keys at the end of the timeline for selling a house.

The timeline for promoting a home: What occurs now?

Everybody’s timeline for promoting a home might be completely different, particularly when balancing modifications within the housing market with private schedules. Regardless of this, the ultimate query stays the identical: what occurs now?

In most conditions, it’s splendid to promote your home earlier than shopping for a brand new one. No matter whether or not you’re promoting and shopping for on the similar timetransitioning to renting for extra flexibility, or in search of a wholly new journey like an EarthshipRedfin might be right here that can assist you.

FAQs on the promoting timeline

Are you able to promote a home with out an agent?

Sure, you may promote your house with out an agent. This is named a “on the market by proprietor.” Whereas it’s attainable, it’s extremely really helpful to enlist the assistance of an actual property agent. With out one, you’ll be liable for all the things from itemizing the home to negotiating the affords by yourself.

How lengthy will it take to promote a house?

The precise timeline for promoting a home varies relying on quite a few components. The present housing market, time of yr, location, and worth of the house all contribute to the timeline. Correct analysis and preparation are important to creating positive you’re prepared for no matter comes your means.

Are you able to velocity up the method of promoting a home?

Pre-listing inspections, organized paperwork, and having a move-in prepared house all assist velocity up the house promoting course of. Getting assist from actual property professionals will help you be certain all the things is finished correctly and effectively, and get your house offered as rapidly as attainable.

What must you do after you promote your home?

As soon as the sale has closed and you’ve got vacated the property, it’s all concerning the updates. Cancel your utilities, replace your insurance coverage, and replace your deal with. Begin with necessities like banks, work, and subscriptions to make sure any essential gadgets are delivered to your new house. When you’re shifting to a brand new county, you should definitely replace your voter’s registration as effectively.

What if I promote my home earlier than I can purchase a brand new home?

Promoting your home first may give you a clearer image of what you may afford whenever you start on the lookout for your new home. Nonetheless, you might must search for short-term housing should you don’t discover a new home earlier than the agreed upon move-out date.

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