How to sell a house?
Selling a home can be a big step in your life, and it's important that you be prepared. You would not only want to sell your home, but also ensure that you get the price you deserve.
You wish to carry out the sale of your house in Collioure but you don't know where to start ? Don't panic!
Here are some tips that can help you sell your home for the best price.
1) Decide to put up for sale
The first thing to do is to decide if you want to sell your home. This is a decision not to be taken lightly. Your feelings and personal situation should be taken into account before thinking about selling your home.
Next, you need to ask yourself how you want to sell your house: by yourself or through an agency?
On your own
By selling your house yourself, you will have the advantage of not having to pay agency fees.
However, you will need time and availability to manage the work involved in selling a home.
You won't have professionals to help you present your home in the best possible way, to answer questions from buyers, to organize visits and to advise you in case of problems.
By a real estate agency
A real estate agency is a professional who helps you present your home, answer buyers' questions and advise you in case of problems.
A real estate agency will allow you to sell your property more quickly. This is due to the larger agency network. A real estate agency will also estimate the selling price in relation to the market.
A real estate agent manages the visits. By lending him your keys, you can be totally free and independent. They will know how to present your house at best during the visits.
2) Define the selling price
The selling price is determined by several criteria:
The location
The cost of a property depends on its location, the neighborhood, its situation (near a train station, an airport, a commercial or shopping area). A property will be subject to higher price demands than a property located in a residential area.
The condition of the property
A property to be renovated can be sold for less than a property in perfect condition.
The surface and the price per m²
A property with several levels can sell for more than a property with the same surface area but on the first floor.
The services offered
The type of kitchen, the sanitary facilities, the heating system, the electrical system, the panoramic view are all criteria that can influence the asking price of the seller.
3) Set a realistic selling price
If you are selling your home on your own, you need to set the selling price of your property. Look at and analyze real estate ads in newspapers or on the internet to find out what the market prices are.
If you go through a real estate agency, they will tell you the market price to set. The objective is to sell your property quickly at the price you want! The more realistic the price, the shorter the selling time.
4) Prepare the house for sale
After you decide to sell your home, you need to start making some changes. The things that can be changed in your home are the decorating and the exterior landscaping.
You can do some renovations to make the house more attractive, and also make sure the garden is clean and well maintained.
The condition of the house can affect the selling price. That's why you need to make sure you prepare your home for a visit. Before you open the door to a buyer, here's what to do:
- Clean the house.
- Ventilate the rooms.
- Clean and replace curtains if necessary.
- Repair any damage (tiles, doors, etc.).
- Refresh the walls if necessary
- De-cluttering the rooms
- Cut the herbs between the paving stones in the yard
5) Put the ad online
It's time to advertise the sale of your home on the Internet.
You can choose a site specialized in the sale of houses or a more generalist media. There are some specialized sites that are aimed at individuals, and others that are dedicated to real estate agencies.
To post your ad, you must go to the home selling site and fill out the registration form.
You will have to fill in the necessary information about the house: neighborhood, address, main features, etc. It is also possible to specify the characteristics of the neighborhood: schools, shops, transportation, etc. You can also indicate a selling price per square meter.
Most home selling websites allow you to post multiple photos of the home. Without a nice picture of your home, you are sure not to attract buyers.
You can take pictures of your most beautiful rooms (living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, etc.). However, if you don't have a camera or you don't have time to take pictures, then you can pay an advertising company to take those pictures.
Real estate agencies also provide this type of service.
6) Organize the visits
In order to attract potential buyers, you need to organize visits of your house. Indeed, even if you go through an agency, it is advisable to be present when people come to visit your house.
Buyers are more likely to purchase a home when they meet the owner.
In addition, organized tours can be done in groups. This has the advantage of attracting more people.
Finally, you can also broadcast a virtual tour of the house for those in a hurry.
7) Negotiate the sale price
When a buyer is interested in the house, he contacts you for an appointment. This is the time to negotiate the selling price and the conditions of the sale of your home.
Indeed, the buyer will be more interested if he knows that you are in a difficult financial situation. If not, he will be more greedy and will demand a price defying all competition.
8) Have the buyer sign a sales agreement
The compromise of sale, or also called promise of sale, is a legal act which binds the two parts: the salesman and the purchaser. This describes the conditions of the sale, i.e. the price and terms.
The promise to sell must be drawn up by a notary. This promise is sent by mail or e-mail to the seller who then has fifteen days to sign it.
After signing the promise to sell, the seller has one month to retract for serious reasons, by notifying the buyer.
9) Acting on the sale of the house
Your notary will call you to sign the deed of sale. This is done in the presence of your future buyer and a witness. At the signing of the deed of sale, the notary will give you a receipt that certifies that you have received the sale price. Champagne!