How to Prepare to Sell Your House

Preparing to sell your house need not be an onerous task. It all depends on how you want to sell your house. You shouldn’t start to prepare your house until you know which method you’re using: selling with a realtor, sale by owner, or selling to a cash home buyer. And if you want to sell your house fast, you should make this decision quickly.

With a Realtor

If you’re preparing to sell your house with a realtor, you should connect with a realtor first. Keep in mind that the realtor is going to take a large percentage of your house’s sale price, usually anywhere from 3% to 5%.

Your realtor will tell you what repairs are necessary for the current market. Some markets are fast, and you can sell anything. Other markets (most markets) require you to update and renovate your home. At a minimum, your home has to be in condition for a mortgage lender to accept it. That means no serious issues with the roof, the HVAC system, the water heater, or the foundation.

You will also need to clean and repair your house. Ideally, you will move out before the sale begins to keep it clean, empty, and ready for showing.

For Sale by Owner

If you want to sell your house yourself, you’re still going to need to make those repairs and renovations. Then you will have to take photos and videos of your house and list it for sale. Usually, FSBO houses go on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other online venues. The problem is that FSBO houses usually take a long time to sell. If you need to sell your house fast, it really isn’t an option.

Look into the houses in your market. You want to see how much houses like your home are selling for. Otherwise, you won’t be able to properly negotiate. Like selling with a realtor, though, you’re going to need to make all the major repairs necessary around your house.

A mortgage company is going to insist on both an inspection and an appraisal. And if either falls through, your sale will fall through. Selling your house on your own does work for some people, but it is going to take a lot of your time. You should still go through an escrow company for the final sale, and you should consider getting a real estate attorney to look over your final sales documents rather than relying on your own contracts.

Cash Home Buyer

Here’s the great news: If you’re going to sell to a cash home buyer, you can sell your house fast. Really fast. You don’t need to prepare your house at all. Just schedule an appointment for a walkthrough, get an offer, and set up a move-out date. No cleaning, renovations, or any other costs to your time or bank account.

That’s because we buy houses as-is. We don’t require any repairs or renovations. We will even purchase houses that are old, ugly, or in bad need of major repairs. Unlike selling with a realtor or selling by yourself, you don’t need to think about mortgage lenders. When we buy houses, we buy them for cash. We’re financing our own sale, so we can purchase any home that we choose to make an offer on.

Just give us the address, set up a walkthrough, and we’ll give you an offer. At We Buy Cincinnati Houses, we can help you sell your house fast. We buy houses throughout the greater Cincinnati area. Contact us today to find out more.