Selling your home in Georgia can be a daunting process. From finding the right seller agent, listing your home to organizing open houses, selling a house, especially in Georgia, takes time and can be stressful. Unfortunately, selling a home in Georgia involves several steps and a timeline that you must be aware of to stay ahead of your home selling process.
In this article, you will learn about the timeline that comes with selling your house in Georgia, even as a first-timer with no experience.
Three Months before Listing Your House
Decide if it’s the right time to sell your house.
When looking to sell your home, the first step is to find out your financial standing and budget. You will need to hire the service of a reputable tax advisor to help you with this. Evaluating your financial place involves looking at your current loan information to find out your outstanding mortgage payments.
You will also need to evaluate your budget to see if you will be able to cover the financial costs—paying closing costs, taxes, and other fees associated with selling a home in Atlanta. More importantly, you will have to research the housing market in Atlanta to find out what other similar homes in your area are selling for.
Two Months before Listing Your House
Hire a Trustworthy Listing Agent
Hiring a trustworthy listing agent will help you go through the rigors of selling a home in Atlanta with less stress. You should hire a listing agent with local knowledge of your house location. Ask friends and family for recommendations, and interview them closely. Remember that you will work with your listing agent for months. So, it is essential that you find the right match.
Pick Your Desired Selling Date
Before deciding when to sell your home, you should discuss your agent when to put up your house for sale. Consider your work or business schedule, time of the month or year, and that of your family if you have one. According to a Redfin study, to sell for the most money, you should put your house on the market on a Wednesday. To sell the fastest, list on a Thursday, and avoid listing your home on Sunday as it can be the worst day to attract buyers.
Hire an Inspector and Make Repairs
While it may seem shocking to you as a first-time home seller, it is crucial that you hire a home inspector to carry out a pre-sale inspection of your house. Hiring an inspector will alert you of any underlying repair issue in your home. This will save you from delay or eliminate any surprise, especially when a potential buyer hires a home inspector.
Once you have received the inspection report, you will need to carry out any repair issues identified in the report before listing your house for sale.
One month before listing your house
Declutter Your Home
Selling your home involves making your home attractive and appealing to its future owner. One easy way to do this is to declutter your home and have it prepped by a professional. Your potential homebuyer wants to picture themselves living in your space when they walk through your door. You should hire a professional stager or take out any personal effects, dress your bed, and keep the garden and countertop clean.
Determine How Much is Worth and Set the Listing Price
While it is common to have a number in your head, it will be risky to overprice your home to avoid losing potential buyers. You should hire an experienced local home appraisal to help you find your home's actual worth in relation to the current market rate.
One week before listing your home
Get Professional Photos Taken
Now is the time to list your home on listing websites. Most of the time, your hired listing agent will be responsible for listing your home on MLS or other online listing websites. However, you will need to hire a professional photographer to take appealing photos of your staged and decluttered home space.
After Listing Your Home
Review Offers and Negotiate with Potential Buyers
After the listing, you will begin to receive offers from potential buyers. During this period, your agent will advise you on the right offer and guide you through the negotiation process. Furthermore, you should consider all the terms of the offer (moving time, downpayment, and contingencies) and not just the final listing price.
Accept the Offer, Start the Closing Paperwork, And Final Walkthrough
Once you have received a purchase offer that meets your selling expectation, it is time to accept the offer and initiate the closing procedure. Depending on the sale's complexity, it may be a good idea to hire a real estate attorney to help with the closing paperwork.
If there are any repair issues raised by the buyer, you should consider having them fixed before the closing date. Typically, a day or two before the closing, your home buyer will organize a final walkthrough to confirm that all the raised repair issues have been fixed.
On Closing Day
Sign the necessary documents and transfer ownership to the buyer
This is now the final day of any home selling process. The closing day is usually held in the escrow agent/title company's office with your agent, lender, and that of the buyer in attendance. On this day, you will have to transfer ownership/title of the home, key, sign all the documents, and the realized sale proceeds are transferred to your possession.
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