I’m Planning on Selling My Fullerton Home. What Do I Do Next?

Being personally ready to leave a home behind is an important first step to selling a property. However, not knowing what to do next can be paralyzing. That’s why it’s best for sellers to partner with a local agent in the area. They have experience with many successful home sales. With this expertise, they can guide you through your own home listing. When planning the sale of your Fullerton real estate, here’s what to do next.

The first step to take as a seller is to research local market trends. Market trends can help sellers price their homes, time a listing, and brace for favorable or unfavorable conditions. Sellers should try listing their properties in the seller’s market conditions. This is when buyer demand is high, and housing supply is low. The mix of high demand and low supply gives sellers more power when making negotiations and pricing their properties.

The Fullerton housing market is currently slowing down. This may make it more challenging for sellers to list their properties. Existing home sales decreased by 35.9% compared to last year. Active listings have increased by 64.9%. This creates more competition between sellers and fewer buyers on the market. Sellers can still expect a fast listing, as homes spend a median of 18 days on the market.

When you’ve researched local market trends, search for a local agent. Ask for recommendations from friends and family and search online to create a list of candidates to interview. While interviewing possible candidates, ask about their experience listing luxury homes for sale in Fullerton, CA. They should have a track record of success selling similar properties to your own. Also, ask if they work with a team and what their methods of communication are.

An agent is a tremendous help in the selling process. They can supply you with quick access to resources you may need. They can also provide advice throughout the process on how to stage or what to expect when selling. An agent markets your property so buyers can find it quickly. They also negotiate on your behalf. This saves you the time and stress of doing so yourself.

Preparing your property before listing decreases the chances of an offer falling through. First, assess your home for any necessary repairs. A home inspector can help with uncovering any serious problems. In California, common home inspection issues include damages to the roof, fire damage, and water damage. Also, patch up smaller repairs yourself. These include fixing a leaky sink, oiling a squeaky hinge, or filling holes in walls. Home sellers can also complete upgrades to boost home value. Work with your agent to select projects buyers will be interested in.

Next, stage your home for marketing. Staging acts as a blank slate for buyers viewing the property. It also makes it easier for them to imagine their own belongings in each room. First, clean the home thoroughly. A dirty home distracts buyers and may indicate more serious neglect. Dust, sweep, and vacuum all areas. Then, declutter. Decluttering also distracts the eye and may conceal your home’s best features.

When that’s complete, start staging your home. Rooms should be light, clean, and bright. Keep blinds open and lights on when showing a home. This creates a welcoming and spacious atmosphere. Also, take down family photos from walls. When organizing furniture, make sure the natural pathways remain unobstructed. If you feel overwhelmed with staging, try sticking to rooms like the master bedroom, kitchen, and living room.

To help buyers find your Fullerton real estate, an agent will list your home on a local MLS. Although MLS sites are only available to licensed agents, the listings trickle into other public sites. This makes them visible when buyers make individual searches on Realtor, Redfin, and Zillow. An agent incorporates professional photos in a listing to catch a buyer’s eye. They’ll also set a competitive listing price. Fullerton homes have a median price of $1.01 million, although an agent will factor in your property’s specifics.

An agent also schedules home showings. Agents search for interested buyers in the area through their connections with local buyers’ agents. Home showings can be a stressful time for sellers, as it requires them to prepare a home on short notice. An agent will provide you with as much heads up as possible to help you clean and leave the property.

As buyers find your property, prepare to enter negotiations. First, an agent will research if the buyer is qualified or truly interested in making an offer. Then, they’ll help you weigh different factors like offer price, contingencies, and closing dates. You can either accept, reject, or make a counteroffer. Sometimes sellers prioritize factors like a higher price. Others may want a longer closing window for extra time packing and finding a new home. Regardless of your goals, try entering negotiations with an open mind while knowing what’s non-negotiable to you.

Sellers should prepare for costs when closing on luxury homes for sale in Fullerton, CA. In California, sellers pay an average of 2.72% of the final sale price in closing costs. Using the median price of $1.01 million, expect expenses totaling $27,472. These include title service fees, title insurance, transfer tax, and property taxes for the months you resided in the property. Property tax rates in Orange County average 0.56% of a home’s assessed fair market value.

Sellers don’t have to stress when figuring out how to sell their homes. Follow the guide above when starting your home sale. To stay on track, partner with an agent local to the area. They’ll have the market information and connections you need for a successful listing. When you’re ready to list your Fullerton home for sale, contact one of the local agents at the Pompey Group to guide you through the process.